Artistic depiction of the Queen Elizabeth-class CATOBAR design |
|
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier |
| Builders: | BAE Systems Surface Ships Thales Group Babcock Marine |
| Operators: | Royal Navy |
| Preceded by: | Invincible class |
| In service: | 2016 (HMS Queen Elizabeth) 2018 ( HMS Prince of Wales) |
| Building: | 2 |
| Planned: | 2 |
| Completed: | 0 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Aircraft carrier |
| Displacement: | 65,000 t (64,000 long tons) |
| Length: | 280 m (920 ft) |
| Beam: | 39 m (128 ft) (waterline) 70 m (230 ft) overall |
| Draught: | 11 m (36 ft) |
| Decks: | 16,000 m2 (170,000 sq ft) |
| Speed: | +25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) |
| Range: | 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) |
| Complement: | 679 ships crew 1,600 with air element |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
|
| Armament: |
|
| Aircraft carried: |
Tailored air group of up to 40 aircraft:
|
| Aviation facilities: |
|
The Queen Elizabeth-class supercarriers (formerly the CV Future or CVF project) are a class of two aircraft carriers being built for the Royal Navy. HMS Queen Elizabeth is expected to enter service in 2016 and HMS Prince of Wales in 2018.
The contract for the vessels was announced on 25 July 2007 by then Secretary of State for Defence Des Browne, ending several years of delay over cost issues and British naval shipbuilding restructuring; the cost was initially estimated to be £3.9 billion. The contracts were officially signed one year later on 3 July 2008 after the creation of BVT Surface Fleet through the merger of BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions and VT Group's VT Shipbuilding which was a requirement of the UK Government.
Originally planned as Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) carriers deploying the Lockheed Martin F-35B. However in 2010, the British government decided to purchase the carrier version, the F-35C instead. Present plans are for Prince of Wales to be built to a Catapult Assisted Take Off Barrier Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) configuration. As of December 2011, it was not certain if Queen Elizabeth would be converted to the same design. The vessels will displace about 65,000 metric tons (64,000 long tons), be 280 metres (920 ft) long and have a tailored air group of up to forty aircraft. They will thus be by far the largest warships ever to be constructed for the Royal Navy.
Contents |
In May 1997, the newly elected Labour government launched the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) which re-evaluated every weapon system (active or in procurement) with the exception of the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines. The report, published in July 1998 identified that aircraft carriers offered the following:[1]
The report concluded: "the emphasis is now on increased offensive air power, and an ability to operate the largest possible range of aircraft in the widest possible range of roles. When the current carrier force reaches the end of its planned life, we plan to replace it with two larger vessels. Work will now begin to refine our requirements but present thinking suggests that they might be of the order of 30,000–40,000 tonnes and capable of deploying up to fifty aircraft, including helicopters."[1]
The vessels, described as "supercarriers" in the media,[2] will displace approximately 65,000 t (64,000 long tons) each, over three times the displacement of the current Invincible class. They will be the largest warships ever built in the United Kingdom (UK) and the most capable aircraft carriers outside of the United States Navy.[3] The last large carriers proposed for the Royal Navy, the nuclear powered CVA-01 programme, had been cancelled by the Labour government in 1966.[4]
Giving evidence to the House of Commons Defence Committee, the then First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Alan West explained that the sortie rate and interoperability with the United States Navy was a factor in deciding of the size of the carriers and the composition of the carrier's air-wing:
The reason that we have arrived at what we have arrived at is because to do the initial strike package, that deep strike package, we have done really quite detailed calculations and we have come out with the figure of 36 joint strike fighters, and that is what has driven the size of it, and that is to be able to deliver the weight of effort that you need for these operations that we are planning in the future. That is the thing that has made us arrive at that size of deck and that size of ship, to enable that to happen. I think it is something like 75 sorties per day over the five-day period or something like that as well.[5]
I have talked with the CNO (Chief of Naval Operations) in America. He is very keen for us to get these because he sees us slotting in with his carrier groups. For example, in Afghanistan last year they had to call on the French to bail them out with their carrier. He really wants us to have these, but he wants us to have same sort of clout as one of their carriers, which is this figure at 36. He would find that very useful, and really we would mix and match with that.[6]
