Geoff_BThey have configured the Searchwater/Cerberus solution to work off a rail fitted ahead of the cabin door on an ASW Merlin rather than use the ramp.
The radar would then be raised for landing and lowered for use.
Personally i would hope that when they make the choice they either reuse the HM.1 airframes that are not converted, or possibly order some new HC4airframes to bring the Commando Helicopter force up to strength and allow for additional dedicated AEW units.
Geoff_BAnyway back on topic again aka QEC constuction, belive it or not this week has been quite interesting regarding the construction of the ship. 😮
At Portsmouth the fwd Island has been moved in the construction shed ready for completion & shipping leaving the construction and assembly halls space to press ahead with Prince of Wales blocks.
At Rosyth the LB02 arrived on its barge and has been floated off and is now alongside in the basin. CB02 units arrived from Cammell Lairds and have been off loaded onto the dockside. Super block 03 was briefly afloat mid week when they flooded the dry dock, i would guess to allow the ballast to be revised as its somewhat bigger and top heavy since it was floated in last week.
Indications are (weather permitting) that SB03 will be floated out this weekend and LB 02 floated in to be followed by SB03.
Once that happenes we should see construction start to make real progress as they assemble and join blocks 02 & 01 to 03 to creat the front half of the ship :D. By the end of November LB04 should arrive from the Clyde so we can then see the full ship start to take shape during 2013.
G
Geoff_BCurrently its wishful thinking, yes the options are there to have two carriers in service aka one in full service the other in refit/reserve with a minimal crew, however like many of the decisions this is defered to the 2015 SDSR which is where many of the outstanding issues will be decided depending on the global situation & the economy.
Geoff_BAh well just to quibble one thing there 19K11, as an American you should know that the USMC is a separate branch of the US armed forces and not part of the US Navy. They do deploy from the sea and use USN amphib assault ships but they are not part of the Navy as you seem to think.
Now if we were talking about the Royal Marine Commandos then you would be correct as they are part of the Royal Navy.
Not quite right, its under the Navy Department, and they hold the purse strings.
Geoff_BWhilst the govt have cancelled the US CEC system, its quite possible that our local suppliers may have propossed a similiar system optimised for the our Hardware and software as part of the Type 26 evolution, before we get too carried away about another lost capability.
Only a possibility but i wouldn’t put it past them to have the govt specify the US system and then have the manufacturers turn round and say they can do it better and cheaper as they know their own systems.
Of course its a current cost cutting measure, but its too early to say yet if it will be a lost capability or just a delayed one.
Anyway back on topic, we have CB02 due to dock today and its sounds like the ACA will be floating off LB02 this weekend with an eye to floating out Super Block 03 and redocking blocks 2 & 3 in the correct order so assembly can comence 😀
Geoff_Bhttp://http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_05_31_2012_p0-463344.xml
Looks like the Anglo-French UCAV deal could soon be on the rocks
Geoff_BIs there any news on the important issue of MBDA SPEAR 3 capability and if it will be integrated with UK F35-B?
I think thats too early to tell, the weapons program has funding but i suspect it wont be lined up on the F-35B untill the 2015 SDSR or more likely the 2020 SDSR as the F-35 development and testing team will be pretty busy till the end of the decade getting the aircaft into service and the existing weapon requirements.
To be honest despite the switch back to F-35B which looks more to be driven by PR12 costings and F-35C delays i rather doubt we are going to hear much on the Uk F-35 procurement apart from when the first 3 aircraft do something of note and when we order our fist batch of production aircraft. Most of the interesting news will be earmarked for the SDSR 2015 and beyond, when our total requirement is decided, and when the aircrafts cost and capabilities will be better known.
Geoff_BLooking at the CGI on the BAE Systems site, it has the SRVL aiming to land in the middle of the flight deck between the two islands rather than the stern where there would be much more movement in the ship from wave motion. Much as the VL landing does except its making use of the runway to line up its landing and has the room to roll to a stop.
Geoff_BI was at an RAES Lecture at BAE Warton where the subject was the QEC program from the ACA program manager on Wednesday evening (yeap with the news breaking about the switch it was rather topical – and no he didn’t have confirmation then either !)
The switch back to Stovl was brought up (Obviously), they will configure the rear deck for SRVL and that program was ongoing even during the switch to the C, the approach radar will switch from the Invincibles version to the US one as the aircraft too stealthy on approach, the flight deck paint is a serious side effect from the B so much so they are looking to new materials to find something that can cope to protect the steel decks.
