Aircraft Carriers III
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
The idea to modify the POW to be an ad hoc LHD...and perhaps the QE too...is well, pardon my language, but asinine.Ocean is not boring save she
The should both be (and remain) carriers and the RN should build a couple of true LHDs to replace the Ocean.
You can only afford to cut back and have various ships perform two or more functions so much.
Sooner or later you find that you need both functions at the same time and you simply do not have the hulls to do it...and then you come into a world of hurt.
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The current plan as I understand it is for both ships to have the dual capability to act as CVA and LPH as required, indeed given their size they are capable of doing both jobs at the same time. With the standard peacetime air group of 12 F-35Bs, 6 Merlin HM2 (ASW) and four HM2(AEW) embarked, there will be room aboard ship to also embark a sqn of 8 Merlin HC4s and a sqn of RAF Chinooks as well as a Royal Marine Commando ~900 men. No structural modifications need to be made, as the capability was designed in from the start, following the example of the Invincible class CVS. The difference being the older ships had to debark all their strike and ASW/AEW aircraft in order to switch to the LPH role; the QECs can do both roles simultaneously.
In related news, 820 NAS has reformed as a complete unit ready to deploy aboard HMS Ocean for the next six months, after which the squadron will be fully worked up and ready to deploy aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth as her first assigned squadron! The Helos have already had 'Big Liz's name applied on their nose's and are looking forward to going aboard the new carrier in late spring/early summer:
Yes...they is no dount that they <i>can</i> do it.
But as events heat up, I'd rather have two QEs loaded with 48 F-35Bs, each, 8 Merlin HM2 (ASW) and 6 HM2(AEW) embarked.
Lot's of heated rhetoric being spouted out around the world (mainly due (IMHO) to weakness in languauge and in building in the west that will emboldens potential adversaries.
With two QE's completely loaded as I speak of would do a lot to set that tye g tale to rest.
But as events heat up, I'd rather have two QEs loaded with 48 F-35Bs, each, 8 Merlin HM2 (ASW) and 6 HM2(AEW) embarked.
Lot's of heated rhetoric being spouted out around the world (mainly due (IMHO) to weakness in languauge and in building in the west that will emboldens potential adversaries.
With two QE's completely loaded as I speak of would do a lot to set that tye g tale to rest.
I'll be happy for now knowing when the brown smelly stuff hits the air circulation unit, 'Big Liz' will deploy with at least one RN sqn of Lightnings and probably another two USMC sqns of F-35Bs. as well as all the RN helos to fill out the decks. The RAF will of course make every effort to keep their feet dry and be looking for the nearest friendly airbase with a comfy hotel close by... as usual!
Jura The idiot
General
... and I've been blaming "concurrency"
(as in
just one example, I have more
)and I predict in the future US Military acquisitions "concurrency" on the scale of the Fords, LCS, or alas! F-35s, will be no go,
and I think "concurrency" on that scale was a wrong idea
(not just in the US; this:
"So while the Type 45 is characterised by approximately 80 per cent new-to-service equipment and 20 per cent reuse, these percentages will be effectively reversed for Type 26."
p. 120 of the Royal Navy official
sounds as "lessons learned" to me)
for now, I'll leave it ... time will tell
Yep versatile for compensated retirement of Ocean but less specialized CV it is the problem... planned for host 500 troops, Ocean 800 so necessary 2 Bulwark in service, now 1 in reserve, not ready.
A full RM Cdo i have 700 Troops
ofc can be hosted sure by Ocean, Albion can in surge, 705 Troops, maybe QE also in surge capacity for some days max about a week before landing operations not long deployment with troops aboard.In surge an AA Ships can in average host about 1/3 of troops in more than normaly, surely a San Antonio can host up to 1000 troops.
Jura The idiot
General
As the Falklands War and other later operations proved, when deploying in combat the peacetime rules for how many troops can be embarked aboard any given ship go out the window. I have no doubt the QECs can carry as many troops as Ocean can and probably more.Yep versatile for compensated retirement of Ocean but less specialized CV it is the problem... planned for host 500 troops, Ocean 800 so necessary 2 Bulwark in service, now 1 in reserve, not ready.
A full RM Cdo i have 700 Troops
In surge an AA Ships can in average host about 1/3 of troops in more than normaly, surely a San Antonio can host up to 1000 troops.