HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier arrives in Portsmouth

[Blackleaf]

The UK's new £3bn aircraft carrier has docked in its home port.

HMS Queen Elizabeth entered Portsmouth Harbour for the first time at about 07:10 BST on Wednesday following extensive preparations at the naval base.

HMS Queen Elizabeth: Carrier arrives in Portsmouth

16 August 2017
BBC News

HMS Queen Elizabeth entered Portsmouth Harbour

The UK's new £3bn aircraft carrier has docked in its home port.

HMS Queen Elizabeth entered Portsmouth Harbour for the first time at about 07:10 BST following extensive preparations at the naval base.

The 70,600-tonne ship has been undergoing sea trials since setting sail from Rosyth dockyard in Fife, where it was built, in June.

The 919ft long carrier cannot currently deploy planes but flying trials are due to begin next year.

Crowds of people gathered on the Portsmouth shoreline early in the morning to watch the moment HMS Queen Elizabeth sailed in

Around 700 crew members will work on board the ship

Prime Minister Theresa May met Capt Jerry Kyd and gave a speech to the crew, saying the ship was a "true testament to British ship building and design"

HMS Queen Elizabeth is the second ship in the Royal Navy to be given the name. The first Queen Elizabeth ship was in action back in 1915

A special app has been made to help the ship's crew find their way around the ship. At 919ft long, it sounds like a good idea!

Addressing crew members and contractors on the flight deck, Prime Minister Theresa May said the carrier was a "true testament to British ship building and design".

"Britain truly has the best sailors, marines and officers in the world. And I believe you deserve the very best equipment and that is what we have with HMS Queen Elizabeth," she said.

"This ship is the symbol of the United Kingdom as a great global maritime nation. Clearly she is a stunning piece of 21st Century engineering."

Crowds gathered on Southsea seafront for HMS Queen Elizabeth's arrival

Spectators who gathered on the shoreline to watch the ship's arrival saw flypasts of Royal Navy helicopters, the first featuring a Sea King, two MK2 Merlins and two MK3 Merlins which were then joined by two Hawk jets.

A flotilla of craft followed the behemoth aircraft carrier as she sailed into the Solent before heading into Portsmouth, where, at its narrowest point, there was less than 66ft clearance on each side.

An 820ft exclusion zone was enforced by armed police in small boats and a no-fly zone was put in place to prevent the flying of drones around the harbour.

The ship's available company stood at the edge of the vessel, with officers and family members also lining the jetty to welcome the ship.

Louise Bond, 30, from Fareham, whose husband, Petty Officer Greg Bond, 33, is serving on board, said: "It's my first homecoming. It's brilliant. I was up at 2.30am, first in line.

"It's amazing. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Road closures were put in place in Old Portsmouth, Southsea seafront and parts of the city centre.

Isle of Wight, Gosport and cross-Channel ferry services also altered timetables.

Preparations for the arrival of the future flagship of the fleet, and its 700 crew, saw more than 20,000 items ranging from a human skull to sea mines dredged up from Portsmouth Harbour.

The Ministry of Defence said specialist dredging vessels had removed 3.2 million cubic metres of sediment - the equivalent to 1,280 Olympic swimming pools - during the dredging operation carried out to deepen the harbour mouth to enable the Queen Elizabeth to reach Portsmouth naval base.

Speaking on board before the journey in to Portsmouth, Capt Jerry Kyd said he felt a "huge amount of pride" ahead of the vessel berthing in its home port.

"It sends the right signals to our allies and indeed potentially to our enemies that we mean business.

"The armed forces are fundamentally an insurance policy for the country and you can't just, at the flick of a switch, decide that you need these capabilities."

The ship has been undergoing sea trials off the Scottish coast and sailed with the USS George HW Bush and her carrier strike group during Exercise Saxon Warrior earlier this month.

F-35B Lightning fighter jets are due to make their first trial flights from the carrier's deck next year with 120 aircrew currently training in the US.

