UK Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Jeff Head said:

...

From my

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yeah the biggest warship of the Royal Navy so far ... I think the second biggest would have been the 'N 3' Class Battleships; I just checked the respective Conway book: 48500t of normal displacement but "The four ships planned were still at an early design-state when the Washington Treaty put an end to all plans for large capital ships."
So the biggest built was
I know this is not exactly a Military News

Jura said:

yeah the biggest warship of the Royal Navy so far ... the biggest built was

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I know this is not exactly a Military News

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Ah yes, the Vanguard.

The biggest, fastest...and last British battleship. Over 50,000 tons full load. Top speed just over 30 knots. Eight 15" guns.

Commissioned after the war, she served until 1960 and was then scrapped.

Still significantly smaller than the new Queen Elizabeth Class carriers.

Let's not forget HMS Eagle R05 and HMS Ark Royal R09, full load displacement after final reconstructions were in the region of 50,000+ tonnes! CVA-01 was supposed to be restricted to Eagle's full load displacement, as the politicians of the day confused size with cost. The class had originally been projected as 60,000 tonners, but after being squeezed downwards (in the process losing two catapults and an armoured flight deck finishing up with the 'furniture van' concept) the designers sneaked about 5,000 tonnes of armour back into the ships and thereafter just referred to the lower displacement and hoped no one would notice!

Let's also remember that as per The Royal Institution of Naval Architects the revised figure for QE is actually 70,600 tons not the not the normally quoted ~65,000 tons

Obi Wan Russell said:

Let's not forget HMS Eagle R05 and HMS Ark Royal R09, full load displacement after final reconstructions were in the region of 50,000+ tonnes!

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Yes...ypou are absolutely correct.

Both of those carriers were in fact larger in displacement than the Vanguard. after their major refits and modernizations.

HMS Eagle:
54,100 tons full load after the five-year modernization and refit from 1959-1964. She was finally decommissioned in 1972.

HMS Ark Royal:
53,905 tons full load after her three year major refit from 1967 -1970. She was finally decommissioned in 1978.

Jeff Head said:

Yes...ypou are absolutely correct.

Both of those carriers were in fact larger in displacement than the Vanguard. after their major refits and modernizations.

HMS Eagle:
54,100 tons full load after the five-year modernization and refit from 1959-1964. She was finally decommissioned in 1972.

HMS Ark Royal:
53,905 tons full load after her three year major refit from 1967 -1970. She was finally decommissioned in 1978.

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now I see how I missed them: I checked the Conway's 1922-1946 which understandably quotes (p. 21)
"EAGLE class fleet aircraft carriers (original design)": 46000t deep load; the corresponding figure for the Vanguard (p. 16): 51420

it's unimportant by the fate of the Eagle class according to the Conway's:
EAGLE Broken Up 1978
ARK ROYAL Stricken 1979

Soon Asif...very soon now.


She's going to be a beaut!

News on the Type 26:

Some more details on Type 45 DDG BMD capability

I reported few months ago this was being investigated by UK and now a new investment is being made to use the SAMPSON radars for both dual purpose that's AAW and BMD

Recently Type 45 has been able to track intermediate missiles under AAW but now they are working to enable SAMPSON to do BMD

A development programme has been established to show proof of principle before a final decision is made

Also the new MARS replenishment tankers will have a advanced cargo movement and handling system much of it automated which will speed up at sea replenishment

Will post exact details of both story's as when I get them

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(Watch the video at that link)

STV News said:

The Queen will smash a bottle of malt whisky against the hull of the 65,000 tonne HMS Queen Elizabeth next Friday.

The aircraft carrier has been assembled at Rosyth dockyard after the parts were built in yards across the country.

With a flight deck the size of three football pitches, it is the largest surface ship the Navy has ever had in service.

The F35B fighter jet will take off from the ship once it is in service in 2020 and it is expected to be on the waves for 50 years.

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Some more pics: