RN Aircraft Carriers: HMS Prince of Wales

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New Skipper - https://twitter.com/HMSPWLS/status/1413792424594395139

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Passenger Transfer Boats for HMS Prince of Wales to be delivered this year

AEUK has sub-contracted the construction of three SEA-class Passenger Transfer Boats (PTB) that will equip HMS Prince of Wales to Diverse Marine, based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight and the vessels will be delivered to the RN later this year.

The PTBs are based on Atlas Elektronik’s (AEUK) SEA Class design and is part of a larger contract to deliver a variety of workboats, procured by the RN under project VAHANA. The 13.8m PTBs are certified for up to 34 passengers and have a crew of three – the first vessel ‘Walrus’ is pictured above. Diverse Marine were selected by AEUK to build the boats because of their proven track record with aluminium construction and ability to customise the design. Some of the other SEA Class workboats have already been delivered while others are currently being produced at AEUK’s Platform Integration facilities in Winfrith, Dorset.

Three PTBs are stowed in the large ports side sponsons that overhang from the side of the carrier and are lowered to the water vertically when needed. The PTBs are not intended for tactical use or in amphibious assault role but they allow the rapid movement of personnel to and from shore, this is especially useful where port facilities are too small to allow the carrier alongside. Typically they will take off-duty members of the ship’s company to and from shore as well as transport visitors to the ship. The QEC carriers have a specially designed platform at the stern which allows the PTBs to come alongside and visitors can ascend the permanent companionways up to 4 deck. (The boat bays are highlighted in red on the plan below).

HMS Queen Elizabeth currently carries three of the four ALN-139 passenger transfer boats of a quite different design that were supplied by Alnmaritec Ltd in 2017. These boats all bear the names of famous Fleet Air Arm fixed-wing aircraft including Harrier, Buccaneer, Sea Vixen and Swordfish. With the delivery of the 3 SEA Class vessels: Walrus, (Gannet and Sea Hawk?), the RN will have a 7 PTBs (which allows for a ‘spare’) and the carriers can embark PTBs of either design. The AEUK PTBs are faster, up to 25 knots compared with the 18 knot ALN-139s, have a more modern look and will benefit from the broader logistic support of the more numerous SEA class boats.

The SEA Class is another success story for UK maritime industry and has the potential to attract export orders. While obviously not critical to the frontline fighting strength of the RN, the PTBs and workboats are important logistic enablers that carry out apparently mundane but necessary duties to support the fleet. The PTBs will also carry VIPs and visitors to the aircraft carriers, modern, comfortable and fast boats are important in forming a good first impression.

For photos and image of location of boat bays [same as Q.E.] go to:
https://www.navylookout.com/passenger-t ... XhldjAKnm8

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Tweet and photos re. Specialist Helo Handling Crews - https://twitter.com/Joint_Heli/status/1 ... 9083019269

After viewing photos scroll down for other info.

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R09 - NEXT TRAINING TO COMMENCE SOON

Previously air wing team training with 656Sqn AH64D Apaches, similar work continued with 825NAS Wildcat HMA2s, and the very first landing of the F35B Lightning on R09’s deck (flown on by 207 (OCU) Sqn from Marham.

Soon R09 will deploy again for a few weeks on another crew and air wing training evolution. It is understood that up to 6 F35B Lightnings from 207 Sqn will embark to not only allow the relevant ship’s crew to experience working with a number of F35s but primarily maintain 207’s instructional staff carrier qualification currency as well as award similar to some of the new recently Lightning qualified pilots - destined for both 617 and in process of forming up 809 Sqns.

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HMS Prince of Wales – the magnificent backdrop for two Atlantic Charters


The new Atlantic Charter – signed within sight of new aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales – echoes the original agreement 80 years ago.

Then, as now, Britain’s Prime Minister and America’s President agreed to work together to help forge a fairer, freer, better world.

HMS Prince of Wales sailed in waters off Carbis Bay in Cornwall – where Prime Minister Johnson and President Biden agreed a 21st-Century revised charter to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

The Portsmouth-based warship is in the middle of aviation trials, including her first training with F-35 Lightning stealth fighters earlier this week.

In the summer of 1941, her namesake was instrumental in ensuring the original landmark document – actually a joint declaration of principles by Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt rather than an agreement or treaty.

Then brand-new battleship HMS Prince of Wales, recently repaired after being badly damaged in battle with Hitler’s flagship Bismarck off Iceland at the end of May 1941, carried the British premier and his staff to the key conference.

It took four-and-a-half days for the warship to reach Placentia Bay in Newfoundland as she battled heavy seas which forced her to leave her escorting destroyers behind, following a route which kept her away from known U-boat concentrations – thanks to codebreakers at Bletchley Park.

Continues with 6 photos at - https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... ic-charter

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HMS Prince of Wales to sail with F-35s later this year

Lockheed Martin have detailed the work of Lightning Team UK in preparing for the current deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth and upcoming sailing of HMS Prince of Wales.

In the article titled ‘Planning a Historic Deployment: How Lightning Team UK Prepared for CSG‘, Lockheed goes into detail.

Lightning Team UK is a collaboration between the industry partners on F-35: BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls-Royce

At RAF Marham, the home base of the UK’s F-35 fleet, Lightning Team UK partners worked alongside partners in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force to prep the F-35 fleet for CSG.

“One of the Marham team’s main tasks ahead of CSG was performing months of standard maintenance on the F-35 fleet to pre-emptively complete actions that would come due while the jets were deployed. This included maintenance on everything from the ejection seat to the engine, and from the landing gear to low observable coatings.”

Now that they’ve deployed the fleet to CSG, what’s next for the team at RAF Marham? Well, according to Lockheed Martin site lead and head of operations at RAF Marham Larry Fahrney:

“We’re already preparing for the next carrier qualification that’s coming up later this year,” Fahrney said.

For this deployment, Lightning Team UK will need to ready six F-35s for another at-sea deployment.

Continues at - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/hms-pri ... 0fd9cxhVRw

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HMSPWLS will participate in exercise Joint Warrior (26 Sep - 8 Oct) JW212

She will embark her largest air group to date including 4 UK F-35 Jets and Merlin Helicopters.
From - Navy Lookout.

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HMS Prince of Wales

New Toy Day for PWLS At Sea! We’re testing “Banshee” by QinetiQ
as a training, testing and evaluation method for simulating airborne targets at sea.
Capable of up to 200meters per second, it’s twin gas turbines mean it’s pretty quick!
4 Photos at - https://twitter.com/HMSPWLS/status/1433438914233184263

Further info at - https://www.qinetiq.com/en/what-we-do/s ... Vo-lLUXF8Q

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Harrier cockpit section embarked on HMS PWLS - used by aircraft handlers to practice pilot rescue from crashed aircraft.

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UK’s newest aircraft carrier prepares for front-line operations

Britain’s newest aircraft carrier has sailed from Portsmouth ahead a hectic autumn as she works her way to becoming fully operational.
HMS Prince of Wales shifts up a few gears with her first period of concerted training with fifth-generation F-35 Lightning stealth fighters – and her first participation in the largest military exercise in the UK, Joint Warrior, off the Scottish coast.
The first will pave the way for front-line carrier operations, the second will test her ability to work alongside other naval, Air Force and Army assets and broader task group operations.

Continues at - https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... -exercises