HMS Queen Elizabeth sailed into Portsmouth following extensive preparations at the naval base

Analysis: Jonathan Beale, BBC News defence correspondent

HMS Queen Elizabeth is still far from being a fully functioning aircraft carrier. But she now looks and feels less of a giant construction project and more like a warship. For the last seven weeks she's been undergoing sea trials.

They've tested everything from the propulsion system to the sewage processing plant. The ship's five galleys have been churning out more than 3,000 meals a day for the 700 crew and additional contractors on board.

According to the captain, Jerry Kyd, the tests have gone "really well" for what he admits is a "prototype". But even he suggests that they'll need more manpower when she's fully operational. The slightly larger US Nimitz class carriers have a crew of more than 4,000.

HMS Queen Elizabeth's first deployment is still a long way off. Though helicopters have been landing on her massive deck - the size of three football pitches - it will be another year before the new F35s will begin flight trials. And HMS Queen Elizabeth won't be fully operational until 2023.

HMS Prince of Wales, the second carrier in the class, is under construction

HMS Queen Elizabeth: Carrier arrives in Portsmouth - BBC News

 

[Curious Cdn]

I's a beautiful ship. It will make a great helicopter carrier until they sort out the dodgy F-35 VTOL version. The FAA squadron hasn't been fabricated, yet. The Royal Navy (and our Air Force) bought a papier maché mock up of a concept.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is the second ship in the Royal Navy to be given the name. The first Queen Elizabeth ship was in action back in 1915

The original HMS Queen Elizabeth dreadnought survived WWI, was modified for and survived WWII and was finally paid off in 1948.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Queen_Elizabeth_(1913)

Now the OTHER namesake ship of this class, the HMS Prince of Wales was sunk by Japanese aircraft while on her way to relieve Singapore,

 

[Blackleaf]

I's a beautiful ship. It will make a great helicopter carrier until they sort out the dodgy F-35 VTOL version. The FAA squadron hasn't been fabricated, yet. The Royal Navy (and our Air Force) bought a papier maché mock up of a concept.

HMS Queen Elizabeth to get first F-35 jets early next year

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/hms-queen-elizabeth-get-first-f-35-jets-next-year/

 

[Curious Cdn]

HMS Queen Elizabeth to get first F-35 jets early next year

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/hms-queen-elizabeth-get-first-f-35-jets-next-year/

Promises, promises. The whole F-35 project is years behind, gazillions over budget and the plane is still not up to the advertising brochure specs.

The British should have continued developing their own VTOL technology. At least it worked and was reliable enough and tough enough to be proven in battle on the other side of the planet in winter.

Apparently, the Rolls Royce facility that made those Pegasus engines has been disbanded, torn down and the bricks pounded to dust, lest any trace of its previous existence be given away. It reminds me (a lot) of how the Avro Arrow project was made to "go away" completely by the industrial interests of our "friends and allies".

 

[Blackleaf]

I's a beautiful ship. It will make a great helicopter carrier until they sort out the dodgy F-35 VTOL version. The FAA squadron hasn't been fabricated, yet. The Royal Navy (and our Air Force) bought a papier maché mock up of a concept.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is the second ship in the Royal Navy to be given the name. The first Queen Elizabeth ship was in action back in 1915

The original HMS Queen Elizabeth dreadnought survived WWI, was modified for and survived WWII and was finally paid off in 1948.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Queen_Elizabeth_(1913)

Now the OTHER namesake ship of this class, the HMS Prince of Wales was sunk by Japanese aircraft while on her way to relieve Singapore,

And the Royal Navy's previous carrier class included HMS Invincible (sharing a name with the battlecruiser sunk at Jutland) and HMS Ark Royal (sharing a name with the carrier sunk by a submarine in 1941). These are names with proud histories and many battle honours.

The Royal Navy doesn’t retire names just because ships bearing them were lost: warships are built to have dangerous lives. That’s what they’re for.

