Lewin of Greenwich Naval History & Forum

FIRST LIVE MUNITIONS RAS TO A QEC CARRIER FROM A FSS SHIP

First live munitions Replenishment At Sea to a QEC carrier from a Solid Support Ship with 14,540Kg of munitions transferred - 16 PAVEWAY IV for the F-35B & 41,785Kg of mixed food & maintenance stores. Sustainment of the UK’s CSG21 at sea, at range from the UK.

Video - https://twitter.com/smrmoorhouse/status ... 3125577735

Belfast and Rosyth competing to drydock carriers


Harland and Wolff in Belfast and Babcock at Rosyth have been invited to compete for a contract to provide drydocking facilities for the Queen Elizabeth class carriers over ten years.
According to the contract notice, the requirement is to provide up to three dry dockings for the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers over the next ten years, in order to undertake maintenance and repair activities.

There will also be a requirement to provide a facility for any emergency dockings that may be required.

The Request for Information states:

“This requirement is open to UK-based companies only. Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers are the biggest and most advanced warships ever built for the Royal Navy. The fleet consists of HMS Queen Elizabeth (QNLZ) commissioned in December 2017 and HMS Prince of Wales (PWLS) commissioned in December 2019. The vessels will be utilised by all three branches of the UK Armed Forces and providing eight acres of sovereign territory. Both ships are versatile enough to be used for operations ranging from high intensity conflict to providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) Naval Ships Support (NSS) Team based at Abbey Wood in Bristol manage the in-service support of the Queen Elizabeth Class warships (QEC) and the NSS team has a requirement to provide dry dockings of two aircraft carriers: QNLZ and PWLS over the next 10 years. The NSS Team will look to ensure competition and value for money are achieved and the successful bidder will be required to deliver all requirements under the Contract throughout the planned duration.

The scope will include three formal dockings (QNLZ 1, PWLS 2) over a period of 10 years and the dockings will include, but not be limited to, the following activities: Complete Lloyd’s Register (LR) Hull survey and revalidation; Complete LR survey of underwater appendages, including:

Rudders, Shafts and A-brackets, Plummer bearings and shaft removal, Sea Inlet Boxes and Sea Tubes; Complete LR survey of Anchor, chain and cables; Removal and replacement of underwater valves; Inspection and replacement of Cathodic protection systems, ships sensor; Ships Stabiliser deployment, inspection and repair; Repair of ships underwater paint scheme; Undertake underwater repairs to known defects. In addition to this there will be a requirement to provide a facility for any emergency dockings that may be required”

The proposed issue date of the contract is 28/02/2022 and the proposed completion date of the contract is 28/02/2032.

Source UKDJ

A USMC F-35B Lightning II attached to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, embarked aboard the Aircraft Carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, executes a short takeoff from the Amphibious Assault Ship USS America during flight operations between the Royal Navy and USS America....Philippine Sea, August. 20th, 2021.

Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth-class carriers could be supported by new warehouse store at Portsmouth naval base

MINISTRY of Defence plans for a new store to support the two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers could be approved by Portsmouth City Council next week.

Continues, including photo, at - https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/polit ... Xnw7EpvNhU

HMS Queen Elizabeth pictured at Yokosuka last week.

Drones could ‘allow’ Britain to create a second carrier air wing


Drones could “allow the opportunity” for Britain to put an air wing on both HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales at the same time.
The current plan is for two aircraft carriers and one air wing that would sail on whichever aircraft carrier is being held at “very high-readiness”. It was however suggested at a Defence Select Committee evidence session that drones might allow for a second carrier air wing. The transcript is below.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin:
“Are we matching what the Department has always said, which is that the carrier full operating capability matures at the end of 2024 and needs to be able to deploy 24 jets on an aircraft carrier? We are absolutely on track to be able to do that, and I think that has always been a very clear aspiration and it has been laid out.

Within the Navy—so not yet a departmental plan—how might we be able to look to provide a second carrier air wing? In the modern world, does that mean purely more jets, or is it what I think most of us would see as being a hybrid force of both jets and drones?”
Chair: “Littoral.”

Continues at - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/drones- ... mCfZVqJ77o

THE QEC CLASS & A SEA HARRIER

Photo Andy Amor.

Pelican wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 11:29 pm THE QEC CLASS & A SEA HARRIER

Photo Andy Amor.

Why does the PoW look so much smaller than the QE? It can't just be the perspective, surely?

emason wrote: ↑Thu Dec 23, 2021 5:06 pm

Pelican wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 11:29 pm THE QEC CLASS & A SEA HARRIER

Photo Andy Amor.

Why does the PoW look so much smaller than the QE? It can't just be the perspective, surely?

Yes its just the angle its taken from.

emason wrote: ↑Thu Dec 23, 2021 5:06 pm

Pelican wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 11:29 pm THE QEC CLASS & A SEA HARRIER

Photo Andy Amor.

Why does the PoW look so much smaller than the QE? It can't just be the perspective, surely?

I think the original photo was taken in portrait mode and turned round to landscape. In portrait the bottom image of QE would be larger than POW in the distance.

Jim