Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

[Scimitar54]

There is (today) nearly another month, before “early August”, and the (photo) evidence shown is almost 13 days old. Taken together, plenty of time to “Paint Bottom” !

[PhillyJ]

It'll make my nippers day if he is talked into helping out as a 'dabber' , though I'm not sure they get involved with below the waterline painting!

[swoop]

Hopefully it gets done before August then.

... though I'm not sure they get involved with below the waterline painting!

Quite doubtful. Ship's crew usually leave that to contractors to waterblast then spray new coatings on.
I wonder how often they find the divers' lines of any use?

[serge750]

There would be no need for that, if the French had remained committed to acquiring a QEC carrier for their PA2 !

As much as I hesitate to cooperate with the French, they missed out on a golden opportunity to build a second capable carrier at an affordable price, they really dropped the ball there....

They would however have mired the whole programme down with typical French Gaelic intransigence.

French demands for a 50% worshare etc, etc....

We probably dodged a bullet there.

As it is, their gold plated nuclear 85,000 ton PA2 super Carrier will probably end up unaffordable and either be cancelled or considerably scaled back in size and ambition.

We'd effectively dodged that bullet to CVF with the ending of the Joint Study (before CVF started) that led nowhere. When France returned to CVF when QE was actually in build and asked to join for PA.2 the RN totally rebuffed any French demands (including a re-design for the use of nuclear power) and told them it was take it or leave it in its finished configuration, and that any re-designs would be at French expense and risk. The French accepted that and handed over c£100m for access to the design, before realising they had no money a mere year later...

[Poiuytrewq]

c£100m…

c£100m for the design was probably good business for the French.

[PhillyJ]

I do believe that when she finally floats out she'll be coming direct to Pompey, which has pleased nipper as he was not looking forward to transporting 4 years worth of his tat from Rosyth!

Maybe out for a weeks sailing before returning to Pompey now, but plans are, 'fluid', I guess.

[bobp]

New skipper for QE....

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/defen ... ny-4209825

[PhillyJ]

QNLZ out tomorrow evening, flood up of PWLS possibly the 17th, ready for departure not long after.

Screenshot_20230709-123536.png

[SKB]

(The Ship Spot) 10th July 2023


(Gosport Aerial Photography) 11th July 2023

[bobp]

Two Wildcats join ship..

[Jackstar]

[serge750]

Hi, i think i must of missed this - where will Queen elizabeth be going this year & how many/ type of TAG will she be flying ? Cheers

[PhillyJ]

Hi, i think i must of missed this - where will Queen elizabeth be going this year & how many/ type of TAG will she be flying ? Cheers

Seems no one knows! Also, flood up day for PWLS, hope some pics are released.

[serge750]

Maybe just a short one around the med ? as the china sea got all the publicity, probably save the PR for POW visit to america & the SRVL landing trials in the autumn ?

[new guy]

POW doing mojave and SRVL and more in north america. Just like last year QE doing probably north ops with 6 or so F-35B. So basically a repeat of what last year should have been, but this time with more F-35, a longer CSG deployment because QE isn't covering for PoW, and more interesting stuff for PoW.

[PhillyJ]

The flooding up is going well, possible sailing from Rosyth within the next few days, tide dependant as always.

[serge750]

Leaving Rosyth dockyard on the 19th and then the Forth on the 24th, according to flight restrictions anyway.

[PhillyJ]

Leaving Rosyth dockyard on the 19th and then the Forth on the 24th, according to flight restrictions anyway.

Fits in with what I might have been told...

[PhillyJ]

Funny that nipper is due to pass under the bridge on his last trip aboard her, after his first trip was under the same bridge.

This picture has all the names of his Warfare group on it when she first left Rosyth...was a father's day present from him just before lockdown, finally got it framed. I think it was specifically for the Warfare group.

PXL_20230717_180124580.jpg

[Tempest414]

Funny that nipper is due to pass under the bridge on his last trip aboard her, after his first trip was under the same bridge.

This picture has all the names of his Warfare group on it when she first left Rosyth...was a father's day present from him just before lockdown, finally got it framed. I think it was specifically for the Warfare group.

PXL_20230717_180124580.jpg

Is he moving on inside or outside of the Navy

[Bring Deeps]

With both carriers likely to be in the North Sea at the same time the RN would be foolish to miss the opportunity for a photo of them together. To say to the critics 'Look, two working, modern, carriers'. Of course the decks might be a bit empty but it would be a start to repairing credibility.

[PhillyJ]

Funny that nipper is due to pass under the bridge on his last trip aboard her, after his first trip was under the same bridge.

This picture has all the names of his Warfare group on it when she first left Rosyth...was a father's day present from him just before lockdown, finally got it framed. I think it was specifically for the Warfare group.

PXL_20230717_180124580.jpg

Is he moving on inside or outside of the Navy

As he has technically been at sea for 4 years, his next draft has to be shore based.

He will be working for the Disposal and Reserve Ships
Organisation (DRSO), based at HMNB Portsmouth in the Semaphore Tower, making sure none of the ships are sinking, burning and letting Dockies on and off when required.

[Tempest414]

Funny that nipper is due to pass under the bridge on his last trip aboard her, after his first trip was under the same bridge.

This picture has all the names of his Warfare group on it when she first left Rosyth...was a father's day present from him just before lockdown, finally got it framed. I think it was specifically for the Warfare group.

PXL_20230717_180124580.jpg

Is he moving on inside or outside of the Navy

As he has technically been at sea for 4 years, his next draft has to be shore based.

He will be working for the Disposal and Reserve Ships
Organisation (DRSO), based at HMNB Portsmouth in the Semaphore Tower, making sure none of the ships are sinking, burning and letting Dockies on and off when required.

Sorry yes I remember now saying he should request a extension based on the lack of sea time did he try for an extension?

[PhillyJ]

He did ask, but it was not possible.

He says he will also be trained on the ribs so he can go out to the old Type 23, Montrose I think, languishing in the harbour and could potentially get his Powerboat level 2 licence.

[PhillyJ]

PWLS is still in the dock, hopefully coming out today.