There's an online petition to have the Prince of Wales's name changed to the Ark Royal, in honour of that Invincible-class carrier. Some people also think it should be renamed HMS Prince Philip or HMS Duke of Edinburgh.

HMS Prince of Wales, the sister ship of HMS Queen Elizabeth, is nearing completion

HMS Prince of Wales with her commanding officer, Capt Ian Groom MBE, and crew... and the Prince of Wales himself

Promises, promises. The whole F-35 project is years behind, gazillions over budget and the plane is still not up to the advertising brochure specs.

The British should have continued developing their own VTOL technology. At least it worked and was reliable enough and tough enough to be proven in battle on the other side of the planet in winter.

Apparently, the Rolls Royce facility that made those Pegasus engines has been disbanded, torn down and the bricks pounded to dust, lest any trace of its previous existence be given away. It reminds me (a lot) of how the Avro Arrow project was made to "go away" completely by the industrial interests of our "friends and allies".

Much of the F35 IS British technology.

Many fighter planes have teething problems to begin with. The English Electric Lightning had problems at first before it went on to become the RAF's primary interceptor for two decades.

 

[Curious Cdn]

The Royal Navy doesn’t retire names just because ships bearing them were lost: warships are built to have dangerous lives. That’s what they’re for.

Yes, I do know that. Our recently paid off DDH HMCS Athabaskan was named after a Tribal Class destroyer that was sunk in the Channel Islands with the biggest naval loss of life in our history. There is compelling evidence, now from survivor's testimony and fresh examination of the wreck that she was sunk by Royal Navy friendly fire.

The X.O. of Athabaskan was my dad's roommate at university.He was badly burned during the sinking and was taken prisoner by the Kriegsmarine.

 

[Blackleaf]

The Royal Navy doesn’t retire names just because ships bearing them were lost: warships are built to have dangerous lives. That’s what they’re for.

Yes, I do know that. Our recently paid off DDH HMCS Athabaskan was named after a Tribal Class destroyer that was sunk in the Channel Islands with the biggest naval loss of life in our history. There is compelling evidence, now from survivor's testimony and fresh examination of the wreck that she was sunk by Royal Navy friendly fire.

The X.O. of Athabaskan was my dad's roommate at university.He was badly burned during the sinking and was taken prisoner by the Kriegsmarine.

She was sunk by the Hun.

 

[Curious Cdn]

She was sunk by the Hun.

That's what was originally assessed. No one had asked the sailors on board from which direction the rounds camefrom.

Cover up.

Royal Navy cover-up.


... mere colonials ... disposible ...

... typical...

 

[Blackleaf]

That's what was originally assessed. No one had asked the sailors on board from which direction the rounds camefrom.

Cover up.

Royal Navy cover-up.


... mere colonials ... disposible ...

... typical...

Accusing someone without proof is slander.

 

[Curious Cdn]

Accusing someone without proof is slander.

So sue me, Kipper.

HMCS Athabaskan 1941-1944 - World Naval Ships Forums

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMCS_Athabaskan_(G07)

You will have a hard time convincing any Canadian serviceman that the British ever gave a shit about them.

 

[Blackleaf]

So sue me, Kipper.

HMCS Athabaskan 1941-1944 - World Naval Ships Forums

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMCS_Athabaskan_(G07)

You will have a hard time convincing any Canadian serviceman that the British ever gave a shit about them.

The Royal Navy will sue you if you're not careful.

In the early dawn hours of 29 April 1944, the destroyer HMCS Athabaskan plunged to the depths of the English Channel, her hull wracked by two powerful explosions.

HMCS Athabaskan

One hundred and twenty-eight young Canadians died with her. Fifty-two years later, in the article “I Will Never Forget the Sound of Those Engines Going Away: A Re-examination into the Sinking of HMCS Athabaskan” that appeared in this journal, Peter Dixon advanced the theory-which was presented as fact-that the second explosion, the one that sealed the destroyer’s fate, was caused by a torpedo fired by a British motor torpedo boat (MTB).

