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New RN CVFs/ Queen Elizabeth class carriers taking shape (updates)

S.M.A. said:
A belated update since the "100 days" countdown actually started last March 26th:

Royal Navy official site


Plus a picture courtesy of the UK Daily Mail:
CVFQE100days.jpg

Looks like the same crane they just built for Seaspan
 
But--will in time be familiar for RCN, CCG:

Aircraft carriers given 'red' warning in Government audit
The Government admits that two aircraft carriers currently being built are at risk of delay and could go over budget
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/10852389/Aircraft-carriers-given-red-warning-in-Government-audit.html

Mark
Ottawa
 
The time for the official launching ceremony approaches...

Defense News

Queen To Officially Name UK's Newest Aircraft Carrier
Jul. 3, 2014 - 02:14PM  |  By ANDREW CHUTER

LONDON — Britain is set to launch its first new aircraft carrier in more than 30 years when the queen officially names the warship Queen Elizabeth at a July 4 ceremony at Rosyth dockyard, Scotland.

Technically it’s not a launch but a flood up of the dock where the 65,000-ton warship has been assembled from modules built by maritime construction companies from around Britain.

Queen Elizabeth is the first of two carriers being built for the Royal Navy in a program targeted to cost £6.2 billion (US $10.5 billion), having started at £3.8 billion.

When the first warship becomes fully operational in 2020, it will restore a Royal Navy carrier strike capability axed in the Conservative-led coalition government’s 2010 strategic defense and security review (SDSR).

(...EDITED)
 
An update with carrier porn...  ;D

Queen names new Royal Navy aircraft carrier in Rosyth

The carrier has still to be fitted out and floated, to make way for the assembly of its sister ship HMS Prince of Wales.

Assembly of HMS Prince of Wales is set to begin at Rosyth later this year.

Work on the two carriers is expected to cost £6.2bn.

More than 10,000 people in more than 100 companies have worked on its construction.

(...EDITED)
[BBC News] - 4 July 2014
1927919_739748076066942_7147152242371506126_n.jpg

This photo was taken by Moray Alexander Horn. — with Moray Alexander Horn.
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10289807_739978502710566_4692489165013931676_n.jpg

This photo was taken by Moray Alexander Horn.
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10425144_740409852667431_8004686718824312142_n.jpg

Pictures: PO(Phot) Ray Jones, HMS Illustrious
source: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carrier FB Page

F4TqMRT.jpg
 
More on the 1st CVF's launching ceremony on the previous page:

Defense News

Queen smashes whisky, gives her name to Britain's biggest warship
Jul. 4, 2014 - 02:00PM  |  By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II smashed a bottle of whisky against Britain's biggest warship on Friday as she gave her name to the new aircraft carrier at a ceremony in Scotland.

The 65,000-tonne HMS Queen Elizabeth is one of two carriers being built at a cost of £6.2 billion ($10.6 billion, 7.8 billion euros) to overhaul Britain's naval capabilities.

But the pomp of the ceremony at Rosyth Dockyard came despite serious doubts about the carrier, which will not be able to operate its US-built jets until 2020.

The 88-year-old monarch, attending the naming ceremony with her husband Prince Philip, said Britain's future flagship "marks a new phase in our naval history".

"Wherever this ship may serve, whatever tasks may be asked of her, let all those who serve on her know that on this day she was blessed with the prayers of us all for her success and her safe return to calm waters," she said.

"I name this ship Queen Elizabeth. May God bless her and all who sail in her."

(...EDITED)
 
Good. The future HMS Prince of Wales will not be sold.

However, isn't 3 of a type the optimal number to always keep at least a warship on station? (one on station, one on overhaul, one on workups?)

Belfast Telegraph

Aircraft carrier won't be sold off

The Royal Navy's second new aircraft carrier, the Prince of Wales, is to be brought into service, rather than sold off or mothballed, Prime Minister David Cameron has announced.

(...EDITED)

Mr Cameron said at a press conference at the conclusion of the two-day Nato summit in south Wales: "This will ensure that we will always have one carrier available, 100% of the time.

(...EDITED)
 
Only a matter of time before the first aircraft land on her...

HMS Queen Elizabeth begins tracking aircraft as she flashes up her radar
26 August 2015

Navy News (UK)

The crew of HMS Queen Elizabeth flashed up the new carrier’s ‘invisible eyes’ as part of ongoing preparations to ready the leviathan for sea next year.
The S1850M long range radar – the same as those fitted to Type 45 destroyers – is now compiling the air picture of traffic over the central belt of Scotland and beyond.

