Great pic. Really looking forward to see her launched.
Well not long left now 4-5 months and it will be in the water and then sent away for the outfitting which is scheduled to last 2 years until 2016 by which time it will be sea trials will be underway for about a year followed by the handing over the navy by 2018 by which time F35B operations will likely be taking place
It will be a further 2-3 years before it achieves full operational capability so we are talking very early 2020s before we see a fully equipped UK carrier strike group
During peacetime to reduce costs it will be typically loaded with 12 x F35B but will have the ability to carry 36 x F35B if required this obviously depends on the mission
Two such carriers will therefore have the ability to carry 72 x F35B which is hell of a force
Yes the F35B does not have the range and payload of a fully-fledged CATOBAR F35C but it’s a huge improvement over the Sea Harrier and when used in conjunction with the ski jump it will be able to carry more weapons and fuel than a standard vertical take-off for other navy’s like USMC and JMSDF
That’s not to say it won’t use vertical take-off it will it just depends on the mission profile, we will see a combination of STOVOL missions (short take and vertical landings ) and also vertical take offs and vertical landings
Using it in the STOVOL configuration and add in a V-22 Osprey aerial fuelling tanker will further enhance the operating envelope of the F35B aircraft further adding more capability to the Royal Navy
A carrier group centred around a
Queen Elizabeth Carrier
1-2 x Type 45 DDG
1-2 x Type 26 GCS
1 x Astute SSN
1 x MARS tankers
This will be a very powerful naval force
