UK Defence Forum

Any news on the helicopters that are going to be embarked for the trials? wildcats & more Awsomely (imho) Apache's.!!!

I'd bet on Merlin HC4 doing a first hop on board, since they'll be there for the US trip... along with Royal Marines of Lima Coy, 42 Cdo, in their role of Joint Personnel Recovery force.

I hope Apache figures as well, i quite look forwards to that...

I just tweeted HMSQniz whether or not the Apache will be onboard in the next couple of weeks, so if I get an answer I will post it, after I faint !!!

QE's AIS went off at 16:30.
However, her escort "Daring" (not!) has dropped anchor in Penzance Bay, between Penzance and Mousehole (*pronounced Mowzul) at 21:30 BST
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/ho ... 33/zoom:14

I see that the chinese have completed their first "night trap" aircraft, landing on the Liaoning.
The Russians said that it would take 10years to get carrier op's up and running so it appears the chinese have an urgency about all this...

Possibilities of getting 5-6 carriers in total, which is significant in comparison to the US.

That Sunday dinner looks really tasty. Better than what I'm getting. Sigh.

Ron5 wrote:That Sunday dinner looks really tasty. Better than what I'm getting. Sigh.

I normally get your sarcasm, but you lost me on this one

I think that he just wanted to say that the meal looks really good.

abc123 wrote:I think that he just wanted to say that the meal looks really good.

Ah got it now, for some reason that twit for the meal did not show before, hence the reason for the post

I see that a Type 23, HMS St Albans, left Devonport this morning and has been playing around the area. She is now heading out to open sea, I wonder if she is going out to meet HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Earlier this morning....

QE's AIS is still switched off


(john kilcline) 11th June 2018

SKB wrote:However, her escort "Daring" (not!) has dropped anchor in Penzance Bay

I think that is normally HMS Diamond.

benny14 wrote:I think that is normally HMS Diamond.

Marine Traffic has Diamond near Invergordon in Scotland now. So it can't be Diamond then.
Diamond: https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/ho ... 30/zoom:10

HMS Defender is weirdly marked as cruising around the Oxfordshire countryside near Oxford and Bletchley Park! But has just left Portsmouth.
HMS Dragon is with the French for Exercise Catamaran 18.
HMS Duncan is in the Mediterranean, off Algeria.
HMS Dauntless is in Portsmouth
HMS Daring (the real one)is in Portsmouth.

SKB wrote:Marine Traffic has Diamond near Invergordon in Scotland now. Can't be either Daring or Diamond then.
Diamond: https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/ho ... 30/zoom:10

Must be another ship then. Diamond is apparently FRE up in Scotland and Diamond left Portsmouth this morning. Dragon was last around the west coast of Brittany.

Whoever "Daring" is on Marine Traffic, she's clearly not a T45. Current position:
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/ho ... 93/zoom:16

A livestreaming webcam from Newlyn Harbour, if anyone is interested. Can't see any escorts, but a nice view of QNLZ
http://blog.through-the-gaps.co.uk/p/ne ... bcams.html

Edit: Typical, just as I link it, it goes blank. Hopefully it will be back later.
Edit 2: If it goes black on you, click on the camsecure.co.uk logo in the bottom left, that seems to wake it up again

@swoop: "Possibilities of getting 5-6 carriers in total, which is significant in comparison to the US."-Even more significant given that all the Chinese carriers will likely be in the Pacific most of the time. US may actually be outnumbered. F35Bs for Japan and Australia? I believe they've offered EMALS to India to help them along with their carrier plans.

EDIT: Photo credit to Mike Newman.

Defending the UK? With no guns and no aircraft?

Somebody had to say it

2HeadsBetter wrote:@swoop: "Possibilities of getting 5-6 carriers in total, which is significant in comparison to the US."-Even more significant given that all the Chinese carriers will likely be in the Pacific most of the time. US may actually be outnumbered. F35Bs for Japan and Australia? I believe they've offered EMALS to India to help them along with their carrier plans.

I'm reading that as the US needing Indian help to get their EMALS working!!

Yup, lots of carriers to "defend" their illegal claims over the seas.

2HeadsBetter wrote:@swoop: "Possibilities of getting 5-6 carriers in total, which is significant in comparison to the US."-Even more significant given that all the Chinese carriers will likely be in the Pacific most of the time. US may actually be outnumbered. F35Bs for Japan and Australia? I believe they've offered EMALS to India to help them along with their carrier plans.

Indeed, the current 45 kt platform is hampered by STOBAR in its capabilities to match any carrier group of PLAN. The next platform will be approx. 65 kt (Indian working name for it 'Giant' even though there is no official naming yet?) and CATOBAR. In order for it (and any follow ons) to be able to release US carriers for the Pacific - the same function as what UK / French carriers have in Washington's eyes - these recommendations have been made:
Recommendations for the United states
[to enhance] The Fight Function [before the design moves on, to build]
•
Explore the possibility of equipping India’s carrier with the electromagnetic
aircraft launch system (EMALS).
•
Offer India access to various advanced aviation systems, such as the U.S.
Navy’s E-2C/D Hawkeye for airborne early warning and battle management and the fifth-generation F-35C Lightning strike fighter, so as to permit the Indian Navy to secure a combat advantage over its rivals’ air wings.

When you look at things from this angle and globally, it does not matter to the US if the UK buys 138 F-35s or just 48... as long as they are deployable on carriers.
- and be not surprised if India will get some (and Japan expand to "B"s)

As a fortunate by-product of any such move, Russia might be pushed out of carrier aviation as their next platform is planned (but not funded!) for the mid-30s and even the Mig-29K development only happened because India needed it (STOBAR, combined with too small a platform) and paid for it... and now they are complaining that the design (land-based a/c) is still too fragile for the arrested carrier landings and something breaks with just about every landing