20150826ax-1.jpg


The Long Range Radar can be seen atop the forward island during Queen Elizabeth's move in the basin at Rosyth

< Edited >
 
Slowly, but surely, the ship is turned over to her crew:

Navy Recognition

First Compartments of HMS Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier Handed Over to Royal Navy Crew

The Aircrft Carrier Alliance has successfully signed over the first compartments of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH to her crew, over a year ahead of when the ship is due to be delivered to the Royal Navy. The six large compartments are the first sections of the ship the crew has taken ownership of and marks an important step towards delivering the nation's flagship.

(...SNIPPED)
 
An update on the CVFs' air complements:

Defense News
Merlin Helicopters To Fly From Queen Elizabeth in March 2017
Tom Kington, Defense News 12:55 p.m. EDT July 12, 2016

The Royal Navy’s Merlin helicopters are to start flying from the decks of the UK’s new aircraft carrier by March 2017, a senior official said at the Farnborough air show Tuesday.

The Queen Elizabeth is due to start sea trials next year before its first deployment in 2021, followed by its sister ship, the Prince of Wales.


The Merlins will start “low risk, simple” flights from the Queen Elizabeth next March, followed by first-class flight trials in early 2018, said Captain Kieran O’Brien, the Merlin team leader for the British Ministry of Defence's Defence Equipment and Support procurement arm.

(...SNIPPED)
 
Huh?! A precursor to making the CVFs oversize LHAs without well decks?

Defense News

British Naval Commander Wants US Marine Aviation on Aircraft Carrier
By: Andrew Chuter, September 29, 2016

ROSYTH, Scotland — The commander of HMS Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s new aircraft carrier, would like to see US Marine Corps F-35Bs and V-22s embark for up to nine months at a time once the warship becomes operational.

“We’ll certainly see some footprint aboard the ship. The big question is do they deploy with us much longer term in the future, maybe for six, seven, eight, nine months from when we deploy. That’s what I would love to see,” Capt. Jerry Kyd said.

Confirmation that the Royal Navy’s 70,000-ton aircraft carrier force would embark US Marine Corps (USMC) F-35Bs came during a meeting between UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon and his US counterpart, Ash Carter, in London at the start of September.

Fallon said that eventually British aircraft could be deployed on US aircraft carriers.

(...SNIPPED)
 
S.M.A. said:
Huh?! A precursor to making the CVFs oversize LHAs without well decks?

Defense News


The big question is do they deploy with us much longer term in the future, maybe for six, seven, eight, nine months


I would say that it will all depend on who is cooking and how good that cooking is.    [:D
 
S.M.A. said:
Huh?! A precursor to making the CVFs oversize LHAs without well decks?

Defense News

They are floating islands.  Mobile versions of Diego Garcia.

What is based on them is at the discretion of the Crown.  It could be any combination of capabilities.

 
Excerpts from UK Defence Journal.

BTW UK gov officially dumped the 'no east of Suez' doctrine about six weeks ago.


British supercarrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to deploy to the Pacific


December 28, 2016


It has emerged that the UK plans to sail HMS Queen Elizabeth to the Pacific in 2021 amid concerns regarding freedom of navigation in the region.

HMS Queen Elizabeth will sail to the Pacific on her maiden deployment in 2021 according to an ambassador.

Sir Kim Darroch, Britain’s ambassador to the US said at a think-tank event in Washington:

“As we bring our two new aircraft carriers on-stream in 2020, and as we renew and update our defence forces, they will be seen in the Pacific.

And we absolutely share the objective of this US administration, and the next one, to protect freedom of navigation and to keep sea routes and air routes open.”

Currently in the final stages of completion, HMS Queen Elizabeth is due to go sea for contractor trials in March. She’ll return to the Forth once those are done for a final period of fitting out and testing.

In addition to the joint force of Royal Air Force and Royal Navy F-35Bs and their pilots, the air wing is expected to be composed of a ‘Maritime Force Protection’ package of nine anti-submarine Merlin HM2 and four or five Merlin for airborne early warning; alternatively a ‘Littoral Manoeuvre’ package could include a mix of RAF Chinooks, Army Apaches, Merlin HC4 and Wildcat HM2. We understand that vessel would still carry at least one F-35 flight aboard in such circumstances to offer air defence as well as support to the helicopter assault activities.

