Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

[dmereifield]

Is she without escorts?

Not from what I have seen she hasn't. But why would she? She's only conducting Sea Acceptance Trials, not going on operations. I believe she has 2 845 Sqd Merlins embarked for force protection amongst other roles, along with a couple of the 820 Merlins and 2 Chinocks embarked for trials if needed.

Thanks. I've no idea if she would or should. But she is a high value target, even though she is only on trials and she is not in in immediate danger, I'd still feel happier if she had an FF/DD keeping her company.

Genuine question, do other nations send their carriers out for trials and work up unescorted? I'd be surprised if that were the case for the Americans

[Defiance]

Genuine question, do other nations send their carriers out for trials and work up unescorted? I'd be surprised if that were the case for the Americans

Honestly i've not seen a picture of Gerald Ford with an AB yet, nor have I caught a glimpse of one in the promo videos. Did a bit of google-fu and none easily spring to hand either.

They might exist, but they're harder to find than a QEC with a T23 for me, at least!

[abc123]

Genuine question, do other nations send their carriers out for trials and work up unescorted? I'd be surprised if that were the case for the Americans

Honestly i've not seen a picture of Gerald Ford with an AB yet, nor have I caught a glimpse of one in the promo videos. Did a bit of google-fu and none easily spring to hand either.

They might exist, but they're harder to find than a QEC with a T23 for me, at least!

I agree that in home waters there's probably no pressing need for escorts ( especially if the RN is, and it is, in escort crisis ). But if the HMS QE is going for a Gibraltar, then IMHO, she should be escorted. These are not home waters anymore.

[dmereifield]

Thanks. Presumably the American carriers when on trials and working up etc are in American waters?

[-Eddie-]

No regular Royal Navy escort, interesting. Unless they're only detailing vessels that will handle the docking.

[sunstersun]

can you imagine the nut this forum will have when the first f-35 sea trials go on?

fuck.

[serge750]

What are the chances of her meeting up with HMS Albion? that would be a good sight.

[abc123]

What are the chances of her meeting up with HMS Albion? that would be a good sight.

And Ocean too...

[CameronPerson]

And Ocean too...

Well she left Pompey this morning so who knows.. that’ll be quite a photo op seeing the three together but then again the shots of QE with the Rock as a background are going to be pretty iconic, no doubt only being beaten by the Lightnings joining their ship for the first time

[PhillyJ]

I agree that in home waters there's probably no pressing need for escorts ( especially if the RN is, and it is, in escort crisis ). But if the HMS QE is going for a Gibraltar, then IMHO, she should be escorted. These are not home waters anymore.

Well 2 Type 23's are out and about off Plymouth at the moment, HMS Argyll and HMS Montrose, at least according to Marine Traffic...HMS Tidespring as well but then this might be the norm.

[Defiance]

Thanks. Presumably the American carriers when on trials and working up etc are in American waters?

I'd guess so, really the biggest surprise for me was that there weren't any glossy nice PR pictures of a couple of ABs alongside her easily available.

[dmereifield]

Thanks. Presumably the American carriers when on trials and working up etc are in American waters?

I'd guess so, really the biggest surprise for me was that there weren't any glossy nice PR pictures of a couple of ABs alongside her easily available.

Would they be as excitable and PR minded as us considering that they have so many other carriers in service and haven't had a decades long gap?

[Defiance]

Would they be as excitable and PR minded as us considering that they have so many other carriers in service and haven't had a decades long gap?

That's true, but GRF's had her fair share of negative press about stuff not working and costing too much, you'd have thought the Navy might have wanted some nice glossy shots to get into the press when she went to sea.

[Wrekin1410]

A Facebook (hope it’s ok to post FB links.. apologies to Admins if not) link to Navy News.

The article talks about the latest fire-fighting and suppression tests the crew had to complete before the ship could leave UK waters.

It also mentions at the end that she’s expected in Gibraltar Friday morning and is carrying 4 Merlins and 2 Chinooks.

[SKB]

QE has left British waters! She is currently southwest of Portugal!
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/ho ... 6.5/zoom:8

[dmereifield]

Just checked Marine Traffic, QE has left British waters for the first time and is currently west of southern Portugal and Spain!
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/ho ... 6.5/zoom:8

On her own....

[Gabriele]

Saw on Twitter that HMS Somerset was in Lisbon. Maybe...

[Halidon]

Would they be as excitable and PR minded as us considering that they have so many other carriers in service and haven't had a decades long gap?

That's true, but GRF's had her fair share of negative press about stuff not working and costing too much, you'd have thought the Navy might have wanted some nice glossy shots to get into the press when she went to sea.

There are plenty of nice, glossy shots on www.navy.mil of GRF underway. To my knowledge, she's done some underway replenishment alongside a T-AKE but otherwise been on her own. Demand on the surface combatants is such that she likely won't get any time with one until she's working up for a deployment.

[SKB]

The Daily Mail wins the prize for the worst ever piece of "journalism" of HMS Queen Elizabeth's history.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... abeth.html

[Little J]

Gave-up on reading the article, but did love the 5th(?) picture captioned "A Merlin Mk2 sits below deck on HMS Queen Elizabeth"... Even a landlocked dumb arse like me can tell its on a frigate ... With its rotors turning

[grimbob]

Royal Navy helicopters landed on HMS Queen Elizabeth's four-acre flight deck as Britain's mightiest warship finally got aircraft in time for its first set of sea trials.

Hmmm, so the trials last year must never have happened!!

[SKB]

And according to the Daily Mail's map, the QE went from Rosyth to Portsmouth down the North Sea coast while completely avoiding its actual route via Invergordon, Scapa Flow, the Western Isles, The Firth of Clyde, The Irish Sea, The Celtic Sea and The English Channel!

[CameronPerson]

Now this really shows the space available!

[KyleG]

I'm curious how the Daily Mail think that heading through the North Sea is the most logical way of getting from Portsmouth to Gibraltar...

[inch]

looking on navylookout site the chinook on the carrier lift looks like they wont be doing that on a heavy seas day ,not a lot of room before that falls into the sea , wow! ,I wonder haw many chinook with unfolded blades they can get in the hangar ,does anybody have an idea ?,maybe try to go for auto folding blades in an upgrade sometime if they do such a thing on the chinook