I'm sure the B does have a lot to offer but if we want to use these carriers to project power to 'lands far away' then are we doing those experienced pilots a disservice by not giving them ANY type of AEW? yes there is a lot of talk about what is being developed... Just like the MR4A was always going to be an excellent aircraft but the reality is we are going to deploy these carriers with the Sea King which I am sure will offer a very nice protective air umbrella for the carrier but what does this offer the strike aircraft that deploy hundreds of miles away from the ship? Lots of talk about what is in the pipeline and even talk that suggests the E2 would be too expensive even if we had kept to the first 'U' turn but how does the costs of an E2 compare to a Sentry? Our Air Force quite rightly gets a first class service from the crews of these aircraft but it looks like if we deploy these carriers away from 'friendly waters' and beyond the range of friendly land based aircraft, then deploy our fast jets then are they are on their own!
I read about how lessons have been learned from the Falklands conflict but no, they haven't, the old Centaur class which was just over a third of the size of these new carriers eventually carried:
7 S2 Buccaneer
12 FAW2 Sea Vixen
4 AEW3 Fairey Gannet
1 COD4 Gannet
5 HAS3 ASW Wessex
1 HAS1 SAR Wessex
I would suggest the Queen Elizabeth sized carrier would give us adequate aircraft for our needs even though they are clearly not a super carrier.
I have always maintained that if we cannot afford to do this in a professional manner, we should not be doing it and whilst I am twittering we regularly deployed our carriers with just one guardship and whilst having a US type Battle Group would be nice, it is simply never going to happen as a regular deployment. .