Or just no point since you might as well not bother with Sylver if all you’ll put in it is CAMM?

Sounds about right, unless someone decides that FASGW(H) should be vls compatible. But I’m not sure that’s particularly practical, or even desirable.

Where does one wish to draw the line with semantics though?

The JMSDF call them ‘destroyers‘ not ‘aircraft carriers‘ true but helicopters are ‘aircraft‘ and they certainly carry helicopters so are ‘aircraft carriers‘.

Theoretically this could allow me to discuss OHPs as future light carriers (since they do an efficient job of taking two LAMPS to sea) but I won’t because that would be silly. Semantically correct or nay.

The JMSDF ‘Destroyers‘ are light aircraft carriers and would certainly make excellent launch and recovery platforms for UAVs. Which I SUSPECT is far more the plan than loading up with a few F35bs (although the fanpics do look wonderful and F35 lends itself to Japanese colours very well). This makes them very much in the running for a future light carrier. Admittedly not a Lindorm carrier.

I was using the generally accepted one that aircraft carriers are able to operate fixed wing aircraft 😉

It wouldn’t surprise me if they did operate fixed wing aircraft in the future at some stage, but I’d be pretty surprised if it was the F35b; the new larger class could probably operate it but the Hyuga’s look too small and would require too many modifications for a quite small airgroup.

I like the Japanese 17000 ton “destroyers”.

Not aircraft carriers though so they don’t belong in this thread.

Compared to STOVL? Harder to make like for like comparisons because of the few examples of STOVL aircraft and equivalents to compared against. But looking at the difficulties that F35B has had I would say that EMALS is cheaper in terms of capital and through-life

Looking at the difficulties the F35B has had it’s not really looking to be the ideal Harrier replacement after all, too expensive and overspec’ced as a direct replacement, to be honest there does look like there is a gap in the market for something a little more modest.

Charming join the program late, with a subsidised order and then get a choice manufacturing deal to recoup what ever they may actually spend !!!!. I bet some of the major partners are going to be less than impressed with that deal

I have to say I’m a little surprised by this move as well.

I’ve seen talk that it’s that QE will still be completed with it’s ski ramp, pointless much?

is it smoother than a steam cat? It looks like the acceleration is smoother initially….

I believe that is one of the main justifications for it, it produces a smoother aceleration which has less of an impact on airframe life, kinder on aircraft so will produce savings.

Compare the Royal Navy to other European countries with an economy of a similar or bigger size and you will see that the RN is oversized. And: ask yourself, if all these commitments are necessary or part of a policy, from which actually nobody benefits from (e.g. Iraq War).

What like France? That’s the only other country with a similar number of dependent overseas territories and it isn’t even an island like the UK.