Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

[cockneyjock1974]

There was an update on the Phoenix Think Tank Twitter feed the other day about a "Senior Conservative Defence Strategist" commenting on the price of Dave C being far less, and the need to spend less for a bigger bang. Here's hoping...

Interesting video here... http://youtu.be/mYwHgk3J-Jw

It's not carrier specific, so apologies to our resident OT Gestapo, but it tells an interesting tale... This stuff should be shouted from the rooftops.

Hey CF2006 I watched this about a month ago, i'm still cringing at the question posed to the primary school kids, "Name a famous British naval person?" answer Captain Jack Sparrow!!!! Not their fault but a sign of the times me thinks.

@Briani... No freddie the flymo cuts my grass, in my manor Seriously though the more the merrier as far as i'm concerned wonder if he drinks in my local!!

[CarrierFan2006]

Hey CF2006 I watched this about a month ago, i'm still cringing at the question posed to the primary school kids, "Name a famous British naval person?" answer Captain Jack Sparrow!!!! Not their fault but a sign of the times me thinks.

@Briani... No freddie the flymo cuts my grass, in my manor Seriously though the more the merrier as far as i'm concerned wonder if he drinks in my local!!

What gets me is the fact that the RAF is making a huge song and dance about getting a single Bomb on the runway at Stanley 30 years ago. Well done Crabbies!

[Briani]

CJ
Agreed.The more interest the better mate.

The trouble is asp1969's got one hell of a bigger one than you.Time to get down the shop again and get a bigger one yourself.New lens of course.

CarrierFan2006

Great vid.Just a bit depressing when you look at the number of views.

I really do hope the Mr MacDonald was having a laugh when he said jack sparrow was most peoples idea of a British maritime personality.But i fear not.

The RAF boys can really sell themselves.There was a telly programme a few weeks ago about that raid.The resources and effort it took was unbelievable.Hard to tell how much affect it had on the argies but i think the RAF just wanted to give the Vulcan a run out before it was retired.

[cockneyjock1974]

CJ
Agreed.The more interest the better mate.

The trouble is asp1969's got one hell of a bigger one than you.Time to get down the shop again and get a bigger one yourself.New lens of course.

CarrierFan2006

Great vid.Just a bit depressing when you look at the number of views.

I really do hope the Mr MacDonald was having a laugh when he said jack sparrow was most peoples idea of a British maritime personality.But i fear not.

The RAF boys can really sell themselves.There was a telly programme a few weeks ago about that raid.The resources and effort it took was unbelievable.Hard to tell how much affect it had on the argies but i think the RAF just wanted to give the Vulcan a run out before it was retired.

I read the book and they had to canabalise inertial navigation systems from VC10's it was brilliantly executed but like u say a retirement pagent for the Vulcan. Ps my wife says I don't need a bigger lens, there's overkill and then there's overkill.

[Jdam1]

I wonder if the French election results will affect the carrier agreement between the UK and France and our future plans for our carriers.

In the end I think after a bit of back and forth and little bit of bullying the MOD will upgrade both carriers and go for the F-35C, though no doubt they will wait so long that it will cost even more money!

[EliteF22]

That 1.8 billion figure is still suspect. The PoW should cost less than the QE to convert, since most of her blocks haven't even been fabricated yet. Considering the early promotional material showing both options, it would seem prudent on BAE's part to already have some early design work done on the cats and traps build.

[CarrierFan2006]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw4dZ...e_gdata_player

Helmetcam video from flyarounds in a T45. Relevant, but also just an excellent vid!

[QEC Eye in the SKY]

Still it would appear that most have been left wondering, will they or wont they fit the 'Cats and Traps' to QE and PoW. The US Congress approved the sale of GENERAL ATomics EMALS to the UK last year and we have the second set on delivery, thats right 4 Cats and 4 Traps, and if we are only fitting two per QEC carrier, then one could assume that both are being fitted. Another thing to note is that part of the main gate agreement was that all designs had to include angled flight decks so BAE saying that would have to go back to the drawing board is complete BS ! All of the above was on C-Span last year and the cost is $573m, so where does this £1.8bn keep coming from?

One other thing, does anyone know of any truth to the rumours that roughly 12 FAA pilots are currently flying F18's from US Carriers?

Honoured to be able to add to this forum!

[jonas]

Still it would appear that most have been left wondering, will they or wont they fit the 'Cats and Traps' to QE and PoW. The US Congress approved the sale of GENERAL ATomics EMALS to the UK last year and we have the second set on delivery, thats right 4 Cats and 4 Traps, and if we are only fitting two per QEC carrier, then one could assume that both are being fitted. Another thing to note is that part of the main gate agreement was that all designs had to include angled flight decks so BAE saying that would have to go back to the drawing board is complete BS ! All of the above was on C-Span last year and the cost is $573m, so where does this £1.8bn keep coming from?

