Aircraft Carriers
- Thread starter bd popeye
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Next to the US, the French have the most capability and experiences (at the current time) with full deck carrier operations and are quite capable of launching strong carrier strike packages.
Their problem is that they only have the one carrier and therefore, there will be large portions of time when the De Gaulle has to go into the yards for maintenance and refit when they will have no carrier available. They are building another carrier because of this very reason...but with two, there will be many time when they have no more than one available, and if there is a mis-hap, which there will inevitably be, they will have no carriers available.
I believe a nation that is serious about having at least one carrier available at all times for any type of serious continuing operations must build a minimum of three carriers. Then, if war comes along where their naval aviation is threatened, they better have built at least five of them.
This was the reason why three Invincibles were built and the only reason for ordering just two CVFs is cost cutting. If the project had been for three hulls from day one the cost would have been too much for the politicians but two was just about acceptable. Since the British ships were planned from the start to operate STOVL aircraft they would not be the only ships in the fleet able to operate them, just the primary platforms. As has been posted before, both HMS Ocean and RFA Argus can oerate STOVL aircraft and would be used to 'fill the gap' if one or both of the CVFs was temporarily unavailable due to refits, accident repairs or other unforseen circumstances. This makes only two CVFs just about acceptable but if they are changed to CTOL operation then the margin evaporates and a third hull becomes essential. Personally I would like to see this scenario happen, three CTOL CVFs in RN colours restoring Britains position as premier European Navy, and fully able to cross deck with the USN once more.
Jeff sez;
Correct. One CV is not enough. Not at all. To keep any ship operational it needs maintance and major and minor re-fits.
We USN types can bragg that the USN has 11 operational CV's, But in fact the most available at any time may be no more than 7.
Look at the status of the USN CV's right now.
CV-63 Operationally ready(OR) Foward deployed
CVN-65 OR
CV-67 In comission but not certified to operate fixed wing aircraft.
CVN-68 OR In training cycle
CVN-69 OR Deployed
CVN-70 Refueling Complex Overhaul(3.5 year re-fit)
CVN-71 OR
CVN-72 In minor re-fit
CVN-73 In major re-fit prior to transfer to Japan in 2008
CVN-74 OR In training cycle
CVN-75 Finishing minor re-fit
CVN-76 OR
Right now the USN has 5 CV's ready to deploy immediatley. The other two in the training cycle could deploy in about as little as two weeks.
Correct. One CV is not enough. Not at all. To keep any ship operational it needs maintance and major and minor re-fits.
We USN types can bragg that the USN has 11 operational CV's, But in fact the most available at any time may be no more than 7.
Look at the status of the USN CV's right now.
CV-63 Operationally ready(OR) Foward deployed
CVN-65 OR
CV-67 In comission but not certified to operate fixed wing aircraft.
CVN-68 OR In training cycle
CVN-69 OR Deployed
CVN-70 Refueling Complex Overhaul(3.5 year re-fit)
CVN-71 OR
CVN-72 In minor re-fit
CVN-73 In major re-fit prior to transfer to Japan in 2008
CVN-74 OR In training cycle
CVN-75 Finishing minor re-fit
CVN-76 OR
Right now the USN has 5 CV's ready to deploy immediatley. The other two in the training cycle could deploy in about as little as two weeks.
I do not believe the Argus could adequately fill in if there was any significant combat need, but the Ocean is a different matter. I do not believe it would take too terribly much to have her operate very effectively in the STOVL role.
Many here in the US would love to see the same thing.
If Argus and Ocean were operated together then collectively they could fill in for a CVF temporarily, with Ocean operating up to 20 F-35Bs and Argus operating Helos in support (ASW, AEW and SAR). It would be a stopgap measure, but the RN has a long history of making do with limited resources and surprising everyone. Argus could provide extra 'parking space' for additional F-35Bs which could rotate to Ocean for operations. All conjecture of course, and by the time the CVFs are in service the replacements for Ocean and Argus should be in hand. Hopefully they will be even more suited to JSF ops.
"DDH" is really a misnomer on these ships. It's an LPH in my view. A little larger than the old USN Iwo Jima class LPH. It seems to be great improvement over the LPH-2 class also. 13,500 ton displacement? That's the light load. The full load dispacement will be 20,500.
Two screws instead of one.
30 knot top speed instead of 23.
Stablizers for improved sea-worthyness
They are equipped with a sonar and ASROC anti-submarine missiles, along with the MK 15 Phalanx CIWS (Close In Weapon System) and 16 MK 41 VLS (Vertical Launch System).
Not sure where that Mk-41 VLS will be placed. Any ideas??? Perhaps on a sponson?
Aircraft?...Humm..most everything I read says 3 SH-60's and one Merlin 101. We all know it will be able to carry many more aircraft than that. Any guesses? ..Of course I do not know the demensions of the hangar. That would greatly influence the size of the air wing.
I just looked at some schemtics and it appears to me that there are two aircraft elevators(lifts). One foward and one aft. That denotes to me a large hangar....but that is a guess on my part.
Two screws instead of one.
30 knot top speed instead of 23.
Stablizers for improved sea-worthyness
They are equipped with a sonar and ASROC anti-submarine missiles, along with the MK 15 Phalanx CIWS (Close In Weapon System) and 16 MK 41 VLS (Vertical Launch System).
Not sure where that Mk-41 VLS will be placed. Any ideas??? Perhaps on a sponson?
Aircraft?...Humm..most everything I read says 3 SH-60's and one Merlin 101. We all know it will be able to carry many more aircraft than that. Any guesses? ..Of course I do not know the demensions of the hangar. That would greatly influence the size of the air wing.
I just looked at some schemtics and it appears to me that there are two aircraft elevators(lifts). One foward and one aft. That denotes to me a large hangar....but that is a guess on my part.
popeye,
If you look at the pic, it should be right in front of the island. I think the VLS will house the ESSM. I know they are retrofitting those on their other non-Aegis destroyers.
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