HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH

n five years’ time, if everything goes according Ito plan, the ’s first dedicated for decades should be sailing out of Portsmouth Naval Base ready for action, loaded with Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II short take-off/vertical landing jets and AgustaWestland Merlin HM2 helicopters. Getting HMS Queen Elizabeth and its sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales to the point where they are almost complete in Rosyth dockyard, has taken almost two decades of work and, crucially, political manoeuvring. Simply building the ships has cost more than £6 billion and, not surprisingly, the two carriers will be at the heart of British defence planning for the foreseeable future. Within months another aircraft carrier, in the Mediterranean literally overnight. Carrier Pedigree HMS Furious, was under construction and in The potency of British naval airpower The Navy has more than 103 years’ experience 1917 Squadron Commander Edwin Harris was demonstrated again six months later, in operating aircraft from ships, dating back Dunning made the first landing on the ship, as when Swordfish launched from the second to May 9, 1912, when Commander Charles it was under way in off . carrier to bear the name HMS Ark Royal Rumney Samson became the first airman to In the 1920s and 1930s the Royal Navy found and crippled the mighty German take off from a moving warship. His Short S.38 experimented with larger and better carriers, Bismarck in the North Atlantic. lifted off from the battleship HMS Hibernia also developing aircraft and weapons to fly from The golden age of British aircraft carriers in as it steamed at 15kts (28km/h) during the them. It was a period of naval warfare transition the 1950s and 1960s saw the Navy fielding Royal Fleet Review at Weymouth, England. between the dominance of the battleship and jet fighters, airborne early warning aircraft Just over two years later, the Navy launched the rise of the aircraft carrier. Revolutionary and anti-submarine helicopters from their the first ever warship dedicated to operating thinkers in navies around the world could see decks. During the period the Royal Navy aircraft. Named HMS Ark Royal, it had been the potential of the carrier and embarked air introduced the angled , allowing lain down as a merchant ship, but midway wing, but their ideas had yet to be tried in battle. simultaneous launch and recovery of jet aircraft. through its construction the Admiralty acquired This changed on November 11, 1940 when Admiralty ambitions to build a it, fitting a flat deck and cranes so seaplanes HMS Illustrious launched a strike force of Fairey 63,000-ton supercarrier, CVA 01, could be launched and recovered. Swordfish torpedo bombers to attack the main in the 1960s were scuppered port of the Italian fleet at Taranto. The daring by defence cuts and the strike took the Italians by surprise and, within service instead set in minutes, half the fleet was at the bottom of the train plans to build harbour. Only two Swordfish were lost, the the three new attack changing the balance of naval power Invincible- Below: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R 08) at Rosyth dockyard, Scotland, following her naming ceremony on July 4, 2015. The F-35B on the ski-jump is a full-scale mock-up brought in for the occassion. MOD Crown Copyright/CPOA(Phot) Thomas Tam McDonald

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The Royal Navy’s new carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth is on track for completion next year. Tim Ripley RULING THE reports. WAVES AGAIN... class through-deck (aircraft carriers 2007, with first metal cut at Rosyth and several Carrier Capability in all but name). These 22,000-ton carriers other shipyards around Britain. Escalating costs HMS Queen Elizabeth is now 70% complete, became inextricably linked with the 1982 and technical problems delayed the work and in with power systems up and running and radar Falklands War and iconic Sea Harrier the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review turning. The Royal Navy is deciding how the fighter, HMS Invincible and Illustrious both (SDSR) the Navy had to sacrifice its ship and its air wing will be utilised. The crew is deploying south to join combat. last operational carrier, HMS Ark already aboard preparing for In the 1990s, the Royal Navy began Royal, to help find the money to sea trials next August and the working up designs for what became the sustain the new carrier programme. ship is planned to ‘undock’ in Queen Elizabeth-class and in the 1998 April 2017, before handover Strategic Defence Review the government a month later. HMS Prince of of Prime Minister Tony Blair gave the Wales is scheduled to enter formal go-ahead for research and service in 2020. development to begin. Almost a decade passed before the design was finalised and contracts were eventually placed in

‘the two carriers will be at the heart of British defence planning for the foreseeable future.’

www.airforcesdaily.com #333 DECEMBER 2015 37 HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH ‘With both carriers in service one will always be ready to conduct operations with at least a squadron of F-35Bs embarked.’

