Royal Navy - Fleet Air Arm: News

Sorry, don't mean to be rude, but the F-35 is not a good aircraft, and the VSTOL version is the least capable... I can understand the UK buying it so they can save money with a smaller carrier but the current carriers are bigger than the Kuznetsov, from which conventional fighters can operate from.

The problems with the F-35 are not just serious... the fundamental problem is that the maker and the customers don't seem interested in finding solutions to the problems.

The enormous purchase price and operating costs means order numbers are going to decrease over time which is only going to make the in service aircraft even more expensive.

I don't like to see aircraft crash, but considering the operational costs of the F-35 a crashed plane is much cheaper than an operational plane...

The sooner the Tempest is a thing the better.... are they planning VSTOL versions?

I would think a lightweight 5th gen aircraft like that with internal weapons and powerful engines should be able to get airborne with an air to air load out without a ramp or catapult.

The next French carrier is supposed to be nuclear powered, 75K tons and with cats... I guess for the UK their carriers are too new to be thinking about their next carriers.

Hahahaha.... Imagine a more palatable Jeremy Corbin type is actually elected in the UK and they decide on a better relationship with Russia and they end up with a Checkmate with British Radar and British engines that they have the licence to sell to Commonwealth countries and they end up making enormous numbers of them and end up with a carrier capable model...

Back when the Eurofighter partners split, one of the reasons was because the French wanted a fighter that could operate from their carriers and be capable of ground attacks.

Back when there was the idea of making a combined UK/France carrier design, the main difference in both designs was the French wanted a catapult, and preferably nuclear powered. They ended up compromising on a conventional powered carrier design which could either have catapults (for the French) or not (for the UK). The French ended up scrapping that design and are now going for a nuclear powered carrier with catapults anyway.

I can't help but think if the UK had followed the French specifications in the first place they would have ended up with better capabilities. I understand the issues about workshare and whatnot would probably mean the French would go their own way. But the UK always seems to pick the poorer overall choice for whatever reason.

Even if you consider the choices were done to cut cost, at least in the case of the Rafale vs Eurofighter the Eurofighter isn't any cheaper.
At one point there was consideration for making a naval version of the Eurofighter but that got shot down unfortunately.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/defence/royal-navy-hms-queen-elizabeth-and-carrier-strike-groups-deployment-in-numbers-including-nautical-miles-sausages-eaten-and-more-3491559%3famp

HMS Queen Elizabeth and the rest of the Carrier Strike Group have returned to Portsmouth.

A throwback to October

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/usa-uk-southchinasea-10072021172517.html/ampRFA

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/08/asia/british-warships-pacific-deployment-intl-hnk-ml/index.html

The first Type 31 frigate HMS Venturer, was laid down on April 26.

https://www.babcockinternational.com/sv/news/keel-laying-for-royal-navys-type-31-frigate-showcases-babcock-workforce/

Royal Navy's new attack submarine, SSNR, will have a VLS. Major break from the Astute class.

The article says that it's easier to do an at sea resupply of TLAM with them stored/fired horizontally in the torpedo room than vertically in VLS cells.

Perhaps because reloading VLS at sea proved very difficult, on ships and more so submarines which are even less stable

Reloading torpedoes or similar objects on the slant, which Royal Navy subs can do, is done however.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/01/britains-new-attack-submarine-to-be-first-with-vertical-launch-system/

This class is a total fiasco. Been more parked for repairs than at sea.