Originally Posted by
WE Branch Fanatic
Could we generate a decent task group? Well a few months ago, in mid October.....
HMS Queen Elizabeth was escorted by the Type 23 Monmouth during her trials, and supported by the tanker RFA Tidespring. At the same time RN ships were committed to Exercise Trident Juncture - two Type 23s providing ASW for the USS Iwo Jima, which had Royal Marines aboard, and a force of four MCMV and a Survey ship as their command platform. There was probably a SSN there as well.
At the same time Albion (LPD) and RFA Mounts Bay (LSD(A)) were committed to Saif Sareea 3 with a large part of 3 Cdo Bde. There was a Type 45 taking part in SS3, although she was doing it was part of a routine deployment - there was another Type 45 deployed in the Eastern Med at the same time.
Thinking of Sun Tzu/Clauswitz and 'concentration of force', what if this had been a fully worked up task group, with a fully worked up carrier and air group?
1 x carrier (with up to 24 x F-35B, 9 x Merlin HM2, plus Crowsnest and Junglies)
1 x LPD (with bootnecks)
1 X LSD(A) (with more bootnecks)
1 or 2 x Type 45
3 x Type 23
4 x MCMV, plus SVHO (Survey vessel) as command platform
Multiple RFA tankers/stores ships
1 x SSN (at least)
What if we were able to do things like the Auriga 2010 deployment, but with Queen Elizabeth and F-35B instead of Ark Royal (V) and Harrier GR9, and Type 45 instead of Type 42? That is what the RN will soon be doing.
What planet do you live on WEBF? Do you seriously think either of the carriers will ever see 24 x RN/RAF F-35 embarked? You also must realise the fallacy of the task group you describe above. Your task group is basically the complete deployable Royal Navy at any given time, and that's being optimistic. The carriers will be a huge drain on Defence for decades to come and have led to the purchase of the wrong JSF variant!
Wake up man !!