Feature 1 | AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
Aspects of the design of the UK’s Future
Aircraft Carrier
In July 2007, the UK government finally gave the long-awaited go ahead for
the construction of two Future Aircraft Carrier (CVF) vessels for the Royal
Navy, aspects of the design of which are described here.
T
o be named HMS Queen Elizabeth withstand both above and underwater per day (predicated on a ‘surge’ air group
and HMS Prince of Wales, they attack of 36 Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) each
are planned to enter service in • Ability to deploy for operations in core flying three sorties per day) for a 10-day
2014 and 2016 respectively, and have regions worldwide period, reducing to 36 per day for the
been conceived primarily as a joint strike • Ability to support and operate the full next 20 days.
asset. CVF’s primary purpose will thus be range of NATO rotary-wing aircraft, To achieve this level of effort and tempo,
to provide the UK with an expeditionary and be adaptable such that it could a strike-configured JFAG comprising 30
offensive air capability which has the operate conventional fixed-wing JCAs plus four MASC and six Merlins
flexibility to operate worldwide, without aircraft (utilising catapults and arrestor would be embarked, with the ability to
the need for access, basing, or over-flight, gear) if required in the future surge to 36 JCAs for short periods at the
and with the largest possible range of • Ability to deploy ‘Agile Mission Groups’ expense of the Merlin squadron.
aircraft in the widest possible range of in order to support a range of The Ministry of Defence announced
roles. contingent military tasks Lockheed Martin’s F-35B Lightning II
The design has been driven by a • Availability such that one platform – the short takeoff and landing (STOVL)
number of key user requirements. These should be available at high readiness at variant of the Joint Strike Fighter – as
include: all times for principal roles its preferred choice to meet the JCA
• Operation and support of a Joint Force • Ability to integrate with all elements requirement in September 2002. That
Action Group (JFAG) sized to deliver of Joint/Combined forces (including said, the adaptable design of CVF allows
offensive air at the medium scale (CVF its JFAG) necessary to conduct strike for the retrofit of catapults and arrestor
will have the capability to carry up operations, support ‘Agile Mission gear at a later date if required.
to 36 fast jets, together with a range of Groups’, and support a Generic The CVF design has evolved
maritime helicopters) Command Staff substantially since the ‘Alpha’ concept
• The ability to support sustained proposed by a Thales UK-led team was
operations for over two months, this It is the ability to deliver offensive air selected in January 2003 as the basis for
to include periods of high intensity power at the medium scale that has been the ship platform. Following a series of
flying operations the principal driver to the CVF design. cost/capability trade-offs, and application
• Sufficient levels of survivability to The requirement is to deliver 72 sorties of Damage Control Deck codes to the
Cutaway drawing of CVF. At 284m
overall and with a deep displacement of
approximately 65,600tonnes, CVF Delta will
be the largest warship ever to enter Royal
Navy service.
Warship Technology January 2008 11
WT Jan - p11+12+13.indd 11 08/01/2008 10:24:08
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