It was a very interesting talk, the capabilities and the build of the ships is quite outstounding, just a pity the JCA side of the program doesn’t live up to the same standards.
Speaking of aircraft, the at sea trials for CVF would occur in the US using the test aircraft initially, and then our own aircraft stationed over there before they came back to the UK
Geoff_BI would also add only for a few seconds as well, the second it hits deck the pilot will chop thrust.
The whole blow torching thing has been blown out of all proportion and I think got into the public psyche due to an unfortunately ill-informed talking heads sketch on Bremner, Bird and Fortune. Then Carlo Kopp and his fan chorus latched onto the issue keeping it nice and alive.
The sketch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6h8i8wrajAThe truth, F35B landing on an aircraft carrier…no holes in the deck, no crewman blown over the side by Hurricane force winds!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu-egOq-dZ8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu7ZUVXs6Ec&feature=related
Actually your wrong on that point it is an ongoing issue with the F-35B carrier intergration, not as extreme as some would make out but nor is it a non-entity the fan boys try to discredit.
The thermal jet wash is quite severe and has so far damaged every form of flight deck paint in the inventory. The ACA are working with USN & F-35 program to develop new more resistant surfaces better able to withstand the effects.
They are also concerned about the effect on the flight deck crew who would be in the catwalks when an aircraft vectored in to do a VL.
Geoff_BJonsey
CAP the B with the shorter range and endurance will require more aircraft than the C to maintain coverage.
Strike the B carries less of a load, fine if its muppet in a pick up truck, not so clever if its an armoured formation or hardened target as you will need the heavier firepower so thus a doubling up to get the bigger bang
Servicability, were talking about permament STOVL ops from a carrier, you can’t do like the USMC have been doing and running in CTOL mode when the STOVL gear is barred due to an identified defect. On a carrier if those 13 doors, 17 servos, the lift fan, lift clutch, drive shaft have a break, wearout, get damaged or a manufacturing defect those aircraft are grounded till repaired. Its simple the B is a more complex aircraft with alot more mission critical hardware/software to go wrong above and beyond the servicability issues of the standard aircraft.
Geoff_BWe’ll have to await on the official announcement in the Commons today, thats the ionly point it becomes official. As to two carriers we’ll have to wait and see whats said as they have not planned and manned for two carriers so we could only ever operate 1 at present regardless of configuration. Add to that they are holdong off on the actual F-35 numbers till 2015, with the F-35B we actually need the ful 135 aircraft to achieve our intended goals and be capable of being able to field both Carriers as Aircraft Carriers ifs its 72 or less then we would only be able to operate the 1 carrier.
We’ll also have to see what the plan is for the Naval Strike Wing, it was 12 F-35C permamently assigned, but you can’t do the same with 12 F-35B so they would need an increase to cover for the shortfall in capability and the increased maintenance and possible down time of aircraft (the extra moving parts on the STOVL system will take more wear & tear and unlike land based units that can fly in CTOL mode only, the Ship based units must have the STOVL hardware/software in full working order or its grounded untill its repaired.
Geoff_BLooks like Rosyth could be getting rather busy these next few months.
http://www.aircraftcarrieralliance.co.uk/en/media/image-library/2012.aspx
The two parts of lower block 05 arrived but won’t be fitted until next year, the upper and lower sections of super block 01 are in situ but will have to await on the arrival of lower block 02 from Portsmouth due next month along with the upper block 02 sections from Cammel Llaird.
Then all they have to do is position them in the right order and position in dock and join them all together, hopefully by the end of the year lower block 04 will be joined to the front half of the ship and we start to see CVF HMS Queen Elizabeth look like a proper carrier coming together during 2013 :).
Maybe this week we will discover if they will be funding the CATOBAR conversion of Prince of Wales or if they will need to cancel the contract amendment and re-include the Ski-jump for Queen Elizabeth.
The good news on the PR12 front is that they are cancelling that annual exercise so no repeat performance every year so big ticket items like this are managed seperately.
Geoff_BYeap last i saw was the contract adjustment to remove the the Ski jump ramp from the original contract in the MOD procurement in-house mag. Not seen anything to say that contract had been cancelled.
Geoff_BI see Australia are deferring ordering their first batch of 12 aircraft by a couple of years.
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/australia-to-push-back-f-35-decision-by-two-years-371402/
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