Rear Admiral Keith Blount, Assistant Chief of an air offensive using the F-35B’s ‘day-one’ waters against a lightly armed opponent, Naval Staff (Aviation, Amphibious Capability stealth capability to knock down enemy air insurgents or pirates, or within a humanitarian and Carriers), is the senior reporting officer for defences, with Raytheon BGM-109 Tomahawk mission. It combines a Royal Marines landing the carrier programme and responsible for Land Attack Missile strikes from Astute-class force with a full spectrum of helicopter support, the ships’ entry into service. He told a briefing nuclear submarines or surface ships. including Chinook HC4/5/6 and Merlin HC4 at the 2015 Defence & Security Equipment The carrier strike force mix could be ‘plug- transports to lift troops and their supplies International event that carriers were: “Not and-play’, said RAdm Blount, including US ashore. The offensive element includes just naval assets but capabilities that can be Marine Corps F-35Bs operating from the new capabilities to find and strike land and used to support army and air force operations. carriers; the Crowsnest airborne early warning sea targets, with Apache AH1 attack, Britain still has a global foreign policy and we system, fitted to Merlin maritime helicopters, Wildcat AH1 scout and Merlin HM2 are free to move the carriers where we want”. will be an integral part of the capability. maritime surveillance helicopters. In September 2014, Prime Minister David Meanwhile, Merlin HM2s would create an Cameron marked a key decision in the carrier anti-submarine screen and perform surface High Gear Preparation programme when he committed the Navy to surveillance around the maritime task group. With the months counting down to HMS Queen standing up a “Continuous carrier capability”. Next, the rear admiral discussed the Elizabeth sailing out of Rosyth, RAdm Blount The government had previously been unclear Expeditionary Strike concept, involving the and his colleagues are moving preparations whether HMS Prince of Wales would enter embarkation of a squadron of F-35Bs and into high gear, ready to accept the vessel service, leaving the Royal Navy taking ‘carrier Royal Marine Commandos, with transport into service in 2017. The project will gain strike capability holidays’ when HMS Queen helicopters to take the troops ashore. This momentum, since a series of critical milestones Elizabeth had to go into dock for refit or repair. force mix is intended to place a landing party have to be passed in quick succession for a With both carriers in service one will always ashore in the face of a determined enemy, credible front line capability to be fielded. be ready to conduct operations with at the F-35Bs providing close air support. If a The Military Aviation Authority will be heavily least a squadron of F-35Bs embarked. The suitable airstrip were secured, the F-35Bs involved, ensuring the ship and its embarked other ship could then be in refit, carrying could disembark and continue to support aircraft can perform safely under operational out work-up training or employed as a the amphibious assault as it moves inland. conditions. Gaining release to service for aircraft commando carrier for the Royal Marines, Littoral Manoeuvre is the third operational flying from HMS Queen Elizabeth is an essential with transport helicopters embarked. concept, envisaged as a mission in coastal ‘tick in the box’ and an extensive flight-test The Royal Navy is making plans for a readiness cycle to synchronise this activity from the end of the decade, managing availability and ensuring fixed-wing and helicopter squadrons are ready to operate from the vessels. According to Rear Admiral Blount, the carriers will always sail within a maritime task group including warships and support vessels. This protects them and makes them self-sustaining far out to sea, without support from land-based assets. This is the classic embodiment of aircraft carriers, as mobile sovereign airfields that can be moved around the world unencumbered by the need to remain within range of land-based aircraft. He added: “The carriers will change the way the Royal Navy operates.” The Navy is working on three main concepts of carrier operations to give future the UK a wide range of strategic options. They will be conducted nationally or in coalition operations. The first core mission, Carrier Strike is a classic power projection mission to launch offensive air operations against opponents with modern integrated air defence networks. This could combine air attacks in the opening hours of

