News on CVF

[Navaleye]

Thanks to BBe on the RN board for this information. Denis Ranque, CEO of Thales gave an interview very recently and said the following:

Extracts:

- The two governments do not want to carbon copy the catastrophic Horizon Top down collaboration project, they do prefer a more pragmatic bottom up cooperation.

- A joint DCN/THALES F team is already working on a common PA2 drawing, most of the job is already done, the drawing will be finalised before September 15th.

- Following step will be to compare DCN/Thales F and BAe/Thales UK drawings in order to evaluate the potential cooperation.

- UK will make a final decision on the STOVL vs CATOBAR initial carrier configuration between fall 04 and spring 05 (they are currently reevaluating this aspect of the project).

- Governments final decision (Main Gate) summer 05

Well. The UK re-evaluating the STOVL choice and the CV variant F35 is back on cards. How will that go down in the Harrier community? I think the econmies of scale of building three almost identical carriers will drive the choice.

Shame about the slippage though. Implications for FOAS and MASC?

[WE Branch Fanatic]

Navaleye

You (and others) might be interested in this earlier thread:

CVF delayed.... (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=87384&highlight=cvf)

Also the official sites/pages...

Future Carrier - Royal Navy page (http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/static/pages/1971.html)

CVF - DPA page (http://www.mod.uk/dpa/projects/cvf.htm)

CVF - Naval Technology (http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/cvf/index.html)

Looking at these three sites, two things occur to me.....

1. Given the length of the planned life of CVF, the cost per year will be relatively low. Therefore the service life should been taken into consideration when discussing the cost.

2. Much of of the technology used will be proven stuff that either already exists or is in development for other platforms. This includes sensors like the SAMPSON radar (also intended for the Type 45 Destroyer), propulsion (which ever system is chosen it will share technology will other RN platforms), data fusion and C3 systems, and a myriad of other things. This commonality will reduce technical risk, reduce procurement costs, and reduce support costs.

[Navaleye]

I suspect that the most informed public source of info on CVF is here (http://navy-matters.beedall.com/index.html)

Richard can be a little cynical at times, but that is not unhealthy when interpreting defence procurement.