Royal Navy CVF COD Options

Look it has to be the Hawkeye now or what ever is happening by 2020. If the government cant scrap together £300 mill to kit out the POW with proper AEW the fact that it’s CTOL means that using anything else will be a complete waste of its capabilities and I hope to god that they realise this.

Well, if we’re now going to get CTOL carriers, what are our options for AEW & COD? Tankers are out unless we change the FSTA contract.

If we wanted to be cheapskates, we could probably get a load of S-3s, with plenty of airframe hours & a big stock of spares, for approximately zilch, & stick a decent radar on ’em. Little or no onboard control capacity, so just AEW rather than AEW&C, but they’d do at least what the old Gannets did, & a lot better.

Indeed on the viability. More AEW than COD I’d imagine and certainly more justification to put them in the carrier airwing than maintaining a single-role COD type like Greyhound!.

Wikipedia says COD and Tanker and don’t mention AEW. Makes more sence to me as the conversion to an AEW version may cost to much and may take to many years to complete (to develop, build, test, etc).
Or will they just put an Erieye on top of it and fly away. 🙂

Actually Jonsey, the Brazilian Navy has just bought up the last Grumman Traders from the US to convert to turboprop as per their trackers and then use them as AEW and COD aircraft foe San Paulo !

Interesting solution, not sure how viable it really is though 😀

COD and aerial tanker.

In August 2010, Brazilian Naval Aviation announced that it will buy and modernized eight C-1 to served in the carrier onboard delivery (COD) and aerial refueling roles for use on its aircraft carrier São Paulo
…
Embraer is also expected to receive a contract covering airframe overhaul and installation of updated avionics for six of the aircraft. Two will be modified to fit them for air refuelling duties for the navy’s McDonnell Douglas A-4KU/TA-4KU Skyhawks
…
The navy’s prime concern, however, remains finding airborne early warning assets for the aircraft carrier São Paulo. The navy intends imminently to inspect four stored Uruguayan navy Grumman S-2G Trackers, in the hope of obtaining the aircraft and again having Embraer fit them with TP331-14Gs.

Embraer has previously looked at the Eliradar HEW-784 and Thales Searchwater 2000AEW for development of a Tracker-based AEW platform. These aircraft would feature three mission stations, Link 11, ESM, plus new avionics and communications/navigation suites.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/08/23/346412/brazilian-navy-buys-traders.html

If really pushed in an emergency you could easily land an Islander on the CVF without arrester gear and possibly even a twin Otter as their landing speeds are so low. With 30 knots from the engines and a 20 mph headwind both should get off without drama as well assuming they can cope with the ramp (If fitted). :diablo:

However, being sensible I suspect a few more, extra long range tanks will probably get bought for the Chinooks or Merlins.

Problem sorted: the Hercules can do it!

http://www.theaviationzone.com/media/c130_forrestal_landing.mov

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/648493/c_130_hercules_on_an_aircraft_carrier/

Actually Jonsey, the Brazilian Navy has just bought up the last Grumman Traders from the US to convert to turboprop as per their trackers and then use them as AEW and COD aircraft foe San Paulo !

Interesting solution, not sure how viable it really is though 😀

Indeed on the viability. More AEW than COD I’d imagine and certainly more justification to put them in the carrier airwing than maintaining a single-role COD type like Greyhound!.

For the answer to this look at the number of Greyhounds in the Aeronavale inventory.

There is little value in operating a permanent COD unit when there is only ever going to be one carrier on deployment. Better to fly what you want to take out to carrier to the nearest facility the USN use for their C-2’s and pay for the courier service…if there is a madly urgent requirement.

Actually Jonsey, the Brazilian Navy has just bought up the last Grumman Traders from the US to convert to turboprop as per their trackers and then use them as AEW and COD aircraft foe San Paulo !

Interesting solution, not sure how viable it really is though 😀

With the possible introduction of both RN aircraft carriers and FAA/RAF JSF aircraft, does anyone know if the FAA will be issued with any COD aircraft? Perhaps the FAA might buy a few greyhounds?

For the answer to this look at the number of Greyhounds in the Aeronavale inventory.

There is little value in operating a permanent COD unit when there is only ever going to be one carrier on deployment. Better to fly what you want to take out to carrier to the nearest facility the USN use for their C-2’s and pay for the courier service…if there is a madly urgent requirement.

Otherwise JHF Chinooks and Jungly Merlins may well be regulars in the ‘purple’ airgroup and we have cordial relationships with states the world over. Getting the carrier to within Chinny range of an airstrip big enough to take an RAF Globemaster shouldn’t be horrendously awkward.

Current plans are to pack everything including the kitchen sink when deploying and hope that nothing is left behind that cannot be bought whilst away. How many pairs of shoes are aircrew allowed to take!

Without catapults and arrestor gear it would be rather difficult to operate Greyhounds from CVFs.

Maybe string-launched for one-way missions? 😀