Royal Navy's new 72,000 ton carrier to sail through disputed South China Sea

Blackleaf

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The Royal Navy will send its flagship aircraft carrier to the South China Sea after rival claims to the territory escalated.

HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest ever British warship, will sail through the contested zone in 2020.

The 72,000 ton vessel, which has cost £3billion, will be armed with F35-B Lightning jets and helicopters. It will launch for sea trials next year. It is the first ship in the Queen Elizabeth-class...

Britain to sail its new flagship aircraft carrier with a squadron of Typhoons through the disputed South China Sea in show of strength aimed at China


HMS Queen Elizabeth will sail through the contested zone in 2020

The 72,000 ton, £3bn vessel will be armed with F35-B jets and helicopters

RAF Typhoon fighter jets will also fly over the South China Sea next year

China, Vietnam and the Philippines insist that the territory is theirs

By Matt Hunter For Mailonline
5 December 2016

The Royal Navy will send its flagship aircraft carrier to the South China Sea after rival claims to the territory escalated.

HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest ever British warship, will sail through the contested zone in 2020.

The 72,000 ton vessel, which has cost £3billion, will be armed with F35-B Lightning jets and helicopters. It will launch for sea trials next year.


How HMS Queen Elizabeth, marked by a Royal Navy destroyer, will look when it is out at sea


The 72,000 ton vessel, which has cost £3billion, will be armed with F35-B Lightning jets (pictured) and helicopters. It will launch for sea trials next year.


HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest ever British warship, will sail through the contested zone in 2020



A host of countries have filed rival claims to the South China Sea, the largest of which coming from China

RAF Typhoon fighter jets will also fly over the South China Sea next year to assert international air sovereignty.

Rival countries, including China, Vietnam and the Philippines, have insisted the territory is theirs.

The British ambassador to the United States, Kim Darroch, said although focus would be needed in the Middle East, the Government would also make the military's presence known in the Pacific.

'Certainly, as we bring our two new aircraft carriers onstream in 2020, and as we renew and update our defence forces, they will be seen in the Pacific,' he said.

'And we absolutely share the objective of this U.S. administration, and the next one, to protect freedom of navigation and to keep sea routes and air routes open.'

In spite of Britain's preoccupations in the Middle East, 'we will try to play our part' in the Pacific, he said.


The largest aircraft carrier the Royal Navy has ever built will be equipped with up to 40 aircraft, including F35-B Lightning jets and helicopters


HMS Queen Elizabeth, which will launch for sea trials next year, will be joined by its sister carrier HMS Prince of Wales


Rival countries, including China, Vietnam and the Philippines, have insisted the territory (pictured) is theirs


RAF Typhoon fighter jets will also fly over the South China Sea next year to assert international air sovereignty

Four Typhoons jets arrived in Japan in October to take part in exercises with Japanese forces.

Japan's ambassador, Kenichiro Sasae, said the US, Japan and the Government discussed greater naval cooperation at a meeting at the Pentagon in October and Tokyo welcomed greater British involvement in Asian security.

The US has sent warships through the disputed waters for years in 'freedom of navigation' missions.

There are fears of a military face off between sides after China last month announced its sole own aircraft carrier was ready for combat.


The world's aircraft carriers ranked in descending order of size


 
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Danbones

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thats a lot of money which could have been spent winning friends, not killing enemies
but how do rich bastards get richer if not building follies like this?

well, a week in port during a war, a day or two at sea during a real war they say...
 

Blackleaf

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thats a lot of money

Nah. £3 billion is a drop in the ocean (excuse the pun) for the world's fifth-largest economy.

The UK economy is around $US3 trillion (£2.36 trillion) so, if I have my maths right, the cost of HMS Queen Elizabeth works out at something like 0.127% of GDP.

not killing enemies

What's wrong with killing enemies?
 
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Curious Cdn

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I hope that they put a glass bottom in her, that way they'll be able to see the wreck of the previous HMS Prince of Wales at the bottom of the South China Sea.
 

Murphy

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Ontario
Have no fear. The navy will run it aground or foul things up. We are talking about the Brits afterall. If it manages to stay afloat, Muslims will be crewing it, bringing more immigrants to the UK. If they don't cause it to sink, of course.
 

Angstrom

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Let's go stick are dick right up China's a$$

Make her scream long time.