RN Aircraft Carriers: Queen Elizabeth Class

Add your posts about Royal Navy ships in this section
User avatar
emason
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2020 7:17 pm
Location: North Yorkshire, UK

Re: RN Aircraft Carriers: Queen Elizabeth Class

Unread post by emason »

jbryce1437 wrote: Fri Dec 24, 2021 8:50 am
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
Thanks Jim, that would make sense.
Best wishes
Bill
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9730
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Aircraft Carriers: Queen Elizabeth Class

Unread post by Pelican »

LARGE & LITTLE

From the man himself who took and posted the photo as he does with many others taken over Pompey and sometimes Guzz.

"Andy Amor
Hello David Rye, the picture you see is as I took it. Landscape. No rotation. The lens was set 24mm which accentuates the perspective and hence why HMS PWLS on the right appears to be somewhat smaller.
Glad you like the pictures. merry Xmas."
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9730
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Aircraft Carriers: Queen Elizabeth Class

Unread post by Pelican »

A PEEP INTO THE FUTURE BASED UPON WHAT HAS BEEN GLEANED ELSEWHERE


Reminder of the ten year plan from 2016 - To achieve 2 fully trained and equipped carriers capable of both Strike Carrier and Assault Carrier roles by 2026.

Whilst regrettable as it is to lose a F35B from 617 Sqdn. recently, do not forget that the aircraft is proving to be the most reliable fast jet ever to go operational especially given its now world wide fleet. Bearing in mind the much higher risks often associated with carrier flying it is also a testament to the well phased regeneration and training plan that the assimilation of (multinational and joint service) F35B Lightning ops off QE decks is proving so apparently safe and effective with high reliability and flying rates.
This bodes well for the future - learning to walk before you can run - when even larger air wings using different combinations of rotary and F35B units and numbers are embarked in ever more demanding situations.

2022 should see both QE carriers at sea on training, testing and minor and major exercises. Another full CSG is not forecast until 2023 but it is expected that P.o.W. will be doing more than R08 this coming year, and it is understood that there is a real possibility of both ships being involved in the same major exercise at some point, with one of them being roled for LPH assault activity. Not to be forgotten is the planned commissioning of 809 NAS to operate alongside 617 Sqn. is still on course for late 2022 and early 2023. This event will then assure the UK’s capability of embarking 2 full F35B sqns of its own on a single QE carrier for a sovereign operation should the task ever demand such. The combat effect of 24 F35B aboard one ship should not ever be underestimated. Note to be overlooked that over their lifetimes each carrier will be leapfrogging the other in respect of upgrades/modifications.

Some really need try and understand that modern warfare is a very different game now and focusing on numbers as the only measure of true combat capabilities and effectiveness is simply pointless in most respects. The UK has a very flexible and adaptable policy based on many decades of experience since 1982 and our specific view on our place and contribution in the world order. Simply directly comparing numbers and size of certain platforms in other nation’s armouries is a worthless and pointless activity in the circumstances. Delivering military combat effect in our real time data focused world is so much more than size or numbers, and is much more about connectivity, precision weapons, training, logistics, moral, combat experience and political leadership.

In the coming years we will see we will see further cooperation and cross deck ops with other allied F35B operators such as Italy, Japan and maybe Singapore, Spain and South Korea. Just as we will see the CSG escort fleet upgraded (T45) and the introduction of the T26 and T31 frigate types.

In the longer term as the present decade rolls on we will see both QE carriers equipped with an electromagnetic catapult permitting catobar style flying ops primarily for UAV fixed wing platforms for Loyal Wingman (Project Vixen), AAR and ASAC ops replacing the Merlin platforms in the latter and allowing the latter to be upgraded and focused on their increasingly critical ASW ops. We will see other smaller rotary UAVs introduced to enhance and supplement CSG logistics and ASW ops too. The air wing mix aboard a QE carrier by 2030 will be varied and flexible generating considerable combat effect with the latest techniques and technologies far removed from what was considered essential in the 1990s when these ships were in their design concept period.
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9730
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Aircraft Carriers: Queen Elizabeth Class

Unread post by Pelican »

Classified aircraft carrier plans document leaked on Facebook

A Facebook user has posted images showing classified documents containing the deck plans for Britain’s Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.