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Left: The second UK F-35B Lightning II, ZM136, takes off from Eglin AFB, Florida, on May 20, 2013. A squadron of the type will be the primary air asset on the two new Royal Navy carriers, along with Merlin HM2 anti-submarine warfare helicopters. MOD Crown Copyright Right: An Army Air Corps Apache AH1 from 664 Squadron and a Royal Air Force Chinook practicing deck landings on board the carrier HMS Illustrious (R 06) on July 19, 2011. Both types will be deployed on board the new Queen Elizabeth class carriers to support littoral operations, providing strike and transport capabilities, respectively. MOD Crown Copyright/POA(Phot) Ray Jones programme is at the core of the process. Integrated Task Force has already carried ordnance drops and onboard maintenance. The release to service process not only tests out the initial stage of these tests at Naval Air This is considered the critical test of the aircraft and ship systems, but sets training Station Patuxent River, Maryland, including carrier programme and will pave the way for standards for air crews and flight deck live take-offs from a ski jump built at the edge the declaration of Initial Operating Capability personnel. In the long period since the Navy of the airfield’s runway. US Navy carriers do (Sea) in 2020, when at least nine F-35Bs will be operated fixed-wing aircraft from a carrier, it has not have ski jumps and the UK is funding and available to embark on HMS Queen Elizabeth. sent dozens of personnel to serve on US and conducting this part of the programme itself. Full operating capability is targeted for 2022, French carriers, avoiding skill fade by ensuring There has been considerable controversy when the Crowsnest system will be in use and they return with experience to keep the Navy over whether the first F-35B to land on HMS the second UK F-35B unit, 809 Naval afm ahead during the release to service process. Queen Elizabeth will be a British aircraft flown Air Squadron, will be fully established. Once HMS Queen Elizabeth’s crew has by a British pilot. The MOD has recognised mastered sailing the ship, it will begin to work the symbolic significance of the moment and with all the main UK helicopter types. This a UK aircraft will undoubtedly line up to fly this Carrier Future will happen in UK waters and will include test symbolic mission, with a ‘Brit’ at the controls. The successful delivery of the carrier and arrival deck landings and take-offs, plus stowage The later phases of F-35B integration trials, of its air wing will end a decade-long ‘capability and maintenance, before moving to complex however, will be fully multinational, with US holiday’ caused by the retirement of HMS Ark mixed-type helicopter operations on deck. Marine Corps aircraft and pilots playing a full Royal in 2011. It is clear Rear Admiral Blount This is considered the most straightforward role since the UK’s first operational F-35B unit, and his Royal Navy colleagues are proud of their e orts to build HMS and bring it element of the entry to service process, a key the RAF’s 617 Squadron, will not be fully up and Queen Elizabeth into service. The pioneers of carrier aviation 100 rationale for completing this first stage. running. Once the famous ‘Dambusters’ have years ago would be awestruck simply by the scale During 2018 the process will move towards fully converted to the F-35B during 2018 and of HMS Queen Elizabeth’s deck – it is the largest fixed-wing operations and Royal Navy officers achieved Initial Operating Capability (Land) at warship ever to enter service with the Royal Navy see this as the real test of the validity of the RAF Marham, Norfolk, the unit will prepare for and will transform UK air operations in a wide release to service process. In mid-2018, full operational trials in HMS Queen Elizabeth. spectrum of missions. “UK carrier strike HMS Queen Elizabeth is to set sail across the This phase of the carrier’s entry to service capability is coming soon,” said RAdm Blount. Atlantic to conduct F-35B integration trials will take place in UK waters during 2019; it “We have stu to do to really get it right.” off the US east coast. The joint US/UK F-35B will involve mass take-offs and landings, live

Above: The observer's panel on a Fleet Air Arm Merlin HM2 anti-submarine helicopter. The Merlins will operate as an ASW asset from the new carriers and also provide surface surveillance around the maritime task group. MOD Crown Copyright/Andrew Linnett Left: An impression of HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales berthed in the shadow of the Royal Navy's legendary HMS Victory at Portsmouth Dockyard. Middle Slip Jetty and Victory Jetty will be improved as part of a £100 million investment in the base and harbour for the new carriers. MOD Crown Copyright

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