JonS,

The 2 CVFs will be built as STOVL carriers which can be converted to CTOL carriers if necessary. If 1 CVF was converted to a CTOL carrier and the other kept STOVL, I’m pretty sure maintenance costs would be higher for the CTOL CVF. Catapults and arrestor gear require regular maintenance, ski jumps do not.

A CTOL CVF may have lower maintenance costs than a Invincible class, but this would be due to modern technology, better design and reliability improvements.

Terran,

I just wanted peoples opinion, if the Yak Freestyle was made as capable as a AV-8B+ with supersonic performance would it find a buyer?

thats why i was questioning over because IN isnt going for ctol, gorshkov and ads will be stobar. As for VTOL, RN experience showed cost saving from VTOL carrier is quite minimal in long term and wont necasarrily mean more carrier.

I changed VTOL to V/STOVL because VTOL is a inefficent way to operate, STOVL is better.

Wheres the info for the claims about the RNs V/STOVL experience?

Also it all depends on how capable Yak aircraft you are mentioning is, as i mentioned 41 wasnt in anyway better than mig-29. Unless its something very capable its rather unlikely IN would spend $$ on new platform.

I was suggesting that Yak could have developed a V/STOVL fighter with performance superior to the Sea Harrier and capabilities similar to a Mig-29.

I have another question, each time that I see a carrier on TV ( during wars and peace time ) I always see the carrier escorted by destroyers, attack frigates, subs. Could a carrier ( lets say a Nimitz class carrier ) operate on its own, taking out enemy surface vessels or subs ( without the use of AGM-88 Harpoon armed F-18s etc. ?

It could if it had to, but the escorts are there to make it harder to attack the carrier, with no escort a carrier is alot easier to attack.

MarocMirage, HMS Ocean has the following according to http://frn.beedall.com/ocean.htm

Guns: 2 GAM-B01 single 20mm mountings; 3 Vulcan Phalanx Mk15.
Countermeasures: Decoys: Outfit DLJ(2); 8 Sea Gnat 6-barrelled 130 mm/102 mm launchers. DLH offboard decoys.
ESM: Racal-Thorn EMI UAT; intercept.
ECM: Racal-Thorn Type 675(2); jammer.
Combat data systems: Ferranti ADAWS 2000 Mod 1; Links 11, 14 and JTIDS 16;. Matra Marconi SCOT 1D SATCOM; Merlin Computer Link.
Radars: Air/surface search: Plessey Type 996(I); 3D; E/F-band.
Surface search/aircraft control: 2 Kelvin Hughes Type 1007; I-band.
IFF: 1010/1011.

When you think about it, the French attitude to aircraft carriers is a good one, it just hasn’t turn out as hoped.