On 25 January 1999, six companies were invited to tender for the assessment phase of the project – Boeing, British Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Marconi Electronic Systems, Raytheon and Thomson-CSF.[7] On 23 November 1999, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) awarded detailed assessment studies to two consortia, one led by BAe (renamed BAE Systems on 30 November 1999) and one led by Thomson-CSF (renamed Thales Group in 2000). The brief required up to six designs from each consortium with air-groups of thirty to forty Future Joint Combat Aircraft (FJCA). The contracts were split into phases; the first £5.9 million phase was for design assessment which would form part of the aircraft selection, while the second £23.5 million phase involved "risk reduction on the preferred carrier design option."[8]
On 17 January 2001, the UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States Department of Defense (DoD) for full participation in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme, confirming the JSF as the FJCA.[9] This gave the UK input into aircraft design and the choice between the Lockheed Martin X-35 and Boeing X-32. On 26 October 2001, the DoD announced that Lockheed Martin had won the JSF contract.[10]
On 30 September 2002, the MoD announced that the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force would operate the STOVL F-35B variant. Also announced was that the carriers would take the form of large, conventional carriers, initially adapted for STOVL operations. The carriers, expected to remain in service for fifty years, were designed for but not with catapults and arrestor wires. The carriers were thus planned to be "future proof", allowing them to operate a generation of CATOBAR aircraft beyond the F-35. Four months later on 30 January 2003, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon announced that the Thales Group design had won the competition but that BAE Systems would operate as prime contractor.[11]
The contract for the vessels was announced on 25 July 2007 by then Secretary of State for Defence Des Browne, ending several years of delay over cost issues and British naval shipbuilding restructuring;[12] the cost was initially estimated to be £3.9 billion.[13] The contracts were officially signed one year later on 3 July 2008 after the creation of BVT Surface Fleet through the merger of BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions and VT Group's VT Shipbuilding which was a requirement of the UK Government.[14]
Then in August 2009, speculation mounted that the UK would drop the F-35B for the F-35C model, which would mean the carriers being built to operate conventional take off and landing aircraft using the US-designed Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) catapults.[15][16]
On 19 October 2010, the government announced the results of its Strategic Defence and Security Review. Only one carrier is certain to be commissioned; the fate of the other is undecided. The second ship of the class may be placed in "extended readiness" to provide a continuous single carrier strike capability when the other is in refit or to provide the option to regenerate more quickly a two carrier strike ability. Alternatively the second ship may be sold with "cooperation with a close ally to provide continuous carrier-strike capability".[17]
It was also announced that the operational carrier will have catapult and arrestor gear (CATOBAR) installed to accommodate the carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter rather than the short-take off and vertical-landing version.[18][19] Present plans are to have six F-35C operating from the active carrier by 2020, rising to twelve aircraft by 2023.[20]
The ships' company is 679 rising to 1,600 with air element added.[21] At full displacement they weigh 65,000 metric tons (64,000 long tons), have an overall length of 280 metres (920 ft), a width at deck level of 70 metres (230 ft), a height of 56 metres (184 ft), a draught of 11 metres (36 ft) and a range of 10,000 nautical miles (12,000 mi; 19,000 km).[22] With a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h), power is supplied by two Rolls-Royce Marine Trent MT30 36 MW (48,000 hp) gas turbine generator units and four Wärtsilä diesel generator sets (two 9 MW (12,000 hp) and two 11 MW (15,000 hp) sets).[23] The Trents and diesels are the largest ever supplied to the Royal Navy, and together they feed the low-voltage system that supplies the two tandem electric propulsion motors that drive the twin shafts, fixed-pitch propellers.[24]
On the flight deck, the equivalent in size of three football pitches, are two small islands instead of a traditional large single island. The forward island is for controlling the ship's functions, while the aft island is for flying control.[24] Under the flight deck are a further nine decks.[25] The hanger deck measures 155 by 33.5 metres (509 by 109.9 ft) with a height of 6.7 to 10 metres (22 to 33 ft), large enough to accommodate up to twenty fixed and rotary wing aircraft.[24] To transfer aircraft from the hangar to the flight deck, the ships have two large lifts, each of which are capable of lifting two F-35 sized aircraft from the hangar to the flight deck in sixty seconds.[23] The ships' only self defence are the Phalanx CIWS for airborne threats, with miniguns and 30 mm cannons to counter seaborne threats.[23]
The ship's radars will be the BAE Systems S1850M, the same as fitted to the Type 45 destroyers, for long range wide area search, and the BAE Systems Artisan 3D maritime medium-range radar and a navigation radar.[26] BAE claims the S1850M has a fully automatic detection and track initiation that can track up to 1,000 air targets at a range of around 400 kilometres (250 mi).[27] While the Artisan has the "ability to track a target the size of a snooker ball over 20 kilometres (12 mi) away". The Artisan system will also be fitted to Type 23 frigates, the assault ships HMS Albion, HMS Bulwark and HMS Ocean.[28] They will also be fitted with the Ultra Electronics Series 2500 Electro Optical System (EOS) and Glide Path Camera (GPC) [29]
