Future Carrier (Including Costs)

[FODPlod]

Originally Posted by glendalegoon

harry, you aren't getting two conventional carriers, you are getting two STOVL carriers. In fact a Nimitz class or Ford class can carry twice as many planes as one of your QE class. So its not really two for one...

A critical aspect governing QE Class size, configuration and degree of automation was not necessarily the number of aircraft carried but sortie generation rate. Being STOVL instead of CATOBAR, QEC can generate the same number of sorties with fewer launches and recoveries. For example, a US CVN needs a buddy-buddy refueller in the air every time an aircraft is being recovered whereas QEC does not. QEC can generate a strike capability much closer to a Nimitz or Ford class than it appears at first glance.

Future Aircraft Carrier (CVF) - Part 24

Originally Posted by Beedall's Navy Matters

Thales have built up specialist aviation teams, drawing on US, UK and French experience, to optimise the interface between the carrier and its air group. Sortie generation is the all-important metric: as firm and achievable figures became available the URD was changed by late 2002 from the original 1998 Staff Target (Sea) 7068 objective of 150 sorties per day with 50 aircraft, to a peak of 130 sorties per day with 48 aircraft (including up to 110 by JCA). Specifically, an early 2003 issue of the URD stated that the requirements for aircraft operations were:

• Generate up to 510 JCA sorties over 5 days^
• Generate up to 110 JCA sorties in a 24 hour period^
• Launch 24 aircraft* in 15 minutes
• Recover 24 aircraft* in 24 minutes
• Simultaneous launch and recovery (4 launches/4 recoveries)
• Be able to de-conflict fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft
• Able to reconfigure designated spaces
• Be able to conduct night time operations

^ It is unclear how many JSF F-35Bs (selected for JCA) this number is associated with, although 40 or 42 F-35Bs were being mentioned in other sources at the time. The UK requires that its F-35Bs are able to sustain 2 sorties per day, and surge to 3.

* Standard airgroup aircraft only, i.e. JCA, EH-101 Merlin and MASC.

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In March 2005, the latest figures for JCA sortie generation from CVF were set at 108 launches in the first 24 hours, reducing to 72 per day for ten days and 36 for a further 20 days. A standard strike tailored air group was defined as including 30 JCAs (with up to 36 for short periods), with up to six anti-submarine Merlins and four maritime air surveillance and control (ASaC) aircraft

Central to the prime objective of achieving maximum sustained sortie levels is the issue of aircraft handling and movement. The complex process of aircraft handling, movement, preparation, launch and recovery has been the subject of extensive analysis and modelling, bearing in mind that CVF should be able to simultaneously launch and recover aircraft, concurrent with fixed- and rotary-wing operations. In turn, these analyses of aircraft cycling have influenced flight deck operating and parking areas, island footprint, hangar layout, aircraft and weapon lifts, and site of support services. BAE Systems and Thales have both developed sortie-generation models respectively known as SURGE and SAILOR. Additionally the DPA has its own model known as CAPSTAN, later CAPSTAN2...