Before getting too excited, we should try to remember that this is pre decision and future possibilities are being explored. This year HMS
Prince of Wales will deploy to the Western Atlantic for SRVL trials, and additionally she will do trials of a STOL UAV system. This will help assess the feasibility of STOL UAV operation alongside F-35B and Merlin operations.
One of the reasons for experimentation is to take the AEW role away from the Crowsnest roled/fitted Merlins can return to the critical ASW role - a core carrier role. To save money not all the Merlins were upgraded from HM1 to HM2. Interestingly the aircraft is still being produced.
Poland wants to buy 22 AW101 transport helicopters - Gagadget
The Polish Navy will receive the first of four AW101 helicopters this summer. The contract, worth more than $400 million, was signed four years ago. At the same time Poland wants to order more than 20 more helicopters.
If only we could take the opportunity to purchase a few more ASW Merlins at the same time - perhaps six to eight to cover the Crowsnest cabs?
For some reason ASW frequently gets overlooked, yet it is one of the reasons for having carriers and has been since the Second World War.
Originally Posted by
WE Branch Fanatic
In my previous ASW related post, I forgot to include this video - an interview with someone who had an interesting career after joining the Royal Navy partly to escape academia, opted for an Engineering route as he would get a degree that way, and they as an Air Engineer Officer applied to become a Maintenance Test Pilot and ended up doing front line tours on the ASW Sea King and the Lynx:
Combat in the Falklands | Royal Navy Lynx | LLH Podcast EP 18 - YouTube
He mentions his time flying the ASW Sea King from HMS
Hermes in the days before Sea Harrier, when she was being used as an ASW carrier.
If less had been made of carriers operating in the Indian Ocean and Far East back then, and more of their NATO role then we all would have been better off. The staff work relating to the proposed new carriers in the early 1960s was all based around East of Suez scenarios which was one of the reasons they were vulnerable to the politicians' axe, which led the the axing of the large carriers, yet the need to put multiple ASW helicopters aboard a single ship as part of NATO ASW capabilities led to the through deck cruiser idea, which was large enough to carry a few V/STOL aircraft to deal with the Soviet Bears that aided the Soviet submarines with reconnaissance and long range targeting - and luckily enough we had Harrier which could be converted to Sea Harrier and given a radar.
The Americans committed over half their carriers to the NATO theatre. It has been discussed at length in various places, not just PPRuNe: Discussion regarding the Sea Control role of the carrier - starting with NATO and the Cold War
The interview also mentions the teaming of carrier based helicopters doing the hunting, and the frigate/destroyer based Wasps/Lynx (and Wildcat these days) to deliver the weapons.
Originally Posted by
WE Branch Fanatic
The unique selling point of the ASW helicopter is dipping sonar - and I remember the old and bold PWO(U) explaining that the 2087 sonar fitted to the ASW frigate and the Merlin's dipping sonar are meant to work together. He also said that to protect a force/task group (yes this is where the phrase 'task group ASW' was muttered) you use a carrier and multiple helicopters.
Here is a video from Thales entitled
Combined Sonar 2087 - Merlin ASW Operations:
Thales sonar - YouTube
I only found this the other night - I had been looking for ages.
Technology has moved on since the days of the Cold War, and sonars are more sensitive and longer ranged than before, having benefited from advances in things like digital signal processing. Modern sonars can achieve detection ranges far beyond ones in the 1980s, with the resulting employment of ASW helicopters being more effective.
Originally posted on another website on the thread about the role of the carrier in sea control.