But that is as of today. I am taking about post entry into service, in ten years time. From a commercial perspective, MBDA will make sure meteor and brimstone get in there, plus there is the spear 3 project to consider . Having seen the uk F35 in the air, it makes the whole thing a little more exciting.

As to tornado replacement, I think its mainly a UCAV designed in part to keep british industry at the cutting edge and with no consideration for carrier operations.

I’ve seen Brimstone cited as internal carriage, but having seen videos of launch I’m not sure how it would work.

I’ve also seen 2 x Spear capability 3 mocked up in F35 internal bay, but it was an A (I believe Liger posted the picture or at least a link), not a B and I can’t see 2 being carried internal in the B.

Unfortunately it looks like we’ll be going for the cheap short term solution that the labour party came up with; cheap aircraft carriers and more expensive but less good jets, and the dogs breakfast that is joint force harrier 2 (hopefully it will work this time).

Depending on how you want to read the past experiences, the Joint Force experience did not work that well at all.

Yes, Joint force Harrier, JCA (although formally Future Carrier Borne Aircraft) and Carrier strike were all centre pieces of the 98 SDR. The 98 SDR happened 14 years ago and most of it has been shredded since then.

Joint force Harrier only ever really looked like a cost saving measure and the RAF have been all to eager to offer it up for the axe.

Agree about short termism and not being willing to pony up with the money, been like it for decades. Short termism is probably one of the greatest contributing factor to the demise of British manufacturing as well, it appears to be a cultural thing, but that’s way off topic…….

On a personal note I have seen a few threads accross mutiple forums ruined by a handful of rabid argentine posters, on this thread the argentine poster has been extremely civil (in the face of some quite aggressive provocation). Can we all please post with civility and a measure of respect.

quite.

Its not up to the islanders to determine, the land has a soul in itself. And that belongs to Argentina. The world opinion is in Argentina’s favour as well.

What utter nonsense.

So just who is manning Illustrious & Ocean?

As you apparently haven’t read the specs, CVF requires the same ship crew as an Invincible… so when Illustrious decommissioned her crew will trot on over to the “about ready to start builder’s trials” QE, and when PoW is ready for trials QE’s crew will switch there and Ocean’s crew will move to QE.

Forgot that they are to replace Ocean as well as Illustrious, didn’t you?

Illustrious and Ocean don’t have the same crew though, Ocean’s is only 285.

Also isn’t the plan to remove one of these in the near future? I’m sure I remember something in the SDSR about a decision will be made which to remove from service, while the remainder stays until CVF is ready.

I guess the low(er) cost options would be either conformal tanks and/or an improved version of Storm Shadow, over a “large wing” Typhoon.

There are rumours of a split buy floating around of F-35B and F-35C (which up to now I discounted due to the cost issues of running two different types) but you do have to wonder if the RAF are pushing a split buy with a mix of FAA/RAF squadrons operating a moderate number of F-35B’s and then F-35C as Tornado replacement as way of the RAF getting their cake and eating it – marginalise the FAA, minimise the amount of time RAF pilots need to be on the carrier and preserve the RAF’s ability to provide deep strike.

Does tick all the right boxes for ridiculousness of an MOD decision, RAf getting the carrier varient of the JSF and the Navy getting fobbed off with the less capable version to save a few quid in up front costs.

I would have thought it almost convenient to have established EMP shielding, cable runs and a pre-existing deck opening to expand on to prepare the waist position for the ‘new’ EMCAT installation to be honest.

That only works though if the stuff you’re taking out is a similar size to the stuff you’re putting back, EMP shielding is sufficient for the replacement, cables are in the right place etc, none of us know if that is the case, but I think it prodent to expect EMALS to take up more space (width as well as length) then EMKIT.