One other thing, does anyone know of any truth to the rumours that roughly 12 FAA pilots are currently flying F18's from US Carriers?

Honoured to be able to add to this forum!

Sorry but you seem to have misread the situation re the cats and traps,when they said the second set on delivery what they meant was set number two,that is after set number one which is on delivery for the first Ford class carrier.So in fact we have ordered one set,and sorry to say also that at the moment that is in principle only. No actual contract has yet been signed for this set.

As for the angled deck,yes it was designed for future upgrade to this whenever we needed it for CATOBAR ops,but as we were originaly buying STOVL aircraft it was not included in the current build of the QE. Now everything is up in the air again until we decided whether we buy the B or C model of F35.

In recent answers in the house of commons it was stated that we have currently 7 FAA pilots embedded within the USN flying Hornets.

Hope that clears up some things for you,and welcome.

[QEC Eye in the SKY]

Sorry but you seem to have misread the situation re the cats and traps,when they said the second set on delivery what they meant was set number two,that is after set number one which is on delivery for the first Ford class carrier.So in fact we have ordered one set,and sorry to say also that at the moment that is in principle only. No actual contract has yet been signed for this set.

As for the angled deck,yes it was designed for future upgrade to this whenever we needed it for CATOBAR ops,but as we were originaly buying STOVL aircraft it was not included in the current build of the QE. Now everything is up in the air again until we decided whether we buy the B or C model of F35.

In recent answers in the house of commons it was stated that we have currently 7 FAA pilots embedded within the USN flying Hornets.

Hope that clears up some things for you,and welcome.

Thanks for the welcome!

Only putting forward an honest assessment of what i heard, and as we had already by then reverted to the C model of the F35, thought the STOVL option was pretty much a dead duck.

For what its worth, i think we should CATOBAR both QEC carriers and put super Hornets on them and replace with C variant of the F35 as and when.

Cant wait to hear what comes out this week now that purdah is finished and see what SofS for Defence says re this program.

[jonas]

Following from 'defencemanagement.com'

F-35 'facts have changed' since SDSR

08 May 2012


Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has recommended the National Security Council revert to choosing the F-35B joint strike fighter for the UK's Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, it has been reported.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Hammond said that "the facts have changed" since 2010's Strategic Defence and Security Review chose to operate the F-35C 'cat and trap' carrier variant, citing affordability and performance reasons.

The F-35B, which is capable of short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) was the original choice of aircraft when the Queen Elizabeth class carriers were ordered.

Hammond told The Daily telegraph that the choice of aircraft "depends on what you want to do".

"Different aircraft do different things," he said. "It's about thinking about the military effect we want to deliver then working out the most cost-effective way to deliver it."

The F-35C was considered to be the cheaper option at the time of the SDSR, but the cost of fitting the electromagnetic aircraft launch system to just one carrier has been estimated as high as £1.8bn since.

The MoD, which has had to re-absorb the costs of the strategic nuclear deterrent as well as making cuts, would be unlikely to be able afford that cost before carrier strike is set to be restored in 2020.

[CatpainSlackbladder]

What has 'changed' is that the defecit/growth plan for the UK may take until 2017 rather than 2015 and nothing 'military' has changed at all.
I'd rather we went the F35C route, but its obvious we'll revert to STOVL. Only upside of that decision is that it would be easier to see the 2nd CVF entering RN service.

[Jdam1]

Exactly Captain, I said on the last page it’s about the need to spend the money now (before 2015) upgrading both carriers, the reason it taking so long to switch back is that everyone on this earth is telling them to stick with the C.

Right now if they switch we are going to be spending more money on a less capable carrier and aircraft you couldn’t make this **** up.

[CatpainSlackbladder]

you couldn’t make this **** up.

Well you could, because when was the last time a UK government bit the bullet,sucked up the cost and did something right for the long term interest? The NHS?

[QEC Eye in the SKY]

Exactly Captain, I said on the last page it’s about the need to spend the money now (before 2015) upgrading both carriers, the reason it taking so long to switch back is that everyone on this earth is telling them to stick with the C.

Right now if they switch we are going to be spending more money on a less capable carrier and aircraft you couldn’t make this **** up.

Which is what I said yesterday, we've already allocated some £400m + on the second set of Cats and Traps after the USS Gerald Ford, with a further £200m in conversation/design work, so why let all be wasted and go down a drain? Oh wait, its a Gov Minister thats deciding this and not a Military Chief!

Todays piece by the anti QEC carrier Telegraph hasn't brought anything up for my mind, only a reworking of a previous quote.