Wardogg1990

Anyone got any info on those new British Aircraft Carriers which are supposed to outclass every other aircraft Carrier in the world.

I think there going to be called the Queen Elizibeth 2nd Class.

I got this info at a Careers meeting for the Royal Marines but the only breifly talked about it.

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A Hundred Elephants can destroy the outer walls of a fortress, but one diseased rat can kill all those inside ~ Book of Cataclysm

HistoricalDavid

Google 'CVF'.

Under no circumstances would a CVF parallel, let alone 'outclass', the latest Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.

They will be the largest and 'baddest' three warships ever built in Europe and the second-best aircraft carriers in the world. But the giant American ones will always beat them for no. and max size of aircraft carried.

There is some debate going around as to what will actually go on the CVF, with possible contenders including the Rafale, navalised Eurofighter, F-35 (can't remember which version) and the Super Hornet.

PubFather

True
.
Only two for Britain (are you including the proposed French one on the same design?)

Sadly, there seems to be little real debate at the MOD - it will almost certainly be the F35B - the STOVL variant. The discussion about an alternative was spawned by the "tech transfer" saga for the JSF. The Superbug was never in the running AFAIK. To save money, they wont have CATOBAR gear, so the E2D will also be "out" for the CVF.

They are much needed ships - but it will be a typical UK defense penny pinch exercise and not as capable as they should have been.

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Nemo Me Impune Lacessit - Scottish Motto

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HistoricalDavid

Hm, as far as I know it's practically one shared project. Some of the components will be built in France.

Oh right, you've amply illustrated my lack of up-to-date-ness.

I find the idea of helicopter-based AEW so profoundly half-baked, as to aspire to British standards of half-bakedness. Ok, maybe a bit harsh, but we do have a tendency for foot-shooting.

Definitely.

PubFather

The design is more or less totally British at present - the French paid circa £140 mil for it AFAIK. The French joined because the Charles de Galle has been something a maintenance nightmare. It does make sense to collaborate as much as possible - saving money for both.

Lol, if it was an Olympic event, we'd win every time...
Even better, there is a proposal for the V22 to be converted to an AEW role - or to fit wings to Merlins to make them able to fly higher...
Or we could simply fit catapults and have a proper AEW aircraft...

neilmpenny

I will be interested to see the carrier the Chinese are designing at this minute.

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No sea too rough, no muf* too tough.

Galrahn

I am still not convinced the CVF will happen. With the costs of war climbing in the UK, and the continued extreamly low budget for defense in the UK, I expect to see the Royal Navy given the shaft.

A major western power like the UK simply can't sustain a war and sustain its power projection defense projects with a 2% GDP defense budget. Without the war it wouldn't be a problem, but with the war either the MOD needs more funding, or the Royal Navy will end up getting the shaft on CVFs and Type 45s.

HKDan

Galrahn,
I hope that you are wrong about the CVF. I would hate to see that happen to the Royal Navy.

Dreadnought

I had thought the Brits already gave names to the new carriers. If im not mistake this may have been covered in another thread.

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Fortitude.....The strength to persist...The courage to endure.

PubFather

We have given them names. They are due to pass what is called "Main Gate" (or final purchasing contract) very shortly, although this would be for the second time...

There is a lot of fear that they will be cut - due to the costs of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The funds for the those conflicts are largely coming out the small MOD pot - there has been no extra cash provided for them. CVF + its aircraft would be an obvious target for cost cutting. Without extra funding a cut must fall somewhere in the procurement budget.

To RN watchers, this is too close to the CVA project. It was a 60,000 tonne carrier called - Queen Elizabeth. It was cut to save funds...

Cancellation would be a nonsense, as Britain has recently spent considerable sums on its amphib capability - HMS Ocean, two LPDs and the new "Bay" class LSDs. Its all about flexible power projection and requires carriers to make it make sense.

I suspect we will only get 1 carrier, at least for the moment, rather than the two currently planned. (And yes, it would be absolute b*ll*cks but thats never stopped the UK before..)

SuperTrooper

There are two new big aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy,One is called HMS Queen Elizabeth and the other is called HMS Prince Of Wales.One is due into service in 2012 and the other 2015 it's a shame that there is only going to be two because they have the most advanced technology and like you said they are going to outclass every other aircraft carrier in the world.