Aircraft Carriers III

Head-up-Display. Mig 29K. INS Vikramditya

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The US Navy carrier strike group centered around the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson completed a three-week sustainment training exercise off the coast of Southern California, November 16.

Completing the exercise indicates the strike group’s readiness for executing missions across all warfare areas.

The group successfully conducted a series of at-sea drills, missile shoots, and strike operations using a variety naval platforms and weapons.

The strike group, which includes aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57), and Destroyer Squadron 1 ships USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112), is scheduled to deploy to the Western Pacific region early next year.

“Our time at sea was well spent. We trained how we fight,” said Commander, Carrier Strike Group 1 Rear Adm. John Fuller, who leads the group. “We worked hard as a team to refine our battle rhythm and execute complex, integrated operations. We’re ready for deployment.”

The air wing’s complement of 75 aircraft under CVW-2 completed 1,419 sorties totaling 2,874 flight hours during the exercise. This included flying 200 sorties over a two-day surge period and expending 251,768 pounds of ordnance on training targets ashore.

Additionally, strike group ships conducted damage control training during multiple scenarios and successfully conducted sea-launched missile attacks on training targets.

“We met our training objectives and combat effectiveness metrics. We benefited greatly from mentoring and insights shared by Carrier Strike Group 15 who served as our training partner,” said Fuller. “We have already begun incorporating lessons learned.”

Carrier Strike Group 1 was formally established in 2009 and is based in San Diego. It also includes guided-missile destroyers USS O’Kane (DDG 77), currently operating in the Western Pacific, USS Sterett (DDG 104) and USS Dewey (DDG 105).

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Jura said:

noticed Queen Elizabeth to Commission Namesake Aircraft Carrier

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"Her Majesty the Queen will formally commission her namesake aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, into the Royal Navy fleet in just three weeks’ time. ..." etc., have to leave right now

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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is set to formally commission the British Royal Navy’s future flagship Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth on 7 December.

UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson announced the news on-board the aircraft carrier as it underwent sea trials around the south coast of England.

Williamson said: “In a world of intensifying global threats, this magnificent ship will be a leading force fighting to protect the values of the UK and our allies.

It’s an honour to visit her at sea and to meet such a passionate crew.”

The 65,000t aircraft carrier is slated to return to its home port at Portsmouth Naval Base in a few weeks’ time after completing its final phase of sea trials.

HMS Queen Elizabeth initially began sea trials at the end of October in order to test its readiness and capabilities.

The first phase of sea trials were carried out earlier this year and demonstrated the ship’s platform stability and manoeuvrability.

HMS Queen Elizabeth later sailed into its home port for the first time in August.

The carrier’s sister vessel, HMS Prince of Wales, has been formally named and is currently structurally complete.

Both aircraft carriers are being delivered by collaboration between the industry and the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) known as the Aircraft Carrier Alliance.

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The UK Royal Navy’s first Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier is to complete its contractors’ sea trials and formally join the fleet on 7 December.

UK defence secretary Gavin Williamson made the announcement on 16 November during his first visit to the carrier, while it was at sea sailing around the southwest of England.

He said the commission ceremony would be conducted by Queen Elizabeth II in Portsmouth Naval Base after the ship completes its contractors’ trials, run by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance. After the ceremony, the ship will be formally titled HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The ship left Portsmouth on 30 October to begin the second phase of its contractors’ trials, which are focused on proving the performance of its communications, radar, and other sensors. Open-source AIS transponder tracks indicate that the carrier operated around Land’s End and the north coast of Cornwall during the first two weeks of the trials.

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Obi Wan Russell said:

In case this was overlooked, the RN is practicing operating a carrier air group from HMS Siskin (R01) and HMS Seahawk (RNAS Culdrose:

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View attachment 43337 View attachment 43338

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UK takes delivery of 13th F-35B
The 13th F-35B for the United Kingdom has been delivered by Lockheed Martin.

It is believed that 138 F-35 aircraft will have been delivered by the 2030s. Around 2023, the Ministry of Defence have indicated that the UK will have 42 F-35 aircraft with 24 available as ‘front-line fighters’ and the remaining 18 will be used for training (at least 4-5 on the OCU), be in reserve or in maintenance.

Numbers right now are exactly where they’re expected to be and inline with the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review.

2 F-35B in LRIP run 3, 1 F-35B in LRIP run 4, 1 F-35B in LRIP run 7, 4 F-35B in LRIP run 8, 6 F-35B in LRIP run 9, 3 F-35B in LRIP run 10, 2 F-35B in LRIP run 11, 2 F-35B in LRIP run 12 6 F-35B in LRIP run 13, 8 F-35B in LRIP run 14 and 7 F-35B in LRIP run 15. This brings us to 42 in 2023.

The next year and next run brings us to the total of the first batch of aircraft, 48.
The variant to be used by the United Kingdom, the F-35B, is already less than Typhoon which has an estimated flyaway cost of around $141m.

According to a press release:

“The price reduction for the air vehicle was 8 percent and when adding in engine and fee, the overall total jet reduction is 7 percent. This is the largest F-35 contract ever for 90 jets, a more than 40 percent increase from LRIP 9 for 57 jets.”

The US Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin have reportedly reached an agreement in principle on the lowest priced F-35 run to date marking the first time the price for an F-35A has fallen below $100M.

The F-35A is expected to cost $85 million, less than any fourth-generation fighter ‘in the 2019-2020 timeframe’ with the other two F-35 variants also reducing significantly in price.

Jeff Babione, Lockheed Martin’s programme manager for the F-35, told reporters that the cost of the F-35 will drop to about $85 million by 2019, something also reiterated in a recent statement regarding price-concerns raised by US president-elect Donald Trump. This is understood to be thanks to efficiencies and cost-cutting manufacturing technologies. The B and C variants are also steadily reducing in cost and are expected to match it.

By contrast, the US Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter aircraft comes in at $98.3 million (2016 flyaway cost.

Jeff Babione said:

“We think that price with this capability will be unbeatable. You’ll be able to afford a fifth-generation airplane for what would be a fourth-generation price for anything else offered in the free world. The Lockheed/BAE/Northrop Grumman contractor team is hyper-focused on reducing the price of the airplane. It is a fact this program is over budget from 2001’s baseline. It’s just true. We will never underrun that number.

We will never save that money. It’s gone. What matters is since that time, what’s happened to the cost on the program? It’s gone down, not gone up. Judge the program today, not where it’s been, but where it is and where it’s going.”

The initial operating capability for carrier strike, which is scheduled for December 2020, will consist of one carrier, one squadron of Lightnings and Crowsnest airborne early warning and control helicopters.

Earl Howe, Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords said during a debate in the House of Lords:

“My Lords, the initial operating capability for carrier strike, which is scheduled for no later than December 2020, will consist of one carrier, one squadron of Lightnings and Crowsnest.”

Captain Jerry Kyd, commander of HMS Queen Elizabeth, commented last year on the initial deployment and the gradual increase in air wing numbers:

“We’re constrained by the F-35 buy-rate even though that was accelerated in SDSR in 2015, so initial operating capability numbers in 2020 are going to be very modest indeed. We will flesh it out with helicopters, and a lot depends on how many USMC F-35s come on our first deployment in 2021.

But by 2023, we are committed to 24 UK jets onboard, and after that it’s too far away to say.”

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Jura said:

...
Three US Carriers Lead Naval Drill Aimed at North Korea

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FORBIN said:

Nice 2 ship LOL I'm avenging the Swiss

13th true... delivered soon the 14th, the 48 for 2024

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