HSV-2 Swift is a hybrid catamaran. She was privately owned and operated by Sealift Inc., though she was originally built under the JHSV program as a proof of concept. As part of this program, she was directly leased for evaluation from her builders by the United States Navy Military Sealift Command from 2003 to 2013, primarily as a mine countermeasures and sea basing test platform..............

Swift is the fourth Incat-built high-speed wave piercing catamaran to enter military service, following behind HMAS Jervis Bay, United States Army Vessel (USAV) Theater Support Vessel Spearhead (TSV-X1) and USS Joint Venture.

You're correct Boffin - it was just a nasty smear based on a series of ship fires earlier

She's hybrid to the extent that they put a reinforced flightdeck on her, a quarter-ramp for unloading vehicles and some berthing spaces and C2 spaces. that's about the extent of her military features.

Having been aboard her in Portsmouth back in 2005, it was obvious she was just a standard Incat ferry with some minimal mods to suit role. Other than comms and messing there were no "military" mods. Her skipper at the time was very forthcoming as to the limitations of the ship. Her superstructure mounts (ally cats have an "interesting" structural arrangement) had cracked on the Translant voyage in SS5.

Also - no CIWS or anything. What on Earth does any of this have to do with CVF?

It arose, if you look a few posts back, from a discussion on the vulnerability of using using a CVF inshore supporting the amphibious role, especially against newer hypersonic SSMs.

It will be dangerous enough operating close enough to allow the F-35 to attack anything but littoral targets without AAR support.


Blogs: The Buzz | The National Interest

I'm sure this has all ready been discussed in this extensive thread. Although, I read somewhere, that the new carriers will be able to embark 72 a/c maximum load.

To embark 12 F35s, increasing it to 24 supposedly for a combat operation seems like such an underutilisation of the carriers capabilities(even if its less than 72 a/c max). It sounds simplistic, but just by looking at the carriers you would imagine they could carry 72 a/c.

Anyhow, there is talk that the USMC will embark on the carriers intially. I would suggest that there may be a permanent USMC deployment onboard the carriers? I'd imagine from their and our perspective it would be a good training/operational move to be able to embark perhaps a squadron of USMC a/c alongside whatever we end up putting on them.

I think 72 is max load of all types in a ferry configuration, and that 24 F35B is likely to be the number at IOC (12 UK + 12 USMC) with 24 UK (+12 USMC?) making FOC.

More guaranteed than just talk.

British Naval Commander Wants US Marine Aviation on Aircraft Carrier

US Marine Corps to fly F-35s from HMS Queen Lizzie as UK won't have enough jets

Yea, this would be along the lines I was thinking?

Perhaps the USMC could also bring AAR onboard in the V22 if they ever get it off the ground, excuse the pun.

Amazing how expensive and vulnerable these floating targets are! Now, let me see, hmmm, wonder where Boris, and the other idiots in HMGov, will send them to do "power projection"? :oh: With USMC on board, I don't see these canoes doing anything at all, without acting jointly with US Navy :ooh:. Even non-Nato port visits are going to be too risky. Maybe we could sell them?
Just my opinions.;)

OAP

Its a maximum of 40 aircraft according to this
http://www.aircraftcarrieralliance.c...y-facts-v2.pdf although Wiki quotes a maximum of 50 aircraft of which 36 will be F-35B

Onceapilot

Expensive - maybe, maybe not in the grand scheme of things and compared with other MOD projects.

Vulnerable? Is that because people have decided we might go to war in the Pacific against the People's Republic of China on our own, and they have advanced missiles? Or because an unarmed and unhardened ship got damaged by an anti ship missile? You do realise that warships can shoot down missiles and that enemy ISTAR can be disrupted? How many carrier based aircraft have been destroyed by enemy action aboard ship in the last thirty years, and how many sitting on airfields?

Surely you are aware there are carriers and similar warships deployed on operations?

WE Branch Fanatic
Thanks for your reply. Sad to say, expenditure of this order will soon be a thing of the past for UKMil.:\
Your other two paragraphs show how backward looking and wrong the thinking behind this "replacement for 90% of the rest of the RN" really is. This shrinking island nation is playing the wrong game here!:uhoh: Cheers

OAP

"replacement for 90% of the rest of the RN"

That's the sort of lazy talk that characterises too much of the debate around the carriers, that and the tired old line along the lines of "shame there are no aircraft to go on them, fnar fnar".

Most of the reduction in the escort force (we had around 50 frigates and destroyers at the end of the cold war) has arisen from an over-enthusiastic cashing in of a "peace dividend" since the late 1980s. The RN may have traded a small number to safeguard the carriers, but that results from a recognition that while a navy comprising only escorts would be good for flying the flag, it would be far more limited in its ability to deliver real military effect.

I'd agree the reduction in escorts has gone too far. But ditching the carriers isn't the way to address that.

I am coming to the firm opinion that an ever larger percentage of politicians, business leaders and civil servants are determined to move this great country of ours towards a non-aligned or neutral state.

The downgrading of UKMil, Brexit and progressive withdrawal from all external military activity, NATO fragmentation and the complete worthlessness of UN organisms are visible proof that the strategy is well underway. :=

Imagegear.

A cost (name of thread) is the the redistribution of Naval Service manpower away from RM to RN by approx 600. 43 Cdo to reduce to core Scottish and special escort roles and 42 Cdo to 'rerole' (ie no longer to be a full Cdo like 40 or 45) to undertake Fleet protection. So 3 Cdo Bde down to 2 x manoeuvre units.

Regards
Batco

Hi BATCO

Is there a source for the above (in the public domain)?

Aggs
Does weekend running partner count? (this is a rumour network after all)
Batco