Oh, well all like our "off topic forays into the weeds", no big deal, who's playin MOD now! LOL
Aircraft Carriers III
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
Oh, well all like our "off topic forays into the weeds", no big deal, who's playin MOD now! LOL
Love this Obi Wan, and I don't know if you saw my post, but my neighbor kid is a Marine Corp maintainer on the Essex, I talked to his wifey this morning, and he is beyond pumped to be on the first "operational" deployment of the Bravo!
and as I have been relating, those "Marines have been "loving the Bravo", it gives them a whole new operational envelope, and they are "opening this girl up", they are NOT afraid to fly this baby into combat! The "Queen Elizabeth" crew are just as proud, and to think I was almost as skeptical of the Bravo as my good friend "Master Delft",, although he is the one that sold me on the "Ramp"!
where are you Master Delft?? I know you're married to that young chick, but shouldn't you be checking in on the QE, F-35 Bravo deployment, that is after all right up your alley?? or should I say, "right up your Ramp"!
Interesting two landing at virtually the same time!
Great photos.
Actually they are queuing up to land, normal practice since the days of the Sea Harrier, aircraft approach parallel to the ship's course on the port side, draw level with their designated landing spot and hover, the 'translate sideways over the deck and land on their spot. For safety reasons they land one at a time, not actually simultaneously.
With the Harrier, landing is very 'hands on', because there is no auto land system. If the pilot lets go of the stick, throttle, or releases the rudder pedals, the aircraft which is balanced on a column of hot and cold air like a unicyclist, will topple over. The F-35B on the other hand does have auto pilots able to keep the aircraft balanced. If you let go of any or all of the controls when in the hover, the aircraft will remain where it is awaiting your further input...
I think everyone needs to broaden their thinking about what constitutes an Aircraft Carrier. I remember back in the 80s some writers seemed to have the view that only a Nimitz class CVN was worthy of the title. The USN CVNs are and will be for the foreseeable future the 'gold standard' without a doubt, but their cost and complexity put them beyond the reach of all but the USA. Necessity being the mother of invention (Great Band, sadly missed) there's more than one way to get a worthwhile strike package of aircraft to sea...
These medium sized carriers may not have 'everything' a CVN can bring to the table, but as the 82 Falklands War showed, they can bring enough to make a difference.
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Big Liz back alongside in Norfolk recently; USN Sailors from the USS George W Bush assisted in tying her to the quay:
True to a point. Remember the USN still had Forrestal class CVs to the early 90s & Kitty Hawk class CVs up until the early 2000's..
True again.... as the great Jedi Master stated this is the Gold Standard!;
by , on Flickr
PHILIPPINE SEA (Oct. 08, 2018) The Navy's forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) approaches the Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler Tippecanoe (T-AO 199) during a replenishment-at-sea. Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interests of its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Jason Funk)
by , on Flickr
SOUTH CHINA SEA (Aug. 31, 2018) Ships of the Ronald Reagan Strike Group and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force steam in formation during a bilateral exercise. The Ronald Reagan Strike Group is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kaila V. Peters)
by , on Flickr
PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 16, 2018) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) steams through the Pacific Ocean. John C. Stennis is underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Derien C. Luce).
I Luuuuuuuuuuurrrrrve me some CVNs, Y'all know that! I'm just saying we need a broader view of the subject. Perhaps even the USN in future might consider some 'Diversification', I'm hearing a lot of positive talk around the net from Americans who think a cat and trap CVF variant. Bottom line is you can afford two of them plus change for the price of one Ford class and in return each would carry three quarters of the air wing of a Ford. Operate them both in the same battle group and you have a lot more firepower than a Ford and two hulls are harder to sink than one...
I'm not saying DO IT, necessarily, but maybe it's worth pausing and thinking about. Keep the CVNs as the backbone of the fleet, but maybe an intermediate class of carrier between the CVNs and the LHAs could prove very handy...
If the USN is ever going to increase the numbers in it's Carrier Fleet back to 80s or earlier levels, a little radical thinking might be required. Ships like these could be built in whole or in part at a number of shipyards around the US, whereas the CVNs are tied to one yard. Just remember two these...
For less than one of these.
I'm not saying DO IT, necessarily, but maybe it's worth pausing and thinking about. Keep the CVNs as the backbone of the fleet, but maybe an intermediate class of carrier between the CVNs and the LHAs could prove very handy...
If the USN is ever going to increase the numbers in it's Carrier Fleet back to 80s or earlier levels, a little radical thinking might be required. Ships like these could be built in whole or in part at a number of shipyards around the US, whereas the CVNs are tied to one yard. Just remember two these... For less than one of these.
Jura The idiot
General
Anyway, back to business. DT-2 flying trials aboard QE with BF-04 and BF-05 (don't you just love all these acronyms and military designations? Makes me feel so grown up using them!) have, as has been noted above been back in progress for a little while now:
