Aircraft Carriers III

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Flight testing has begun for the new weapon wings that’ll be fitted to all Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters. Each wing will be able to carry ten Martlet or two Sea Venom missiles. ...
 

Obi Wan Russell

Jedi Master
VIP Professional
The Lynx could carry four Sea Skuas in the same role but would normally only carry two. If the Wildcat needs more missiles to take out a target, more Wildcats will be assigned.
 

Obi Wan Russell

Jedi Master
VIP Professional
Another good article from my colleague about CEPP, Carrier Enabled Power Projection:

UK CEPP TRANISITION PLAN PROGRESS - UPDATE 04 AUG 19

It's been a while since I posted an Admin summary of UK CEPP Transition plan recent events and comment on the near future. A great deal has happened in the first half of 2019 with a great deal more to come. I trust members regularly access the timetable for 2019 which we deliberately place as the top announcement on the group as it is intended to keep us all abreast of the key events of interest during the year. Of course its public domain information and things can change depending on background events in this complex programme.

Firstly, lets focus on the UK F35B Joint Lightning Force (JLF) which has been moving along rapidly in recent months. Key activities have included Exercise Lightning Dawn and 617 Sqns' first deployment overseas to Cyprus. Primarily intended to test deployment processes and logistics as well as provide additional pilot tactical training, it also morphed into several operational armed recce missions for Op SHADER and the counter-ISIS activities alongside the already in-theatre Typhoons. The very fact the Lightning was employable on such missions reflected both the maturity of operational readiness of 617 Sqn for such an early stage in the fielding of the UK F35B but also the availability attained over the 2 month period from the 6 deployed aircraft was outstanding (.80-90%) - exceeding anything achieved so far by our US allies and their many F35 units. While there is much still to be done at top level F35 industrial level to underpin optimum F35 support and logistics, this 617 Sqn success certainly provided reassurance in the short term that the imminent first deployment aboard HMS QE will be off to a solid start. Shortly after the UK's 18th F35B (ZM152) was delivered to Beaufort USMC base in S.Carolina in June, it and the other 5 remaining UK Lightnings based there were flown "home" to Marham in mid July under the guise of 207 Sqn - which officially reformed on 1 Aug 19 as the UK's Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) and which from early September 2019 will start all future UK based F35B conversion courses for both pilots and aircraft engineers within the radically rebuilt sqn and engineering and flight school facilities now commissioned at the UK JLF's home base at RAF Marham. There are now 15 aircraft based there operating as a pool for the time being for both 617 and 207 Sqns pending delivery of another 17 aircraft between 2020 and 2022 - the latter presaging the training and workup of the next UK Lightning sqn - 809NAS in late 2022/early 2023. More on 617 later in this update,

So what of the Prince of Wales (R09) - well again the news remains encouraging in so far as what is in the public domain. The ACA has been working hard to fit out this second of class RN super carrier. While the ship remains festooned with scaffolding and tentage and other contractor's equipment, a key signal that work is well advanced was the fitting of the new ship's badges on each side of the aft funnel/island in July. The precise date of the PoW's first sailing out of the Rosyth dockyard basin is of course not public information and understandably so given the intensity and amount of work being done to ready the ship for its first builder's sea trials. All we do know is that the target period remains the forthcoming Autumn - and hopefully this will be achieved. There will be some key indicators soon such as the RN crew moving on board a short while before the sailing - and we will of course post on that as soon as it happens. Given PoW is the 2nd in class it is to be hoped the trials length will reflect this and be shorter than those of HMS QE. The planned activities are certainly shorter so assuming all functions well then the move of the PoW to her new home base at Portsmouth alongside HMS QE at the PRJ is not that far away. The next few months will be critical in indicating if this will be sooner or later! The UK CEPP plan has the PoW commissioned by June 2020 but all being well it could happen much sooner than that. Availability of the PoW to not only do her own work up training for her crew but also assist in the overall UK CEPP strike air wing operational work up plan during 2020, especially as the QE heads for another short Capability Insertion Period (CIP) in 2020 prior to her first UK CSG operational UK CSG deployment in early 2021.

So how about HMS QE herself? At present she is alongside the PRJ Portsmouth being prepared for her 3-4 month deployment on WESTLANT19 to the US East coast for further F35 trials and training. It is understood the QE will have sailed by early September - maybe to return in December to see the PoW nearby too! Of course some inevitable wider speculation continues about what exactly happened in early July which caused the foreshortening (by a few days) of the QE's FOST and Apache trials. We understand the Apache trials were complete anyway as were all the key FOST activities. Indeed the officially announced cause of the problem, a burst high pressure sea water pipe and some compartment flooding will have itself been an excellent expose of the QE crew's emergency response in a difficult situation. The ship returned early to port under her own power - whatever you may have heard elsewhere - and of course these things do happen on any ship at any time. Better now than halfway across the Atlantic next month. There is no indication that any repairs required will delay the WESTLANT19 deployment.

WESTLANT19 therefore becomes the most significant activity within the UK CEPP Transition plan for the rest of 2019. Similar to last year’s US deployment it will involve F35B on deck, crew training and other important training for the other helicopter types deploying too. HMS Dragon a Type 45 AAW destroyer will be in escort too with integrated air defence training part of the plan including with the on board F35s. Defence Diplomacy activities as the UK and RN's future flagship shows the world how much closer we are to attaining operational capability with this fine carrier. We will of course be seeing the very first embarkation of UK JLF Lightnings aboard the ship with the double remit of further trials, albeit of an operational tactical nature rather than pure flight envelope and ship clearances as was the case with the ITF last year. So RN and RAF personnel from 617 Sqn will be going aboard, and within that no doubt some key people from both 207 and 17 (T&E) to assist and experience the whole evolution. We have not had it confirmed yet but we anticipate visits from the ITF aircraft used last year too to compete further ship operating clearance trials for future use within the UK MoD Military Aircraft (F35B) Release to Service for the UK JLF aircraft. Remember this document is the critical regulatory document that ensures "standard" sqn pilots can operate off the QE class within the limits approved from those ITF flight trials and is known as IOC (F35B Maritime). So the first flights on and off the QE by 617 Sqn will be a very significant milestone in itself. How many 617 Sqn aircraft will deploy is not public information (so far) but don't expect a full sqn deployment of 12 this time (this is not an operational deployment obviously) - maybe we can expect 6 or so at most - time will tell. Nonetheless if the ITF aircraft appear as expected too we can hope to see at least 6-9 F35B on a QE class deck for the first time along with the Merlin ASW and CHF variants. All part of working up the ship's crew too to safely and efficiently operate larger numbers of aircraft from the ship as they ready themselves for the even more demanding and larger air wing complements (including a USMC F35B sqn) to be embarked during 2020's operational training, testing and work up periods - on the QE and PoW.

Next year should also see the first embarkation (for trials) of the new Merlin Crow's Nest ASAC/AEW aircraft as it progresses to operational clearance in readiness for the 2020 UK CSG deployment lead by HMS QE.

So how's that then? More significant excitement and progress for the rest of 2019 and then soon rolling into the UK having 2 super carriers at sea for the first time together in 2020 - both continuing training and work up trials for themselves but also in achieving more major milestones in the overall UK CEPP Transition Plan - not least attainment of QE Class IOC by Dec 20. We will try as ever to bring you the news and the facts as quickly as possible as they happen.

Enjoy it all but especially the imminent WESTLANT19 and all it brings!!67488085_10156258064331481_7733388022913171456_o.jpg 67640745_10156258064561481_3411851367730380800_n.jpg
 

Air Force Brat

Brigadier
Super Moderator
Another good article from my colleague about CEPP, Carrier Enabled Power Projection:

UK CEPP TRANISITION PLAN PROGRESS - UPDATE 04 AUG 19

It's been a while since I posted an Admin summary of UK CEPP Transition plan recent events and comment on the near future. A great deal has happened in the first half of 2019 with a great deal more to come. I trust members regularly access the timetable for 2019 which we deliberately place as the top announcement on the group as it is intended to keep us all abreast of the key events of interest during the year. Of course its public domain information and things can change depending on background events in this complex programme.

Firstly, lets focus on the UK F35B Joint Lightning Force (JLF) which has been moving along rapidly in recent months. Key activities have included Exercise Lightning Dawn and 617 Sqns' first deployment overseas to Cyprus. Primarily intended to test deployment processes and logistics as well as provide additional pilot tactical training, it also morphed into several operational armed recce missions for Op SHADER and the counter-ISIS activities alongside the already in-theatre Typhoons. The very fact the Lightning was employable on such missions reflected both the maturity of operational readiness of 617 Sqn for such an early stage in the fielding of the UK F35B but also the availability attained over the 2 month period from the 6 deployed aircraft was outstanding (.80-90%) - exceeding anything achieved so far by our US allies and their many F35 units. While there is much still to be done at top level F35 industrial level to underpin optimum F35 support and logistics, this 617 Sqn success certainly provided reassurance in the short term that the imminent first deployment aboard HMS QE will be off to a solid start. Shortly after the UK's 18th F35B (ZM152) was delivered to Beaufort USMC base in S.Carolina in June, it and the other 5 remaining UK Lightnings based there were flown "home" to Marham in mid July under the guise of 207 Sqn - which officially reformed on 1 Aug 19 as the UK's Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) and which from early September 2019 will start all future UK based F35B conversion courses for both pilots and aircraft engineers within the radically rebuilt sqn and engineering and flight school facilities now commissioned at the UK JLF's home base at RAF Marham. There are now 15 aircraft based there operating as a pool for the time being for both 617 and 207 Sqns pending delivery of another 17 aircraft between 2020 and 2022 - the latter presaging the training and workup of the next UK Lightning sqn - 809NAS in late 2022/early 2023. More on 617 later in this update,

So what of the Prince of Wales (R09) - well again the news remains encouraging in so far as what is in the public domain. The ACA has been working hard to fit out this second of class RN super carrier. While the ship remains festooned with scaffolding and tentage and other contractor's equipment, a key signal that work is well advanced was the fitting of the new ship's badges on each side of the aft funnel/island in July. The precise date of the PoW's first sailing out of the Rosyth dockyard basin is of course not public information and understandably so given the intensity and amount of work being done to ready the ship for its first builder's sea trials. All we do know is that the target period remains the forthcoming Autumn - and hopefully this will be achieved. There will be some key indicators soon such as the RN crew moving on board a short while before the sailing - and we will of course post on that as soon as it happens. Given PoW is the 2nd in class it is to be hoped the trials length will reflect this and be shorter than those of HMS QE. The planned activities are certainly shorter so assuming all functions well then the move of the PoW to her new home base at Portsmouth alongside HMS QE at the PRJ is not that far away. The next few months will be critical in indicating if this will be sooner or later! The UK CEPP plan has the PoW commissioned by June 2020 but all being well it could happen much sooner than that. Availability of the PoW to not only do her own work up training for her crew but also assist in the overall UK CEPP strike air wing operational work up plan during 2020, especially as the QE heads for another short Capability Insertion Period (CIP) in 2020 prior to her first UK CSG operational UK CSG deployment in early 2021.

So how about HMS QE herself? At present she is alongside the PRJ Portsmouth being prepared for her 3-4 month deployment on WESTLANT19 to the US East coast for further F35 trials and training. It is understood the QE will have sailed by early September - maybe to return in December to see the PoW nearby too! Of course some inevitable wider speculation continues about what exactly happened in early July which caused the foreshortening (by a few days) of the QE's FOST and Apache trials. We understand the Apache trials were complete anyway as were all the key FOST activities. Indeed the officially announced cause of the problem, a burst high pressure sea water pipe and some compartment flooding will have itself been an excellent expose of the QE crew's emergency response in a difficult situation. The ship returned early to port under her own power - whatever you may have heard elsewhere - and of course these things do happen on any ship at any time. Better now than halfway across the Atlantic next month. There is no indication that any repairs required will delay the WESTLANT19 deployment.

WESTLANT19 therefore becomes the most significant activity within the UK CEPP Transition plan for the rest of 2019. Similar to last year’s US deployment it will involve F35B on deck, crew training and other important training for the other helicopter types deploying too. HMS Dragon a Type 45 AAW destroyer will be in escort too with integrated air defence training part of the plan including with the on board F35s. Defence Diplomacy activities as the UK and RN's future flagship shows the world how much closer we are to attaining operational capability with this fine carrier. We will of course be seeing the very first embarkation of UK JLF Lightnings aboard the ship with the double remit of further trials, albeit of an operational tactical nature rather than pure flight envelope and ship clearances as was the case with the ITF last year. So RN and RAF personnel from 617 Sqn will be going aboard, and within that no doubt some key people from both 207 and 17 (T&E) to assist and experience the whole evolution. We have not had it confirmed yet but we anticipate visits from the ITF aircraft used last year too to compete further ship operating clearance trials for future use within the UK MoD Military Aircraft (F35B) Release to Service for the UK JLF aircraft. Remember this document is the critical regulatory document that ensures "standard" sqn pilots can operate off the QE class within the limits approved from those ITF flight trials and is known as IOC (F35B Maritime). So the first flights on and off the QE by 617 Sqn will be a very significant milestone in itself. How many 617 Sqn aircraft will deploy is not public information (so far) but don't expect a full sqn deployment of 12 this time (this is not an operational deployment obviously) - maybe we can expect 6 or so at most - time will tell. Nonetheless if the ITF aircraft appear as expected too we can hope to see at least 6-9 F35B on a QE class deck for the first time along with the Merlin ASW and CHF variants. All part of working up the ship's crew too to safely and efficiently operate larger numbers of aircraft from the ship as they ready themselves for the even more demanding and larger air wing complements (including a USMC F35B sqn) to be embarked during 2020's operational training, testing and work up periods - on the QE and PoW.

Next year should also see the first embarkation (for trials) of the new Merlin Crow's Nest ASAC/AEW aircraft as it progresses to operational clearance in readiness for the 2020 UK CSG deployment lead by HMS QE.

So how's that then? More significant excitement and progress for the rest of 2019 and then soon rolling into the UK having 2 super carriers at sea for the first time together in 2020 - both continuing training and work up trials for themselves but also in achieving more major milestones in the overall UK CEPP Transition Plan - not least attainment of QE Class IOC by Dec 20. We will try as ever to bring you the news and the facts as quickly as possible as they happen.

Enjoy it all but especially the imminent WESTLANT19 and all it brings!!View attachment 53205 View attachment 53206

excellent Obi Wan, and thanks for sharing, an outstanding over view of Great Britain returning to the high seas as a potent carrier force!
 
now
US Carrier Sails into Disputed Waters amid New Flare-Ups with China
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A U.S. aircraft carrier sailed through the disputed South China Sea on Tuesday in the latest show of America's military might amid new territorial flare-ups involving China and three rival claimant states.

The U.S.
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flew a small group of Philippine generals, officials and journalists to the
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, where they watched fighter jets landing and taking off by catapult with thunderous blasts. The nuclear-powered carrier, carrying about 70 supersonic
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jets, spy planes and helicopters, was en route to Manila for a port visit.

Armed cruisers kept watch a few miles from the carrier.

"The motto of this carrier is peace through strength," Rear Adm. Karl Thomas told journalists.

He said the American military presence helps provide security and stability that foster diplomatic talks among rival claimant nations. He made the comment when asked what message the warship's presence was sending amid new tensions involving China and rival claimants Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines over long-contested territories.

"We just think that folks should follow the international law, and our presence allows us to provide that security and stability in the background for these discussions to take place," Thomas said.

China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have been locked in on-and-off territorial conflicts over the strategic waters, where the bulk of Asian and world commerce transits, for decades. Tensions rose to new highs when China transformed seven disputed reefs in the Spratly chain into islands and then installed a missile-defense system, runways and hangars.

Last month, Washington expressed concerns over China's "repeated provocative actions aimed at the offshore oil and gas development of other claimant states."

Vietnam has demanded that China remove a survey ship from Vanguard Bank, which it says lies within Vietnam's 200-mile exclusive economic zone. China has had a dispute with Malaysia over Luconia Shoal, and Manila protested after a Chinese fishing vessel hit a fishing boat with 22 Filipinos at Reed Bank and left as it sank at night in June. The Filipinos were rescued by a Vietnamese fishing vessel.

Greg Poling, director of the Washington-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, which tracks actions by rival states in the disputed waters, said China is using its artificial islands to bolster its vast claims and allow its navy, coast guard and militia vessels "to operate over every inch of the South China Sea in a way they never could before."

China's assertive actions will also undermine negotiations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on a so-called code of conduct to check aggressive actions in the disputed waters, according to Carl Thayer, another South China Sea expert.

The 10-nation ASEAN bloc includes four nations contesting China's territorial claims. Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed hope the proposed code may be concluded in three years.

"One must ask what will be left for ASEAN claimant states to negotiate if China continues to control access to fishing grounds and hydrocarbon exploration," Thayer said.
 
Jun 9, 2017
I'll show you something:

GAO: Navy carrier will be incomplete, cost more at delivery
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Published: November 21, 2014


2014, see? they saw the PR STUNT (the Ford delivery) coming three years ago! another PR STUNT will soon follow (the Ford commissioning)

instead of requesting the vendor to deliver the product (and not jokes like the Zumwalt now and the Ford now), the USN accepts and commissions obviously unfinished ships, and I of course wouldn't talk about anything minor, I talk about for example the aircraft carrier unable to launch aircraft for years!

so, going back to that old article:
"The Navy plans to meet the $12.9 billion cost cap for its new aircraft carrier by accepting the ship unfinished and spending more money afterward ..."
I'll wait and see what the FINAL cost is, if they after coupla more years realized some 'transformational technologies' were actually botched etc.
and
Propulsion Plant Work Complete on Aircraft Carrier Ford
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Newport News shipbuilders and sailors have fixed problems with the propulsion plant on the
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Gerald R. Ford, bringing the ship a step closer to returning to sea.

Work was completed July 22, ending more than a year of maintenance and repairs, according to a
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news release.

Propulsion system problems first were spotted during sea trials in January 2018. A manufacturing defect was deemed to be the cause.

In May, the crew dealt with another propulsion plant issue "associated with a design modification" and the ship returned to
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, the news release stated.

The ship returned to sea later in May. After successfully completing all required at-sea tests, the Navy and Newport News Shipbuilding determined how to correct the manufacturing defects during post-shakedown work at the shipyard.

The Ford entered the yard last year and remains there now.

The propulsion problems weren't with the nuclear reactors, but with other mechanical components. It took 400,000 employee hours of maintenance and production to complete the work, the Navy said.

Crew members who work in the Ford's reactor department are already shifting their focus to preventive maintenance, said Lt. Cmdr. Deron Spencer, the ship's reactor maintenance officer.

The first-in-class ship is packed with new technology, which has caused delays and cost overruns throughout its development and construction. Ford joined the fleet in 2017, but more work remains before it is ready for combat.

Navy leaders say they're making progress with two key systems: the catapults and arresting gear that allow aircraft to launch and land on the flight deck.

Work continues on the advanced weapons elevators, which transport ordnance up from the lower decks. The Navy has brought in a team of outside experts to get all 11 elevators working to its satisfaction.

However, the Ford will likely leave the yard later this year without achieving that goal.
what a game-changer!
 
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