Munitions and ammunition handling is accomplished using a highly mechanised weapons handling system (HMWHS). This is a first naval application of a common land based warehouse system. The HMWHS moves palletised munitions from the magazines and weapon preparation areas, along track ways and via several lifts, forward and aft or port and starboard. The tracks can carry a pallet to magazines, the hangar, weapons preparation area, and the flight deck. In a change from normal procedures the magazines are unmanned, and the movement of pallets is controlled from a central location, and manpower is only required when munitions are being initially stored or prepared for use. This system speeds up delivery, and reduces the size of the crew by automation.[30]
Crew facilities will include a cinema, physical fitness areas, four galleys manned by sixty-seven catering staff. There are four large dining areas, the largest with the capacity to serve 960 meals in one hour. There is also an eight bed medical facility, for the eleven medical staff, which includes an operating theatre and a dental surgery.[21]
The vessels are expected to be capable of carrying forty aircraft, a maximum of thirty-six F-35s and four helicopters.[31] Instead of all naval aircraft, depending on the mission a mixture of aircraft could be carried, including up to twelve Royal Air Force Chinook and eight British Army Apache helicopters.[17]
With the retirement of the Harrier GR7/9 in 2010, there are no carrier-capable fixed-wing aircraft available in the Royal Navy or Royal Air Force.[32] Their expected replacement is the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.[33]
The ships were originally intended to carry the STOVL version, the F-35B. However, on 19 October 2010, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that the UK would change their order to the F-35C carrier variant and that the ships would be modified to use a CATOBAR system to allow for the launch and recovery of these aircraft. The cheaper F-35C variant has a greater range and can carry a larger and more diverse payload than the F-35B.[19] The aircraft will be flown by pilots from the Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Air Force.[34]
The AgustaWestland AW101, or Merlin, is a medium-sized multi-role helicopter. Two versions are in production. A utility version, that can carry up to thirty-eight troops or sixteen stretcher patients. The other version is a dedicated anti-submarine warfare helicopter, with a dipping sonar and sonar-buoys, and a complete electronic warfare suite.[35]
Both versions use a common airframe, with three Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 engines, but their range and endurance can be extended by using only a two engine cruise option, to over 750 nautical miles (1,390 km; 860 mi). However, range can be extended further when five underfloor fuel tanks are supplemented with auxiliary fuel tanks fitted in the cabin. Armament depends on mission, but includes anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, three door mounted machine guns, multi-purpose rocket, cannon pods, air to air missiles and air to surface missiles.[35]
An improved version of the Westland Lynx military helicopter, the AgustaWestland Lynx Wildcat, scheduled to enter service with the Royal Navy in 2015.[36] The Wildcat can be equipped with several mission sensors, which can include: radar, active dipping sonar, electro-optical imaging, electronic surveillance measures and an integrated self defence suite. The maritime version can be armed with air to surface missiles, torpedoes, depth charges, air to ground rockets, cannons and heavy machine guns.[37]
The need for a new airborne early warning and control (AEW) platform was identified at an early stage and was an integral part of the next-generation aircraft carrier, and the future carrier-borne aircraft plans.[38] The programme became known as the "Future Organic Airborne Early Warning" (FOAEW), and contracts were placed with BAE / Northrop Grumman and Thales in April 2001.[39] In April 2002, BAE and Northrop Grumman received a follow-on study contract for Phase II of the project, by then renamed Maritime Airborne Surveillance and Control (MASC).[40]
In September 2005, the MASC assessment phase for an AEW aircraft to succeed the Sea King ASaC7 helicopter began. By May 2006, three study contracts were awarded for MASC platform and mission systems options. To Lockheed Martin UK for an Merlin helicopter fitted with AEW mission systems, AgustaWestland who plans to maintain the present Sea King ASaC7 to 2017 and Thales UK to upgrade the Sea King's mission systems.[24]
However, it has been suggested that the when the Sea Kings are retired, and with the change to a CATOBAR configuration, the MASC role could be undertaken by the V-22 Osprey or the E-2 Hawkeye, which have a greater speed and range and a more-powerful radar than a helicopter-based system.[41] As the Hawkeye is the naval AEW system used by the United States and France, it would provide a common platform and enable cross-deck interoperability between the three navies.[42]
