If the CVA-01 project had not been cancelled, then a Navalised variant of Tornado would likely have been developed from the start as a replacement for the FAA’s Phantoms and Buccaneers as well as the RAF’s ones. Of course in this scenario, more Phantoms and Buccs would have been aquired in the first place as the RAF wouldn’t have the option of stealing the RNs ones, so the overall fleet of aircraft needing replacement would be larger as well. The CVAs were designed to operate 36 jets (18 Phantoms and 18 Buccs) plus four AEW and six ASW Helo (sound familiar? CVF!) so there would be a requirement for three air groups plus HQ/OCU sqn and attrition spares. So we are looking at a minimum buy of 80+ ADV(N) and 80+IDS(N). Had Tornado been designed from the outset for Naval operations, it would have been a better aircraft IMHO, as it would have been more rugged in construction as the Phantom and Buccaneer had been. On the other hand if you just fitted the Tornado avionics to the Phantom and Buccaneer airframes, you get a better aircraft then the Tornado anyway… and that’s the opinion of the pilots who flew them!

Apparently Typhoon was supposed to be the replacement for Phantom, with the Tornado F3 continuing in service. However with the end of the cold war, Phantom was retired and now we have typhoon replacing Tornado rather then Phantom.

Op Taurus ’09 OOB

Landing Platform Dock (LPD) HMS Bulwark
Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) HMS Ocean
Type 23 Frigate HMS Argyll

Type 23 Frigate HMS Somerset

Multi-role Survey Vessel HMS Echo
RFA Mounts Bay
RFA Lyme Bay
RFA Wave Ruler
40 Cdo Royal Marines
539 Assault Squadron Royal Marines
820 Naval Air Squadron
847 Naval Air Squadron
815 Naval Air Squadron
Fleet Diving Unit
Commando Helicopter Force

Plus
USS Mitcher
FNS Dupleix

Do I get the 10 Points?

The Belfast had four Tynes, & had 50% more take-off weight than a contemporary C-130. A Transall carries 80% of the cargo of a C-130 (admittedly, over a shorter range) on just two Tynes. Why not just buy more Belfasts, if a more powerful, heavier-lift transport was wanted?

I asked a similar question on the Nav Weps board a couple of months back.

Steam Catapults could be ordered either from the UK (though the company hasnt built them since the 60’s) or the US. It would probably be possible to buy the designs for the UK steam catapults or one of the older US steam catapults.

That said, the US Navy doesn’t operate Carriers, but Supercarriers…

Just nitpicking, OK ? :p

Really, what is the difference between a Carrier and a Super carrier? The USN Operates carriers, they are larger then other carriers but they are still carriers.

As for the America class, The Queen Elizabeth class are probably a better prospect, already being configurable into either STOVL or CATOBAR format.

What is the “ground pressure” of an F-4 though? Can the deck even handle that much weight? 😉

And now the question, will they move to the next battleship class? Aka. Nagato and Mutsu, or will they use an Aircraft Carrier name?