Comments on: Buddy, can you spare a ship?

By: Indy

Indy — Fri, 23 May 2008 00:21:43 +0000

Hello Lex and All,

Great to jump into this blog. Have been reading it for while, and thought it timely to weigh-in.

Video link here to a CGI animation of the new Brit carrier by their defense folks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhHgHjd5EYY&feature=related

Seems very odd to me to operate a carrier that big but stick with STOVL jets and helos. IMO the force multipliers of other fixed wing capabilities would have to massively offset any gains in STOVL’s simpler launch/recovery cycles and operability in appalling sea states.

In reply to Chunks, it should noted that they are designed with space for steam/emals cats and arrester gear should the Royal Navy revert to conventional ops.

By: New carriers, old enemies. at Tims Times

New carriers, old enemies. at Tims Times — Tue, 20 May 2008 20:05:24 +0000

[...] to leaks and reports here and there, the French and British Admiralties are in discussion about the possibility of sharing an aircraft [...]

By: Maritime Monday 111 | gCaptain.com

Maritime Monday 111 | gCaptain.com — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:22:59 +0000

[...] Lex covers the official French suggestion that France and the UK solve the budget problems they are facing in building new aircraft carriers [...]

By: Chunks

Chunks — Mon, 19 May 2008 01:46:42 +0000

I doubt this is possible. The French version will be CATOBAR and the British STOVL. There should be provisions for the British carriers to be converted to CATOBAR if they wanted, but that is a significant overhaul, and would defeat the purpose of interoperability.

More likely… this is just talk so that they can get the carriers that they need.

By: John

John — Sun, 18 May 2008 23:31:44 +0000

Uhhh, maybe if the Frogs and Brits cannot agree to share one, they will let us use it for a while?

We are sorta short on birdfarms now, and no prospect of much changing for the better. If the Dhimmocrats get in, it will only get worse, and worse.