Aircraft Carriers III

Jura The idiot

Jura The idiot

General
related:
Obi Wan Russell said:
Now she's at sea Big Liz is gearing up for intensive trials: In the Channel off the South West Coast she has started embarking her helicopters for the upcoming trials. The two RAF Chinooks were already on board and now the Merlins join them, HM2s, HC3s and HC4s:View attachment 45264 View attachment 45263View attachment 45265 View attachment 45266
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HMS Queen Elizabeth achieves another first by embarking air squadron
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Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth embarked 820 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) on February 5 in what is the first time that any squadron has embarked the ship.

The Merlin Mk 2 helicopters of 820 NAS have been working with the ship since she sailed for the first time from Rosyth in June last year.

Until today however, the Squadron’s aircraft, equipment and personnel have been based ashore and simply flown on and off the ship.

Whilst it is normal for 820 NAS to be operating from sea (having done so from HMS Ocean for seven out of the previous 12 months), it will be a new experience for HMS Queen Elizabeth to have a whole squadron on board.

For the duration of the embarkation, 820 NAS will be using their Merlin helicopters to provide the carrier with aviation assets to train and to test their equipment with.

The Mk2 Merlin helicopters are also fully capable of providing search and rescue cover 24 hours a day from the ship.

The squadron’s senior pilot, Lt Cdr Steve Moseley, was very much looking forward to embarking: “For us as maritime helicopter pilots, it has been an amazing experience being the first to work with our new aircraft carrier from the beginning.

“We all joined the Fleet Air Arm to operate aircraft at sea, and to be the first to do it on-board HMS Queen Elizabeth is very exciting.”
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doesn't say how many aircraft is in a Squadron these days; is it two, or perhaps as many as three?
 
Obi Wan Russell

Obi Wan Russell

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Jura said:
related:
HMS Queen Elizabeth achieves another first by embarking air squadron
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doesn't say how many aircraft is in a Squadron these days; is it two, or perhaps as many as three?
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820 has a nominal strength of six Merlins, but when embarked aboard Ocean or other ships the number is often between two and four according to requirements. the QECs will once fully operational embark 14 HM2s, 9 for ASW (820NAS) and 5 for AEW with Crowsnest fitted (849NAS). Currently 820 has two Merlins fitted with extra instrumentation for the trials. Additionally during these trials there will be a few 'green' Merlin HC3s and some 'grey' Merlin HC4s, just to make counting numbers of Merlins more confusing.

Just to clarify, for these trials Big Liz has embarked:
2x Chinook HC5
2x Merlin HM2
2x Merlin HC3
2x Merlin HC4
18056727_1398393050198880_3318869077911341048_n.png 1502712005880.jpg Fleet%20Air%20Arm%20Patch%20FAA%20849%20Squadron%20NAS%20Sea%20King%20PI.jpg
 
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Jura The idiot

Jura The idiot

General
Jan 26, 2018
Jura said:
noticed (sounds vague, so just the link here) HMS Queen Elizabeth to visit Gibraltar in the coming weeks

January 25, 2018
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now this:
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HMS Queen Elizabeth
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expected in Gibraltar 9-12 Feb, her first port stop beyond the British Isles.
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DVXxTSDX0AAP01n.jpg
 
Air Force Brat

Air Force Brat

Brigadier
Super Moderator
Jeff Head

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Obi Wan Russell said:
820 has a nominal strength of six Merlins, but when embarked aboard Ocean or other ships the number is often between two and four according to requirements. the QECs will once fully operational embark 14 HM2s, 9 for ASW (820NAS) and 5 for AEW with Crowsnest fitted (849NAS). Currently 820 has two Merlins fitted with extra instrumentation for the trials. Additionally during these trials there will be a few 'green' Merlin HC3s and some 'grey' Merlin HC4s, just to make counting numbers of Merlins more confusing.

Just to clarify, for these trials Big Liz has embarked:
2x Chinook HC5
2x Merlin HM2
2x Merlin HC3
2x Merlin HC4
View attachment 45285 View attachment 45286 View attachment 45287
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I ;love the look of the Merlin AEW helo. And I am sure that they have developed amazing capabilities into that helo platform.

But still, I wish to this day that the warfighters had been listened to and had developed the QE into CATOBAR carriers that could carry the E-2D like the US carriers do.

While the Merlin is very good, as the PLAN develops its fixed-wing Sino-HAwkeye, the UK will ultimately be at a disadvantage and I hate to see that.
 
Obi Wan Russell

Obi Wan Russell

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Jeff Head said:
I ;love the look of the Merlin AEW helo. And I am sure that they have developed amazing capabilities into that helo platform.

But still, I wish to this day that the warfighters had been listened to and had developed the QE into CATOBAR carriers that could carry the E-2D like the US carriers do.

While the Merlin is very good, as the PLAN develops its fixed-wing Sino-HAwkeye, the UK will ultimately be at a disadvantage and I hate to see that.
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Well I've long thought a possible solution would be to take a STOL platform like the old Britten-Norman Islander could be developed as an AEW platform, as it would have superior range and altitude performance to a helo. CATOBAR was rejected because of cost, the ultimate arbiter these days, the choice being one cat and trap carrier or two STOVL carriers. Faced with that, the RN made the right choice. They'll be around for fifty years, so who knows what the future may bring. The 'Best' is always the enemy of 'Good Enough', and Good enough will always be preferable to Nothing, which the Falklands War taught us is unacceptable regarding AEW cover. Many times in the past the Best solution has been pushed out of our reach on cost grounds. I love Hawkeye, but I'll take Sea King ASaC and Merlin Crowsnest anyday over 'doing without'.

BTW, you may have noticed my new avatar, well it's just my passport photo. Had it taken a while back whilst visiting a little place called Quahog...Westland Sea King ASAC7 04.jpg 21463044_10154725165871481_1962025369830095713_n.jpg
 
Air Force Brat

Air Force Brat

Brigadier
Super Moderator
Obi Wan Russell said:
Well I've long thought a possible solution would be to take a STOL platform like the old Britten-Norman Islander could be developed as an AEW platform, as it would have superior range and altitude performance to a helo. CATOBAR was rejected because of cost, the ultimate arbiter these days, the choice being one cat and trap carrier or two STOVL carriers. Faced with that, the RN made the right choice. They'll be around for fifty years, so who knows what the future may bring. The 'Best' is always the enemy of 'Good Enough', and Good enough will always be preferable to Nothing, which the Falklands War taught us is unacceptable regarding AEW cover. Many times in the past the Best solution has been pushed out of our reach on cost grounds. I love Hawkeye, but I'll take Sea King ASaC and Merlin Crowsnest anyday over 'doing without'.

BTW, you may have noticed my new avatar, well it's just my passport photo. Had it taken a while back whilst visiting a little place called Quahog...View attachment 45291 View attachment 45292
Click to expand...

yes, thankfully you still have hair, and I'm reduced,,,,, to wearing my helmet, and now thanks to a tactical error with my clippers my winter wooly beard is gone,,,, I came out of the bathroom with a stache, and the "Honey Badger" laughed for a full two minutes,,, she couldn't talk, and I'm rather certain she "peed her pants",,,, hhhharrrruuumppph! BULLY!
 
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