Continues at - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/classif ... -4EKZDfT6w
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9730
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Aircraft Carriers: Queen Elizabeth Class

Unread post by Pelican »

Tech turbo-charge for Royal Navy's aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales after software 'super release'


BRITAIN’S two mighty aircraft carriers have been given a technology turbo-charge after a ‘super release’ of software to upgrade their hi-tech kit.
HMS Queen Elizabeth and her younger sister, HMS Prince of Wales, have been given overhauls to their combat systems equipment.

The improvements, delivered by defence giant BAE Systems, have been made to ensure both the £3.2bn vessels can operate effectively with Nato allies while at sea.
News of the upgrades come as HMS Prince of Wales returned to Portsmouth today after several weeks at sea.
The naval behemoth is due for a brief pitstop in the city ahead of her mission to join Exercise Cold Response near Norway, where she will act as the Nato flagship in the region.

Steve Carter, combat systems equipment delivery director at BAE, said the new upgrades would help to make Prince of Wales an effective command platform.
He added: ‘These last few months have been incredibly busy preparing this “super release”. Our teams have worked tirelessly to collectively develop, integrate and deliver the required upgrades and updates to the Royal Navy in a short space of time, to bring detailed, complex changes to the mission systems of the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers.

‘The most crucial of these updates has been to the tactical data link interfaces, which are critical to enabling the ships to communicate and share data with other Royal Navy platforms and allies, essential for ensuring interoperability.’
Other crucial upgrades delivered to the warships - the biggest ever built for the Senior Service - include boosts to the vessels’ combat management systems, to enhance security and performance, and its shared infrastructure kit to help the navy work more closely with allies.

Engineers have spent weeks installing extensive amounts of cabling and technology to support Nato allies, like the Americans, when they’re based on the carriers.
In HMS Prince of Wales alone, some 92 miles of fibre optic cabling was fitted across 33 compartments.
The enhancements will help the UK’s carrier strike group, which last year worked alongside American and Dutch allies.

Commodore Phil Game Royal Navy, Head of DE&S maritime combat systems, added: ‘The carrier strike group deployment last year was hugely successful as a national endeavour, energising our diplomatic, trade and security partnerships.
‘We need to build on this and deliver improved capability to our platforms with pace and agility, as demonstrated in this “super release”.’
Similar combat enhancements are planned for the navy’s £6bn fleet of Type 45 destroyers.

Exercise Cold Response is planned to take place towards the end of March.
It is Nato’s biggest war game in the region this year, involving some 35,000 military personnel from 23 countries.

Source - https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/defen ... kc8SVoYkPc

[Surprised neither Navy Look or UKDJ have not covered the above yet but no doubt they will.]
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9730
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Aircraft Carriers: Queen Elizabeth Class

Unread post by Pelican »

BAE deliver huge software upgrade for British aircraft carriers

See - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/bae-del ... IhIYP9sgDI
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9730
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Aircraft Carriers: Queen Elizabeth Class

Unread post by Pelican »

Pelican wrote: Mon Feb 07, 2022 1:20 pm BAE deliver huge software upgrade for British aircraft carriers

See - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/bae-del ... IhIYP9sgDI
Combat Systems deliver “super release” to support the Carrier Strike Group in 2022

A huge wave of work spanning the last two years and culminating in successful sea trials in the last few weeks has seen Combat Systems teams collaborate and successfully deliver a “super release” of software updates to both QEC Carriers, providing them with the latest capabilities required for their Carrier Strike Group and NATO deployments in 2022 and beyond.

Continues at - https://www.baesystems.com/en/article/c ... E4hdo9143g
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9730
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Aircraft Carriers: Queen Elizabeth Class

Unread post by Pelican »

Two British aircraft carriers now at sea

HMS Queen Elizabeth has sailed from Portsmouth and is heading to Scotland. Sister ship HMS Prince of Wales also recently left Portsmouth and is heading for the Arctic.

See - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/two-bri ... 7j0HTttKUs
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9730
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Aircraft Carriers: Queen Elizabeth Class

Unread post by Pelican »

QEC AIRCRAFT CARRIERS - P.T.B.'s

Attached shows where the 3 passenger transfer boats are stowed in the port sponsons and PTB Swordfish alongside the rear landing of Q.E.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9730
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Aircraft Carriers: Queen Elizabeth Class

Unread post by Pelican »

Babcock awarded 10-year contract for dry docking Royal Navy aircraft carriers at Rosyth

Number 1 dry dock in Rosyth has been selected as the facility for all maintenance and repairs that cannot be done when the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers are afloat.


Given the state of MoD finances and limited viable alternatives, it is unsurprising that Rosyth has been chosen. By far the most desirable solution would be to expand one of the docks in Portsmouth but this has been estimated to cost an eye-watering £500M which the RN does not have. Babcock’s Rosyth dockyard has the very significant advantage of having constructed the carriers and an experienced workforce that has already completed a 6-week dry docking of HMS Queen Elizabeth (April 2019). The £30M contract will help sustain around 300 jobs at Rosyth and is yet another win for Scottish-based maritime enterprise.

Harland and Wolff submitted a rival bid for dry-docking the carriers at their Belfast Dock facility. * From a navigational perspective, Belfast Dock is considerably easier to access than Rosyth but it’s two decades since the company worked for the MoD, whereas Babcock is the RN’s second-largest contractor. Belfast Dock at least provides an emergency option if there were problems at Rosyth or in the unlikely event both carriers had to be dry-docked simultaneously.

Entry and exit for the carriers into the basin at Rosyth is a very demanding operation. There is a narrow window of just a few days in each month when the tidal conditions are suitable. Eleven tugs are needed to make a carefully orchestrated move that can only be done in good visibility and light winds. The basin entrance was widened by 4 metres in a major project between 2009-10 but when the carriers pass through, there is less than a metre of clearance on either side and just 50cm between the keel and the seabed. Every entry and exit at Rosyth implies a small risk to the ship and potential delays while awaiting appropriate tides or weather.


For the duration of the contract, Babcock is required to keep the dock permanently available for unplanned or emergency aircraft carrier docking. This raises questions about the availability of the dock, which retains the Goliath crane used to assemble large ship blocks, should ‘Team UK’ win the Fleet Solid Support ship competition. However, Babcock has subsequently stated: “The facility at Rosyth can accommodate the assembly and integration of FSS in parallel with the planned docking of the QEC ships”. The smaller Number 3 Dock in Rosyth or Number 5 Dock at Cammell Laird on Merseyside offer alternative options, although they do not currenly have large capacity cranes. (The Harland & Wolff/Navantia ‘Team Resolute’ consortium have Goliath cranes at their facilities in Spain and Belfast.)

Number 1 Dock was modified considerably before the QEC carriers were built. The shape of the dock was changed to accommodate the U-shape hull by removing granite altar blocks down each side designed for legacy V-shaped hulls. To support the weight of the Goliath crane, the docksides were strengthened with reinforced concrete bored piles. The dock entrance was also widened and concrete foundations were laid on the floor to support the ‘skidding together’ of ship bocks.

The first work at Rosyth under the new contract will be a six-week dry-docking of HMS Prince of Wales for her first Lloyds Naval Ship Rules inspection in 2023. Under this safety and assurance regime, the majority of the RN’s warships have to be dry-docked for inspection at least every 5-6 years. HMS Queen Elizabeth should not have to return to Rosyth until 2025 but will, by then, be due for her first refit. Whether she will also undergo any significant modifications at that point will depend on funding and progress in developing the Future Maritime Aviation Force.

* https://www.harland-wolff.com/news/harl ... readiness/

[ Future Maritime Aviation Force see - https://www.navylookout.com/the-future- ... n-in-2030/ ]

Source Navy Lookout.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic

Return to “Royal Navy”