Interesting graphics & text (I missed the conclusion of it all earlier):
https://www.navalnews.com/wp-content...-Royal-QEC.jpg &
https://www.navylookout.com/the-roya...viation-force/
The Royal Navy has ambitious plans for its Future Maritime Aviation Force 02 Jun 2023
https://www.navylookout.com/the-roya...viation-force/
“...The RN has initiated project ARK ROYAL to study how the QEC carriers could be adapted to support future aircraft. FMAF development will be incremental, moving from VSTOL-only to STOL platforms and then potentially significantly modifying the flight deck to support STOBAR and CATOBAR flight profiles.
The QEC is an ‘adaptable carrier’ but this really just amounts to spare spaces within the ship. There is a gallery deck below the flight deck with capacity available to accept catapults and the arrestor gear equipment but it would not be cheap to purchase and integrate the new ALRE, power supplies and control systems. Creating an angled deck is the only safe solution and extending the port sponson slightly would help deconflict with F-35B operations.
Funding is far from assured and this would not be realised before the 2030s but the ultimate ambition is to have a highly capable hybrid carrier that can still operate F-35Bs using a ramp but also has two electro-magnetic catapults and arrestor wires. This would allow the operation of large UAS as well as conventional allied fixed-wing aircraft and future-proof the carriers to carry all kinds of future air vehicles. Notably the longer port cat would allow operation of the Boeing MQ-25 Stingray – a dedicated Air-Air Refuelling UAS developed for the US Navy which would hugely increase operating radius of the F-35s.
A distinction needs to be drawn between the CATOBAR carriers with F-35C planned in 2010 and the new vision for 2030s. In 2012 a pragmatic decision was taken to abandon this configuration in favour of VSTOL on grounds of cost and complexity. To fully implement Project ARK ROYAL will be expensive but is more scaleable and has lower people requirement both in the air and on the ship than the 2010 plan. A first step or more affordable compromise could be just to fit the single star-board cat for UAS-only launches. The priority must be the operation of VIXEN-class UAS that can act a loyal wingman to F-35B, adding mass, reach and strike potential to the carrier airwing.”
