Budget Review

[LonelyPilgrim]

I'm woefully not up to speed on military hardware or the new UK budget, but I just want to ask:

Regarding the catapult-less carrier, has no one considered that it could still function as a helicopter carrier and/or a troop transport in the event of a foreign war? IIRC, the RN has experience operating helicopter carriers; so does the USMC.

[munchingfoo]

It would be the world's biggest helicopter carrier. We also already have two LPHs and 2 LPDs and we are getting rid of at least two but probably 3 of these. The first carrier will almost ceretainly function as an LPH but it'll not be as good as the purpose built ones we will inevitably have ditched by 2018.

The trouble with only having an LPH and not a carrier is that you have to be fighting someone with crappy air defences in order to do anything of use.

[munchingfoo]

It would be the world's biggest helicopter carrier. We also already have two LPHs and 2 LPDs and we are getting rid of at least two but probably 3 of these. The first carrier will almost ceretainly function as an LPH but it'll not be as good as the purpose built ones we will inevitably have ditched by 2018. The current plan is for the QE to function as an LPH until the PW comes online.

The trouble with only having an LPH and not a carrier is that you have to be fighting someone with crappy air defences in order to do anything of use.

[rham]

I am sure we all noted the cost overrun of putting the catapult in is £1bn, £2bn if both are fitted. Note if the second one is not fitted, it almost certainly will never fly fast jets (since no jet exists or is being designed to fly without catapult). We now face the decision, sink another £1bn or build the worlds most expensive scrap metal ship.

[Guest]

It would be the world's biggest helicopter carrier. We also already have two LPHs and 2 LPDs and we are getting rid of at least two but probably 3 of these. The first carrier will almost ceretainly function as an LPH but it'll not be as good as the purpose built ones we will inevitably have ditched by 2018. The current plan is for the QE to function as an LPH until the PW comes online.

The trouble with only having an LPH and not a carrier is that you have to be fighting someone with crappy air defences in order to do anything of use.

Google - Dong Feng 21d game changer.

[jequirity]

Google - Dong Feng 21d game changer.

Done that. Just the same old links containing the same old hand-wavy speculation . Again there is no indication that aircraft carriers are obsolete.