The article was published in the Guardian, known more commonly as the Gruniad (because their spelling is notoriously poor, and they get thing wrong a LOT, witness 'Cats and FLAPS'). The paper is very left leaning, and most of it's staff and readership come from the 'Ban the Bomb' brigades, people who in the 60s and 70s spouted rubbish about it being better to surrender to Tyrants than to fight for wahts right. They have basically read some posts from politicians (who don't know anything about defence) and passed it around a group of hacks (who don't know anything about defence) and regurgitated misunderstood garbage from a couple of years ago as well as the odd snippet of truth to sweeten it and voila, instant drivel.
This is Rumour Control and here is the truth:
HMS Queen Elizabeth R08 will complete in 2016 and begin first of class trials, expected to last at least two years. She will be completed effectively as an LPH, no Ski Jump, No cats or TRAPs, and under current planning will continue her trials and training programme into 2018. Upon completeion of the trials, most of her crew will transfer to HMS Prince of Wales R09 which will be ready for sea trials in late 2018/early 2019, and she will be fitted with two EMALs catapults and three Electric Advanced Arrestor wires. This will coincide with the service entry of the F-35C in the UK, though with the currently expected low rate of delivery this will mean in 2020 when IOC is declared, there will be only six F-35Cs available to deploy aboard the carrier (whose deck will otherwise be filled with plenty of helicopters, so will not seem quite so empty). This will rise to 12 aircraft soon afterwards and numbers will continue to rise thereafter as aircraft are delivered and brought into service. Remeber the Invincibles entered service with only five Sea Harriers each but this was not set in stone and the extra capacity (up to 22 aircraft) came in very handy later. This I state for the benefit of Gruniad readers out there who are asking why are we buying two 65000 tonne carreris for only six aircraft? We aren't.
It is also very likely that HMS Queen Elizabeth will be refitted with cats and traps to the same standard as PoW between 2020 and 2023 to allow both carriers to serve as originally planned, one 'on call' and one refitting/in reserve.
The current government, which has proved itself to have absolutely no practical knowledge of military matters, and having realised they can't save any money by cancelling either of the carriers, has basically turned their attention elsewhere and left BAe to get on with the job, which is why the project is now running smoothly. All the cost rises and delays so far have been down to political interference. With them out of the picture expect things to speed up and come in under budget!