During a speech on 21 July 2004, Geoff Hoon announced a one-year delay to allow contractual and cost issues to be resolved. The building of the carriers was confirmed in December 2005. The building is being undertaken by four companies across seven shipyards, with final block integration and assembly at Rosyth:
In preparation for the construction phase of the project, long-lead items were ordered in autumn 2007, including key parts of the main and emergency propulsion systems for the new aircraft carriers from Wärtsilä.[43] On 4 March 2008, contracts for the supply of 80,000 tonnes of steel were awarded to Corus Group,[24] with an estimated value of £65 million. Other contracts included £3 million for fibre optic cable, over £1 million for reverse osmosis equipment to provide over 500 tonnes of fresh water daily, and £4 million for aviation fuel systems.[44] On 3 April 2008 a contract for the manufacture of aircraft lifts (worth £13m) was awarded to MacTaggart Scott of Loanhead, Scotland.[45]
In mid May 2008, the Treasury announced that it would be making available further funds on top of the regular defence budget, reportedly allowing the construction of the carriers to begin.[46] This was followed, on 20 May 2008, by the government giving the "green light" for construction of Queen Elizabeth class, stating that it was ready to sign the contracts for full production once the creation of the planned shipbuilding joint venture between BAE Systems and the VT Group had taken place.[47] This joint venture, BVT Surface Fleet, became operational on On 1 July 2008.[48] VT Group later sold its share to BAE Systems which renamed the unit BAE Systems Surface Ships. It will undertake approximately forty per cent of the project workload.[24]
On 1 September 2008, the MoD announced a £51 million package of important equipment contracts; £34 million for the highly mechanised weapons handling system for the two ships, £8 million for supply of uptake and down-take systems for both ships, £5 million for air traffic control software, £3 million for supply of pumps and associated systems engineering, and £1 million for emergency diesel generators.[49] On 6 October 2008, it was announced that contracts had been placed for "the carriers' Rolls-Royce gas turbines, generators, motors, power distribution equipment, platform management systems, propellers, shafts, steering gear, rudders and stabilisers".[50]
The construction of the two carriers is involving more than 10,000 people from ninety British companies, only 7,000 of them are employed in the six shipyards building the ships sections.[51]
The first steel cut for the project, in July 2009, signalled the start of construction of Lower Block 3 at BAE Systems Clyde, where production of Lower Block 4 started in January 2010.[52] Meanwhile, construction of the bow Lower Block 1 was carried out at Appledore, North Devon, and were completed in March 2010.[53] When the four lower blocks are completed they will be transported to Rosyth to be assembled.[54]
On 25 January 2010, it was announced that the Cammell Laird shipyard has secured a £44 million contract to build the flight decks of the carriers.[55] That same day, construction began in Portsmouth of Lower Block 2 for Queen Elizabeth. The structure will house machinery spaces, stores, switchboards and some of the ship's accommodation. The block will weigh around 6,000 tonnes and will stand over 18 metres (59 ft) tall, 70 metres (230 ft) long and 40 metres (130 ft) wide.[56]
On 16 August 2011, the 8,000-tonne Lower Block 03 of Queen Elizabeth left BAE Systems Surface Ships' Govan shipyard in Glasgow on a large ocean-going barge. Travelling 600 miles (970 km) around the northern coast of Scotland, the block arrived at Rosyth on the evening of 20 August 2011.[57]
On 25 November 2011, it was announced that the Queen Elizabeth will not be finished in a CATOBAR configuration. The First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope has said:
Current navy assumptions will see the second-in-class aircraft carrier fitted with catapults and arrestor wire ready to operate the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter carrier variant in 2020, but the fate of HMS Queen Elizabeth, which will launch first and be used to train crews in handling HMS Prince of Wales, is less certain. It will, as a first of class vessel have two, if not three years of trials, we will be operating the biggest warship we have ever operated in this country and therefore there will be a protracted period of trials during which the Prince of Wales build continues. We will sort out all the challenges that a new class of vessel bring along and we will operate that ship effectively by the time Prince of Wales comes out such that at that moment we will transfer the crew to the Prince of Wales, all qualified to operate that type of ship. You just then have six months' worth of new ship trials and we then get straight on to the fixed wing piece of the jigsaw.".[58]
Under the present plans Queen Elizabeth will enter service in 2016.[59]
Construction on the second carrier, Prince of Wales, began on 26 May 2011 when then Defence Secretary Liam Fox cut the first steel.[60] On 25 November 2011, the First Sea Lord Admiral Stanhope, confirmed that the Prince of Wales will be fitted to a CATOBAR configuration,[58] the conversion to which is expected to increase the total cost, potentially to over £6.2 billion.[61] HMS Prince of Wales will be only the second ship in the world to be fitted with the American EMALS system,[62] and under present plans will enter service in 2018.[59]
|
||||||||