Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

[PhillyJ]

Picked up some new toys will the Apache's be going with them

Didn't notice them on the flight deck this morning, unless they were in the hangar I'm assuming not.

[Enigmatically]

Aircraft generally join a carrier at sea rather than in harbour, so could still

[Phil Sayers]

They are onboard:

[PhillyJ]

Will have a peek this morning to see if any Apaches on her, that twitter may have been from the previous day when they were having a play on PWLS. Rain may have sent them below to the hangar to keep nice and warm as well I guess.

[Fire_In_My_Hole]

[PhillyJ]

Will have a peek this morning to see if any Apaches on her, that twitter may have been from the previous day when they were having a play on PWLS. Rain may have sent them below to the hangar to keep nice and warm as well I guess.

Nothing up top this morning, but there is definitely one come up for some air now. Nipper confirms they are sailing with them as far as he knows, but unsure if numbers as he was out with his shipmates til 0400 this morning and is not able to count at the moment.

[PhillyJ]

PWLS sailing has been delayed, no news on future time/date as yet.

[2HeadsBetter]

When you see her next to CdeG - which is a "proper carrier" remember, that you really appreciate how big she is.



By "proper" I mean not an LHD/LHA or, perish the thought, a "through deck cruiser."

[PhillyJ]

Took this during afternoon tea break when I thought PWLS was sailing. Apologies for the end zoom fest but pressed the wrong button.

[Lord Jim]

Although I am not a fan of using the Carriers as LHAs, seeing HMS PoW with a full flight deck of Apaches, Chinooks, Merlins and both varieties of Wildcat would be good to see.

[inch]

Lizzy and c De Gaulle not that much difference in size tbh if you had them side by side and looking down on them , weight yes

[Max Jones]

Although I am not a fan of using the Carriers as LHAs, seeing HMS PoW with a full flight deck of Apaches, Chinooks, Merlins and both varieties of Wildcat would be good to see.

Shame she couldn't have embarked a handful of aircraft for the meet with QE the other week. Just about a dozen helicopters from whatever Apaches, Chinooks, HC4s and Wildcats were available.

Not too practically important but it would have been nice to see both carriers at sea together with relatively busy flight decks.

[Tempest414]

Although I am not a fan of using the Carriers as LHAs, seeing HMS PoW with a full flight deck of Apaches, Chinooks, Merlins and both varieties of Wildcat would be good to see.

Shame she couldn't have embarked a handful of aircraft for the meet with QE the other week. Just about a dozen helicopters from whatever Apaches, Chinooks, HC4s and Wildcats were available.

Not too practically important but it would have been nice to see both carriers at sea together with relatively busy flight decks.

I said this at the time would have been a good way of saying the carriers have other roles

[Magpie64]

https://twitter.com/caffrey_simon/statu ... 12264?s=20

[Ron5]

Lizzy and c De Gaulle not that much difference in size tbh if you had them side by side and looking down on them , weight yes

..... capability - yes.

[inch]

Swings and roundabouts in my view fella ,2 Lizzy's better than one c De Gaulle yes newer yes more aircraft load if we had them at a push yes f35 sensor abilities yes but both can cross deck with USA c De Gaulle has longer legs ( nuclear) Rafael longer range than f35b ,more weapon load ,c De Gaulle better aew cover ,etc so swings and roundabouts in my view pal ,not that much difference just different plus for each of them

[Bongodog]

Lizzy and c De Gaulle not that much difference in size tbh if you had them side by side and looking down on them , weight yes

There's a vast difference in flight deck area, QE has near enough 50% extra compared to CDG, as QE is basically rectangular for 75% of its length, with CDG having generally a much narrower deck only approaching the width of QE at the forward end of her angled deck.

[inch]

I thought QE class had about 16000m2 deck area and C De Gaulle had about 12000m2 and think QE But I could be easily wrong dude

[Enigmatically]

Swings and roundabouts in my view fella ,2 Lizzy's better than one c De Gaulle yes newer yes more aircraft load if we had them at a push yes f35 sensor abilities yes but both can cross deck with USA c De Gaulle has longer legs ( nuclear) Rafael longer range than f35b ,more weapon load ,c De Gaulle better aew cover ,etc so swings and roundabouts in my view pal ,not that much difference just different plus for each of them

CDG has longer legs? Where can she get to that QEC cannot? And if such a place existed (which it does not) how would she feed her crew and fuel her planes when she gets there?

You forget the stealth aspect of F-35.
And the better sensors fit of QEC, and better comms and integrated combat mgt
And the faster turn around of aircraft on QEC to provide higher sortie rate (over and above that provided my more aitrcraft)
And the better intel and sortie prep on QEC

Worth also noting that one QEC costs less to support than CDG, even ignoring the cost of decommissioning the reactors on CDG

The only real advantage CDG has is a fixed wing AEW

[Timmymagic]

The only real advantage CDG has is a fixed wing AEW

And until they get E-2D rather than E-2C the real difference is pretty small..

[Ron5]

The only real advantage CDG has is a fixed wing AEW

And until they get E-2D rather than E-2C the real difference is pretty small..

Just the two, right?

[inch]

Ok enigmatically you worked on it so I can't argue I quess ,well the AEW might be get a little bit better for QE if they can get a high flying high endurance UAV like they trying to do ,not sure if will be as good as E-2D but hopefully alot better than Merlin AEW , fingers crossed

[Timmymagic]

Just the two, right?

Don't think they've ever got all 3 onboard.

It's one of the questions I've always had about French carrier doctrine. The USN has 4 (rising to 5 in due course) E-2 as standard and regards that as necessary for 24-7 coverage. The French go with 2. Which either means they accept that 24-7 coverage is not possible or they run both aircraft hard for a couple of days on ops keeping up 24-7 coverage and pull the carrier out of danger if one goes unserviceable or after a couple of days when they can't sustain it. But then I'm always surprised at how light they are on ASW....the RN sees 8 Merlin as necessary to maintain a screen on a CSG and the USN agrees with its numbers of MH-60R in a CSG. The French seem to be happy with 2...

[Enigmatically]

Similar to only having one carrier. They couldn't sustain operations for any significant period.
There are other factors as well which makes QEC far better at sustaining a level of force. Which is why the "nuke is better" opinion annoys me, it is a tiny factor. CDG requires a bigger logistical chain because it needs more crew for a start!

[Ron5]

Just the two, right?

Don't think they've ever got all 3 onboard.

It's one of the questions I've always had about French carrier doctrine. The USN has 4 (rising to 5 in due course) E-2 as standard and regards that as necessary for 24-7 coverage. The French go with 2. Which either means they accept that 24-7 coverage is not possible or they run both aircraft hard for a couple of days on ops keeping up 24-7 coverage and pull the carrier out of danger if one goes unserviceable or after a couple of days when they can't sustain it. But then I'm always surprised at how light they are on ASW....the RN sees 8 Merlin as necessary to maintain a screen on a CSG and the USN agrees with its numbers of MH-60R in a CSG. The French seem to be happy with 2...

The escorting RN do the ASW. The french helos are just plane guard & transport.