We could launch bigger if it was required, I do think you are being overly pessimistic about the state of the armed forces. Yes things are tighter than they were, though I would point out that it was the previous TWO governments that have caused any rot, the biggest political assaults being Options for Change and Frontline First.

While I agree with what you’re saying to a certain extent, there were legitimate reasons for Options for Change and Frontline First due to the political climate at the time. I can’t say the same about sanctioning a Strategic Defence Review and then ignoring the results to save money.

In peace time CVF will probably deploy with no more then 12 F35 which is similar to the Invincible class. Enough to wave the flag, maintain currency and participate in exercises.

The RAF will provide the surge airframes and crew in the event of something going up. With modern flight simulators and the F35b’s automated benign landing characteristics should be fairly easy for the light blues to jump onto ship if required.

Lets face it the GR3 crews who operated off Hermes during the Falklands had barely any chance to work up for the task and nothing like the modern training aids.

It’s amazing how many people seem to overlook this, the fact that CVF’s airgroups will be tailored to the task in hand has been in the public domain for years now.

Returning to the thread, are there any plans to include armor plating on the CVF or do they remain dropped due to cost? At that size it’d be a shame if they didn’t use some of the space to ensure it didn’t sink with one AshM.

You can’t sink a warship that size with one AshM unless it’s got a nuclear warhead or it’s exceptionally badly designed.

Maybe a leap of faith, but ideally if funding is available all authorised scientific dreams, drawings and prototypes can be tested and refined and the one’s that aren’t viable discarded or re-designed.
Why not a Taranis variant doing exactly what the US X-45 and the X-47B are being tested for?
The Taranis so far is smaller and lighter and ideal for all three of the UK’s armed forces.

CVF is currently a STOVL platform, that’s one significant hurdle to overcome at least.

If this UCAV reaches full production there will be carrier variants for the Royal Navy (on the 2 proposed new Royal navy Aircraft Carriers) and the British Army could be interested too for advanced stealth reconnaisance, therefore it’s not the just the RAF but all British Armed forces that will have vested interests in this all British development succeeding

That’s quite a leap of faith there considering their is no indication this UCAV will ever reach production, and also none that any thought has been given in the design of it for operating off of CVF.

+1 for wanting to see the QE launch:cool:

IMMOO seaslug is a bit naff as a name. But no worse than other near contemporaries ‘Red Top’ what? Are we firing copies of the Scum at our enemies? Sparrow? Sparrow? Of all the birdies to name your AAM after

Seconded.

Also, does anyone know if the pay off dates on Navy Matters are still correct for the Type 22 and Type 23’s or have they been changed?

Type 22 Batch 3 frigates: HMS Cornwall (2015), HMS Cumberland (2017), HMS Campbeltown (2017), and HMS Chatham (2018).

No they are wrong, a couple of years ago the dates were all put back as all of them have been used more sparringley than intended.