Hi NAB,
I agree our through deck cruiser has been reclassified and is now a half hearted LPH!! I say half hearted as the other LPH is the so called real article although I believe it was built on the cheap and conforms more to a merchant ship type build specification as opposed to a warship?? (question) A polite question which I believe you are well qualified to answer
By not carrying a full air wing has the Illustrious got comparable accommodation for its military 'cargo'
It is easy to call an aircraft carrier an LPH but our genuine 'Landing Platform Helicopter' also carries four Mk 5B LCVP's, 40 vehicles that support the embarked parts of 3Cdo brigade, plus of course the ramp that allows these vehicles to embark and disembark.
How ironic that the through deck cruiser was a half hearted attempt at being a proper aircraft carrier
And now we are seeing it rebadged as a second HMS Ocean or LPH except it lacks the ability to carry landing craft, lacks the ability to have the roll on, roll off feature.
Does sticking a badge on the funnel make it a genuine replacement for the Ocean?
Apologies for the tongue in cheek sarcasm regarding the role of the through deck cruiser and I would appreciate your observations regarding the build methods of Ocean compared to the build of a warship.. (I have only read books regarding claims about merchant ship build standards)