Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

[USS Alabama]

Tried and proven that’s what it’s all about, why reinventthe wheel. I think if you put one of these new LHA up against an Essex classand look at the interior that where all the changes lay.
If the F35B program goes pear shaped (don’t see it) it won’ttake much for a America class to be converted with an angled deck with F35Cjumping of the deck, not sure of the minimum take off distance of F35C, Americaclass LHA are only 28m shorter than Queen Elizabeth class carrier and 4mshorter than Charles de Gaulle (R91)
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/f-35-specs.htm

One of these with an F35B airgroup would be quite a force projector on it's own. Combined with an amphibious Expeditionary Strike Group of 3-4 of these types (LHA/LHD) etc along with LPDs and transports with a Marine landing force and V22's onboard, along with a CSG over-the-horizon providing support functions and CAP it would be lethal. This could put a Marine Expeditionary Brigade of about 13,000 ashore (well inland out of the littoral) with all organic fires support and it's own airgroup very quickly. Nasty surprise for some tinpot dictator type.

V/R

[cockneyjock1974]

I read somewhere way back at the start of the project, that one of the aspirations of the CVF project was after the two ships were built it would start a revival of the heavy ship building industry in the UK. Does this mean civvie ships? and does anybody know anything about this?

Bama not a clue mate but the crane remains attached until its correctly lined up I know that much.

[USS Alabama]

OT

HMS Dauntless in Falklands

Can't you just feel the love from the Argies?

[USS Alabama]

I read somewhere way back at the start of the project, that one of the aspirations of the CVF project was after the two ships were built it would start a revival of the heavy ship building industry in the UK. Does this mean civvie ships? and does anybody know anything about this?

Bama not a clue mate but the crane remains attached until its correctly lined up I know that much.

"The world wonders" I hope it does CJ - like the U.S., it's absurd that a maritime nation does not have it's own heavy shipbuilding industry, we will have to redevelop both of ours in the years to come I'm quite sure...

V/R

[cockneyjock1974]

"The world wonders" I hope it does CJ - like the U.S., it's absurd that a maritime nation does not have it's own heavy shipbuilding industry, we will have to redevelop both of ours in the years to come I'm quite sure...

V/R

Agreed

So next bit of ship to go on then lol!! Got to either be the GT unit, the last cb02 unit or dare I say it, the lift or elevator for our American cousins

[Magnificent]

Nice pictures today, despite what is obviously a rather wet day in Rosyth. Once again I see a fair degree of undulation in the interior horizontal edges to be mated and I am still wondering how these get straightened out during the welding process, or if uneven decks are a price to pay for the modular build process?

It is interesting to note that new sections can be added prior to completion of welding on the previous section.

[cockneyjock1974]

A man in a brown coat like Arfah from are u being served has a look at the build quality and goes... Ooh that's going to cost u, I'm busy at the moment, mmmm I'll see what I can do, emm leave it with me I'll phone you Monday. Seriously though Serge linked sone good vids from Newport News and these abnomalies are easily ironed out.. Literally ironed out with a jack hammer and heating up the metal.

[USS Alabama]

Nice pictures today, despite what is obviously a rather wet day in Rosyth. Once again I see a fair degree of undulation in the interior horizontal edges to be mated and I am still wondering how these get straightened out during the welding process, or if uneven decks are a price to pay for the modular build process?

It is interesting to note that new sections can be added prior to completion of welding on the previous section.

I noticed that too, I was wondering the same thing as I looked at the remaining gap in the earlier section.

V/R

[USS Alabama]

Seriously though Serge linked sone good vids from Newport News and these abnomalies are easily ironed out.. Literally ironed out with a jack hammer and heating up the metal.

As long as it's not with an antiship missile!

[cockneyjock1974]

As long a it's not with an antiship missile!

Tell me about it Bama, no other western country has suffered more from anti ship missiles than us, on a positive note we have sunk the most i believe with our beloved sea skua.

[USS Alabama]

Tell me about it Bama, no other western country has suffered more from anti ship missiles than us, on a positive note we have sunk the most i believe with our beloved sea skua.

Hopefully, the Admiralty has not forgotten and has taken to heart the lessons of the Falklands - The USN stopped building aluminum hulled vessels for a time but we're back to it again. I believe anything above a frigate should be armored. With all of the fantastic materials we have nowadays, it doesn't have to mean adding the weight of Class B armor plating -Kevlar and carbon fiber, a lighter version of your own Chobham armor for example. I fear we will be relearning a hard lesson someday in the future...



http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/po...e_changer.html

V/R

[Jdam1]

Aluminium hulled ships dear god, its must be an aluminium alloy but still it seems like a really expensive way of getting the same results you would get from steel, yes steel might be heaver but its easier to work with and very cheap compared to other metals.

Speaking of anti missile defence I'm surprised with a new build ship we are not going for the goal keeper system, I wonder if this was brown and his build it cheap policy.

[USS Alabama]

Aluminium hulled ships dear god, its must be an aluminium alloy but still it seems like a really expensive way of getting the same results you would get from steel, yes steel might be heaver but its easier to work with and very cheap compared to other metals.

Speaking of anti missile defence I'm surprised with a new build ship we are not going for the goal keeper system, I wonder if this was brown and his build it cheap policy.

Hopefully provisions have been made for a retrofit... When the USN's Spruance Class was built, they were very large ships with relatively few weapons systems, however, they were designed to be retrofitted with systems as the funds and development came along. They were too. What really screwed a bunch of still very capable vessels was the development of the VLS for the missiles (brilliant system by the way), but it would have been too expensive to retrofit most ships equipped with the old launch rails so they retired them. They've even removed the Standard SM1 system off the remaining FFG7s as well. Too old and not supportable. It is an aluminum alloy btw JDAM.

V/R

[Opinion3]

Speaking of anti missile defence I'm surprised with a new build ship we are not going for the goal keeper system, I wonder if this was brown and his build it cheap policy.

I would be expecting goalkeeper on the CVF unless they intended to use the Phalanx with the RAM. I am not sure what the official details are for CIWS.

[CVerrier]

Nice pic you can see all stuff in it.

The compartment on the right - is that part of the automated weapons handlings system? The large doors in the lower part of the block would then be for dockside loading, and maybe the hatch further up would allow the pallets into the sponson and up into the base of the forward tower (which I believe is where the weapons lift terminates.)

or...maybe its just the senior rates climbing frame room....