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That’s more like it

Britannia cowboys up:

The British government has signed contracts for the construction of two large aircraft carriers — the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy. Given the designation CVF (for aircraft carrier-future) during their development, the new carriers will displace some 65,000 (metric) tons full load compared to approximately 100,000 (long) tons for the Nimitz class nuclear powered carriers.

The aircraft carriers will enable the Royal Navy to remain a major political-military force despite the recent reductions in the Navy

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8 comments to That’s more like it

  • And it will have beer on board!

  • John G

    Who’s building them?…Northrop Grumman Newport News????

  • badbob

    I reckon they’re tired of all those small carriers-minus with ramps, eh? Does this mean no more jump jets! Can we stop development of VTOL F-35?

    Hope springs eternal, but I’ve got my fingers crossed.

    b2

  • Timmeeee

    Dunno if this is such a good thing. By the time they are commissioned, UK could be run by muslims.

  • Just to clarify – the UK government has not signed contracts, but rather the two carriers have received Main Gate approval, which means the government says it will order them. They aren’t there yet – they’re at about the point where CVA-01 was cancelled in 1966. It’s not a done deal yet.

    John G – the ships are to be built in modular form at several British yards with BAE taking the lead role.

    B2 – sorry, they’re going to be STOVL. The design does hold the possibility of a CTOL conversion later in life, mostly because the French intend to build a variant of the design and theirs will be CTOL.

    I recommend Navy Matters, run by a former RNR officer, to those interested in this and other RN projects.?ɬ

  • Just to clarify – the UK government has not signed contracts, but rather the two carriers have received Main Gate approval, which means the government says it will order them. They aren’t there yet – they’re at about the point where CVA-01 was cancelled in 1966. It’s not a done deal yet.

    John G – the ships are to be built in modular form at several British yards with BAE taking the lead role.

    B2 – sorry, they’re going to be STOVL. The design does hold the possibility of a CTOL conversion later in life, mostly because the French intend to build a variant of the design and theirs will be CTOL.

    I recommend Navy Matters, run by a former RNR officer, to those interested in this and other RN projects.ÿ

  • My understanding is that it is part of a three carrier deal. The French want a new carrier that is better then the Charles De Gaulle and the British want a real carrier. So they are forming a consortium which will share the costs and build the two British ones in BAE yards and the French one in the French yards, but both countries will share the total costs. The only thing that I haven’t heard is if all three will be nuclear are if the French one will be nuclear and the Brits will be diesel. Also I had heard the two nations are supposed to be sharing design ideas for a new carrier escort to go with this new carrier. Again split between the two countries and supposed to be common except for specific countries weapon systems or electronics.

  • SAP-

    None will be nuclear. The French soured on CVNs after the CdeG experience and the British never wanted to spend the money. The British ships will have a CODLAG (Combined Diesel-Electric And Gas Turbine) arrangement. The French ship may end up with a straight gas turbine plant. Steam for the catapults in ships so fitted will be supplied by auxiliary boilers.?

  • SAP-

    None will be nuclear. The French soured on CVNs after the CdeG experience and the British never wanted to spend the money. The British ships will have a CODLAG (Combined Diesel-Electric And Gas Turbine) arrangement. The French ship may end up with a straight gas turbine plant. Steam for the catapults in ships so fitted will be supplied by auxiliary boilers.È

  • Only one runway with a ramp at the end? Points for cleverness there, but I get the sense “tiny” rather than “largest ever built.” What’s up with that?

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