The Crowsnest AEW&C aircraft will come from a number of the embarked Merlins (any of which can be fitted with the sensor package), the number being determined by requirements.

We understand that the composition of the CVW is a balance between ship capacity and squadron availability. Squadrons assigned or ‘programmed’ to sail on deployment will mostly in the case of the aircraft carrier be unique to it, for example the airborne early warning helicopters that have no other purpose but to serve the carrier force.

In addition, we have also been told that we will shortly see decisions like this for the F-35B and maybe a utility helicopter (or tilt-rotor in future) type.

The vessels are capable of deploying a variety of aircraft in large numbers, up to a maximum in the upper fifties in surge conditions.

The expectation that the vessels will sail with around 24 F-35Bs is, according to an insider source we spoke to, because “It is not that they can’t do land based operations, just that there is a need to get the return on investment for the well found forward deployed bases that these aircraft carriers that form the centre of the CSG are” and that “the capacity of the F-35B force in the near years in particular is very limited and it is unwise to do other deployments”.

The impression is that they’re going all out to get as many on the deck as possible and that the earlier figure of 12 was “RAF ambition to maintain flexibility to conduct land based operations” and not the policy position that is developing.

The Queen Elizabeth class mark a change from expressing carrier power in terms of number of aircraft carried, to the number of sortie’s that can be generated from the deck. The class are not the largest class of carrier in the world but they are most likely the smallest and least expensive carrier the Royal Navy could build which still have the advantages that large carriers offer.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is due to start sea trials in March, followed by sister ship HMS Prince of Wales in the coming years.


Whole article via link, here  -  https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/british-supercarrier-hms-queen-elizabeth-deploy-pacific/?utm_source=TW&utm_medium=Twitter&utm_campaign=social
 
One does love five-year plans ;)--wonder if any USMC F-35Bs might also be aboard.
 
Yes.

The final UK-USA paperwork was signed by both SECDEFs a few weeks ago.
 
OTR1: Good--squadron of 12 Fleet Air Arm/RAF F-35Bs alone would be pretty thin gruel.  Story on agreement:

US Marine Corps to fly F-35s from HMS Queen Lizzie as UK won't have enough jets
It's OK, the Yanks let us play with their ships ... well, we hope

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has confirmed that the US Marine Corps will be flying F-35Bs from HMS Queen Elizabeth on the aircraft's carrier's maiden operational deployment.

He said: “I can welcome the commitment of the United States to deploying F-35s on the first operational deployment of Queen Elizabeth – the HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2021. And in the fullness of time, we expect our F-35s to be welcome on the American carriers.”

Fallon confirmed the deployment while giving a joint press conference on Wednesday at London's Lancaster House with US Defence Secretary Ash Carter.

"We value very much having such a partner in the United Kingdom because that's a commitment the United States shares as well, one that both of our countries, in fact, has stood for together and stood for together 75 years ago this month," said Secretary Carter, "when President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill issued the Atlantic Charter."..

The Ministry of Defence would not comment on the size of the USMC contingent, or how many aircraft would deploy aboard QE, though it could confirm that a mixture of Royal Air Force and Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm aircraft and personnel would be deployed alongside the US Marines aboard the British carrier.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is capable of carrying up to 36 F-35s, though current plans are for the air wing to comprise just 12 of the fast jets...

Deck landing trials aboard QE with the F-35B are pencilled in for 2018, with the RAF F-35B unit, 617 Squadron, scheduled to reach initial operating capability by the year 2019. Alongside 617 Sqn will be 809 Naval Air Squadron, providing the Fleet Air Arm's contribution to the UK F-35 fleet. The RAF will also operate the F-35 Operational Conversion Unit.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/09/usmc_will_fly_f35s_on_hms_queen_elizabeth_first_op_deployment/

Mark
Ottaa
 
As the Daily Mail call her, "Big Lizzie" has slipped to sea on her maiden voyage.  Fair winds, my Queen.  :salute:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4640214/HMS-Queen-Elizabeth-maiden-voyage.html
 
Such a beautiful Ship. Even the racks are pretty glorious by standards I've seen on a lot of ships.
 
The CO suite is pretty far aft, no running to the bridge from there, I suppose it's his admin office and used by him when in harbour?
 
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