The Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier belongs to the new class of ships of the British Royal Navy. Secretary of Defense Des Brown announced contracts for the construction of ships of this type in 2007. This event put an end to the uncertainty surrounding the project for a long time. The delay in the decision was due to the debate about the cost of new ships and the need to modernize British shipbuilding. A year later, the government signed a contract with BVT Surface Fleet, specially created for this purpose. Two aircraft belonging to the Queen Elizabeth class are designed to accommodate short-range combat aircraft with vertical landing. These are the largest ships in the history of the Royal Navy. It was decided to name the second ship in honor of the Prince of Wales. The cost of the project is estimated at about 6 billion pounds.
Strategic defense concept
In 1997, the Labor government commissioned experts to study all the weapons systems that were in the service of the British Army and Navy. Specialists in their report described in detail the advantages of aircraft carriers. Experts emphasized the possibility of conducting air operations abroad in the absence of bases for military aircraft outside the country, as well as the terrifying effect that ships of this type produce on a potential enemy. According to experts, the next generation aircraft carriers should have a displacement of about 30-40 thousand tons and be able to take on board up to 50 fighters, bombers and helicopters. The text of the report repeatedly mentions the increasing role of air strikes in the conduct of hostilities in modern conditions.
Design studies
The media, as well as government and navy officials, often refer to the new vessels as “super-carriers.” Their displacement far exceeds the assumptions of experts expressed in the late 90s of the last century. The aircraft carrier "Queen Elizabeth" this figure is approximately 70 thousand tons. Admiral Alan West, speaking to the Committee on Defense, explained the enormous dimensions of the new ship by the need for interaction between the fleets of the United Kingdom and the United States. In addition, he referred to the experience of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, which showed the effectiveness of a large number of sorties. According to the admiral, the deck of the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier fully meets these needs.
Six companies took part in the tender at the design stage. Among them were such industrial giants as Boeing, British Aerospace and Lockheed Martin.
The choice of combat aircraft
In 2001, representatives of the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding with the US Department of Defense to jointly develop the promising Joint Strike Fighter fighter. The contract went to Lockheed Martin.
The UK Department of Defense announced in 2002 that the Royal Air Force will use F-35B combat aircraft designed for short takeoff and vertical landing. The British aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth, whose estimated service life is 50 years, is equipped primarily for the operation of just such aircraft. Its design also allows the use of catapults and brake landing cables.
At the time the Department of Defense announced contracts for Queen Elizabeth type aircraft carriers, the project was worth £ 4 billion. The global economic crisis that erupted in 2008 led to the decision to slow down the construction of ships and postpone their entry into service. The project budget has been revised and increased to 6 billion pounds.
Main characteristics
The team of the British aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth has 679 people, excluding pilots and aircraft maintenance staff. The vessel is 280 m long, 56 m high, deck 70 m wide. The combat radius is 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 kilometers). The Ministry of Defense abandoned the idea of using a nuclear engine because of the high costs. The source of energy for the Queen Elisabeth aircraft carrier are gas turbines and diesel engines. These are the most powerful engines ever commissioned by the Royal Navy.
The ship has two separate command centers. Operations of an aviation group are coordinated from one, and actions related to ship navigation are carried out in the other. Separation of command centers creates certain advantages. The presence of two coordination structures makes it possible to independently establish and use different types of radars: medium range and designed to monitor airspace. This improves visibility for both marine navigation and aircraft landing. In addition, a design with separate command centers reduces turbulence of airflow on the deck.
The hangar of the new Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier can accommodate up to 20 aircraft and helicopters. Two powerful elevators are used to lift aircraft to the upper deck, where runways are located. Each of them is designed to transport two F-35 fighters within 60 seconds.
Firepower
The only weapon of the ship is the Phalanx anti-aircraft artillery system. It consists of a 6-barrel automatic gun and guidance and guidance systems. The complex is designed to combat anti-ship missiles and aircraft. To repel threats from the sea, the new pride of the British fleet, the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, is equipped with Minigun machine guns and 30 mm artillery mounts.
Systems
Ships use various types of radars. The manufacturer, the company BAE, claims that they are capable of simultaneously tracking up to a thousand air targets within a radius of 400 kilometers. Radars can detect objects whose dimensions do not exceed billiard balls.
The ammunition supply system from the warehouse is fully automated. Goods placed on pallets are delivered to the hangar and to the take-off deck using elevators. All movements are controlled from a central point. Human participation is only required at the final stage of ammunition preparation. There is no staff in the warehouses.
Aviation group
The new ship is designed to base a maximum of 36 F-35 fighters and four helicopters. However, according to Commodore Jerry Kid, the total number of aircraft, if necessary, can reach 70 units. The concept of strategic defense involves the deployment of 12 regular aircraft (F-35 fighters) on an aircraft carrier in peacetime.
Currently, the ship has prepared points for the landing of six medium-sized helicopters that can lift 250 people into the air. First of all, it is planned to use a multi-purpose helicopter Merlin MH2, armed with missiles, torpedoes, depth charges, automatic guns and heavy machine guns.
Early warning system
The ability to detect enemy submarines is critical. The current UK Navy Early Warning System Sea King ASaC7 is deprecated and should be replaced at the end of 2018. This plan is an integral part of the project to create a new generation of aircraft carriers. Some experts consider the current early warning system the main disadvantage of Queen Elizabeth class ships.