Last week the Commons' Defence Committee looked into Carrier Strike and the F-35B. There is a two hour long video on YouTube. Here are some snippets via Twitter.


Captain Stembridge is a former Sea Harrier pilot, so he knows what is needed to keep the ship and aircrews up to speed. Some predicted a routine embarkation of twelve jets, and an increased number in a crisis. This is only possible with a STOVL carrier and a V/STOL aircraft.



Protecting convoys and sea lines of communication in the North Atlantic and elsewhere is back on the priority list. In addition to her own ASW helicopters, the carrier will direct the activities of those carried by other ships in the task group. Incidentally a WAFU told me that once the Merlin replaced the Sea King in the ASW role, six aircraft was the normal sqaudron size aboard the CVS, but with a Sea King for SAR etc. 820 are currently embarked with six cabs.


The GROUPEX is a demonstration of a capability we have promised to NATO, and is HMS Queen Elizabeth's first activity where she is contributing to defence missions of deterrence and reassurance.



Junglies will join 820 NAS and the jets - I assume the plan is to normally have them embarked. Two Jungly cabs are embarked at the moment.

And let's not forget our past, two days ago the INS Viraat set sail on her final journey to the breakers... Farewell HMS Hermes, a long and illustrious career well served for both navies.

On 25 November it will be 61 years since Hermes was commissioned into the RN. She was the last link with the WW2 carriers having been laid down in June 1944 and the last 20th Century UK built Carrier. Sad that neither country could preserve her to allow future generations to experience a representative of the first century of UK naval aviation.

UK led #5thGen Carrier Strike Group - you can see the problem - with 2 such groups most of the currently active surface warships are in only two places - you don't have much capacity to send to the ME, S China Sea, or anywhere else..........

But we didn’t have that capability, even before we got the new carriers.

You might not have noticed the deployment of the Littoral Response Group (LPD, LSD(A), and a Type 45) to the Mediterranean and Black Sea, ongoing commitments to NATO, ongoing commitments to the Gulf and wider Middle East, Forward Presence, CASD....

In any case would would we want to send in a crisis? Yes, a task group.

Personally I consider that the GROUPEX is an operation activity - given the renewed strategic importance of the Atlantic and the need for things like AAW and ASW. It will e the first of many activities to deter and reassure by HMS Queen Elizabeth and her sister.

The problem with all those commitments WEBF is how are you going to fill them with the ships available? An LPD (or even the Scott) is fine but not if the bad guys have any aircraft at all.............

6 T45's - one laid up, one in refit and one working up after refit - that's 3 active and another shortly (hopefully available) - and each Carrier Group has 2 x T45's................. The rest of the RN has no advanced air cover

You do realise if the bad guys have aircraft, then a carrier is the first thing you want to bring?

Depends who they are and where they are Boffin - I just don't think that having most of the RN's most capable ships in 2 locations is very useful

Why - where else are you going to put them? We currently have both Carrier Strike Group and Littoral Support Group deployed, and are carrying on with normal activities in the Gulf, as part of NATO, maintaining a presence in the Caribbean and the South Atlantic, and maintaining the deterrent. It is quite likely that CSG and LSG would be in the same threatre in a real conflict.

Warships have operated in groups for centuries. How would Nelson have got on if the fleet had been scattered and not concentrated?

I think that it is difficult to argue with the diagram of the aircraft defence zone, the medium range missile zone, and the point defence zone.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....6330de43aa.jpg

Similarly, against a submarine threat you would want multiple helicopters with dipping sonar - which is another carrier role.

In case there's anyone who hasn't come across Sir Humphrey and his Thin Pinstriped Line, here's an optimistic take on QE2's first venture out with a lot of F-35s on board.
https://thinpinstripedline.********....ching-out.html
You have to admit, he knows his stuff....

airsound

PS Just had a thought - WEBF isn't really Sir Humphrey in disguise, is he?

QE2 was an ocean liner built in the late 60s. QEC (Queen Elizabeth Class/Carrier) is the accepted abbreviation as she is named for Good Queen Bess (Elizabeth I) not the current monarch.

Thank you Obi Wan. I should have realised that! :rolleyes:

airsound

Hate to nit-pick, but that’s not entirely correct. Queen Elizabeth Class (QE Class) refers to the class of ship, not one particular ship.
R08 HMS Queen Elizabeth is abbreviated to QNLZ
R09 HMS Prince of Wales is abbreviated to PWLS

Clever, a site that cannot be reached in praise of what appears to be a non person.

A perfectly reachable site - one just needs to know what to replace the asterisks with. I could tell you but then I'd have to...

;)

OK. I'm beginning to wish I hadn't posted! However, I believe Thin Pinstriped Line is worth reading, and I'm not sure why PPRuNe tries so hard to prevent you finding it. All I can suggest is that you search for it in your favourite search engine. Good luck!

airsound

PPRuNe does not like b-l-o-g-s-p-o-t. Software quirk I believe.

On topic - HMS Queen Elizabeth is now contributing to British and NATO capabilities, deterring and reassuring. She is leading a NATO task group for Joint Warrior. It will be interesting to know the exercise scenario. Whilst hitting targets ashore may be part of it, the RN/RAF (617 Sqn is jointly manned, as 809 NAS will be when it comes along) and USMC F-35Bs will do be doing air defence (in fact they probably already have been during recent days in the North Sea). This will be in conjunction with the destroyers and their fighter controllers. The ASW Merlins will perform ASW in conjunction with the frigates (and their helicopters), the SSN that is part of the group, and MPA.

The line between exercise and operation is blurred due to the deterrent effect of exercises. The price of peace is eternal vigilance. Demonstrating the ability to achieve maritime and air superiority helps promote international stability.

Fine so long as people stop referring to her as the QE2. She's a still extant ocean liner rusting away in Dubai...
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....6f5eb6c548.jpg

Is OK, easy to get floating gin palaces confused...... :E