HMS Queen Elizabeth class CVFs (updates)

[ADebroux]

The Science Channel tonight will air an episode of Impossible Engineering dedicated to the CV HMS Queen Elizabeth at 9pm and again at 11pm.

[Haijun watcher]

Resurrected this thread for a notable update: I will continue to change the thread name as the ship nears commissioning date.

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.

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[Haijun watcher]

Popular Mechanics

Britain's First New Aircraft Carrier in Decades Is Almost Ready

The two flat tops of the Queen Elizabeth class will carry the Joint Strike Fighter.
by Kyle Mizokami
Oct 31, 2016


The United Kingdom's first aircraft carrier in more than 30 years is just months from sea trials. HMS Queen Elizabeth will get the Royal Navy back into the naval aviation game after a brief absence.

Queen Elizabeth is expected to be fully operational by 2020, with her sister ship Prince of Wales following in 2023. The two ships will give the United Kingdom a powerful capability to fight at sea and attack targets under water and on the ground.

The U.K. lost its carrier aircraft capability with the retirement of the Harrier jump jet fighters in 2010 and the scrapping of its HMS Invincible-class carriers. While this was a blow to the country's ability to project power from the sea, Britain hopes two much larger carriers and a complement of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to go with them will be worth the wait.

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[Haijun watcher]

A belated update for this thread: at least they're putting the logistics chain in place before the first CVF enters service.

Defense News

A Year Late, UK Receives First Carrier-Support Ship
By: Andrew Chuter, January 17, 2017
LONDON - The first of four British military tankers being built in South Korea to support operation of the Royal Navy�s new aircraft carrier force has finally been handed over to the Ministry of Defence, twelve months later than expected.

�Royal Fleet Auxiliary Tidespring was accepted off contract earlier this month and is due to arrive in the UK in 2017 for customisation and capability assessment trials before entering service,� an MoD spokesman confirmed to Defense News Jan 17.

RFA Tidespring should have been accepted off contract last January but has been delayed while technical issues have been resolved by the builders, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME).

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[Haijun watcher]

Just one squadron of F35Bs:

UK Defence Journal

IOC for carrier strike �will consist of one carrier, one squadron of Lightnings and Crowsnest�
By
George Allison -
March 3, 2017

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:

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[Haijun watcher]

UK Defence Journal

HMS Queen Elizabeth to sail for trials later this month, estimated date discovered
By
George Allison -
June 5, 2017

The date that HMS Queen Elizabeth will depart Rosyth for the first time on trials has been discovered.

Coinciding with the tides and the booking of various tugs, it�s estimated that HMS Queen Elizabeth will sail between the 21st and 24th of this month. This has not been confirmed by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance.

According to a source at Rosyth, the rumour mill supports this:

�Obviously most of us don�t know the exact time as that�ll depend on a multitude of factors but as far as I�m aware from what I�ve been told, Queen Elizabeth will sail in around two weeks.�

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[Haijun watcher]

UK Defence Journal

HMS Queen Elizabeth expected to sail Monday
By
George Allison -
June 22, 2017


According to a member of the ships company we spoke to, HMS Queen Elizabeth is likely to sail on Monday.

We had originally believed that the vessel was to sail on Sunday but new information has come to light.

This has not been confirmed officially by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance and readers intending to see the ship should note that the bridges over the Forth will be closed to the public as the vessel departs.

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[Admiral John Byng]

Maybe they should sell her to the Chinese so she can be turned into an amusement park?

[Haijun watcher]

Maybe they should sell her to the Chinese so she can be turned into an amusement park?

Didn't a Hong Kong tycoon consider doing something similar to HMS Invincible before she was scrapped?

Speaking of Hong Kong, I really should make the time one day to visit the ex-Soviet carrier Minsk museum berthed in neighbouring Shenzhen only about an hour or so away by high-speed rail during the next time I visit Hong Kong.

[Admiral John Byng]

That would be worth seeing! Someone posted some great pics of her in the CASF thread a while ago.

[Neptune]

Didn't a Hong Kong tycoon consider doing something similar to HMS Invincible before she was scrapped

Probably, but that's also the way the Varyag deal was done. Like anybody ever believed she'd be turned into a casino...

[Haijun watcher]

Didn't a Hong Kong tycoon consider doing something similar to HMS Invincible before she was scrapped

Probably, but that's also the way the Varyag deal was done. Like anybody ever believed she'd be turned into a casino...

In case you missed it, I placed an embedded article link behind the phrase "consider doing something similar" in my original post above that shows that the tycoon did consider turning the retired Invincible into a floating school.

[Haijun watcher]

Foxtrot Alpha

The Carrier That's Supposed To Revitalize The British Navy Is Finally Going Out To Sea
Terrell Jermaine Starr
Today 1:23pmFiled to: HMS Queen Elizabeth

After years of delays and cost overruns, the British Royal Navy�s HMS Queen Elizabeth is set to begin a series of critical sea trails that will help determine if the billions of pounds it took to build her were really worth it.

The vessel, built along with her sister ship HMS Prince of Wales, has been billed in British media as one of the most expensive military projects in the nation�s history, so there is a lot riding on its performance during its initial tests.


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[MartinL]

Taken today on first day of trials from HMS Sutherland.

[navydavesof]

Wow. That's awesome!

[Admiral John Byng]

Thanks for that pic Martin. There was a bit about her sailing on the BBC news and then nothing. No actual footage of her leaving Rosyth or anything!

I had to look at the Telegraph's page (yuk!) to get any footage. They refer to her as "Britain's biggest and most powerful warship", right on the first part but not on the second. Until she gets aircraft she has nothing to fight with.

[SumGui]

Taken today on first day of trials from HMS Sutherland.

Nice shot, and even from one of the ships I served onboard.

[Admiral John Byng]

not even correct on the 2nd part with aircraft as the Vanguard class ballistic subs are the most powerful warships.

Not very useful though.

[Timmy C]

Lots of fantastic imagery on the MoD's Imagery website: http://www.defenceimagery.mod.uk/fotoweb/

Some gems including this:

[Admiral John Byng]

Nice! Thanks Timmy.
Those two islands take a bit of getting used to. I want to say "look behind you!" to the front one.