MTB

The most significant warship loss in Canadian naval history, the theory goes, was caused by friendly fire. That is not so. When primary evidence overlooked by Dixon is considered and the recollections of witnesses recorded decades after the event are scrutinized, it becomes abundantly clear that Athabaskan could not have been the victim of a British torpedo...

https://athabaskang07.wordpress.com...-phantom-mtb-and-the-loss-of-hmcs-athabaskan/

 

[Curious Cdn]

The Royal Navy will sue you if you're not careful.

In the early dawn hours of 29 April 1944, the destroyer HMCS Athabaskan plunged to the depths of the English Channel, her hull wracked by two powerful explosions.

HMCS Athabaskan

One hundred and twenty-eight young Canadians died with her. Fifty-two years later, in the article “I Will Never Forget the Sound of Those Engines Going Away: A Re-examination into the Sinking of HMCS Athabaskan” that appeared in this journal, Peter Dixon advanced the theory-which was presented as fact-that the second explosion, the one that sealed the destroyer’s fate, was caused by a torpedo fired by a British motor torpedo boat (MTB).

MTB

The most significant warship loss in Canadian naval history, the theory goes, was caused by friendly fire. That is not so. When primary evidence overlooked by Dixon is considered and the recollections of witnesses recorded decades after the event are scrutinized, it becomes abundantly clear that Athabaskan could not have been the victim of a British torpedo...

https://athabaskang07.wordpress.com...-phantom-mtb-and-the-loss-of-hmcs-athabaskan/

Feel free.

 

[taxslave]

Do tell. Exactly what use is an aircraft carrier that cannot launch aircraft? Is this just another make work project for shipbuilders in a country that cannot compete in the world market? Maybe it can be anchored offshore and turned into a casino.

 

[Curious Cdn]

Do tell. Exactly what use is an aircraft carrier that cannot launch aircraft? Is this just another make work project for shipbuilders in a country that cannot compete in the world market? Maybe it can be anchored offshore and turned into a casino.

The tail wagged the dog. They designed an aircraft carrier to solely use one type of fixed wing aircraft, only. The problem is, the aircraft didn't exist at all when the design work for the carrier was done. They designed a four billion pound warship around a Lockheed marketing concept.

 

[Blackleaf]

Do tell. Exactly what use is an aircraft carrier that cannot launch aircraft? Is this just another make work project for shipbuilders in a country that cannot compete in the world market? Maybe it can be anchored offshore and turned into a casino.

The whole point of aircraft carriers is military power projection around the globe - something Great Britain is second only to the US at.

 

[coldstream]

Personally i think that, with cruise missile and satellite technology and the availability of much more effective land based aircraft support, the Age of the Aircraft Carrier might be over. In fact the age of the global projection of imperial power might be winding down as well replaced with regional security arrangements in the place of superpowers (in reality, there are none left).

Much as they replaced the pre WW2 Battleship the Aircraft Carrier will be replaced by the more cost effective Submarine or the Guided Missile Cruiser. Britain might have payed billions of pounds for a floating white elephant. A very pretty one though. It'll look great at Parades of the Fleet.

 

[Blackleaf]

Personally i think that, with cruise missile and satellite technology and the availability of much more effective land based aircraft support, the Age of the Aircraft Carrier might be over. In fact the age of the global projection of imperial power might be winding down as well replaced with regional security arrangements in the place of superpowers (in reality, there are none left).

Much as they replaced the pre WW2 Battleship the Aircraft Carrier will be replaced by the more cost effective Submarine or the Guided Missile Cruiser. Britain might have payed billions of pounds for a floating white elephant. A very pretty one though. It'll look great at Parades of the Fleet.

You don't know what the future is going to hold, what with what's going on in North Korea and elsewhere. Britain needs to go into the future prepared and strong militarily - in the form of HMS Queen Elizabeth, which is to be the Royal Navy's flagship for 50 years. She doesn't want to make the mistakes she made in the 1930s.

 

[Danbones]

That's a lot of surface area for them new drone missiles everyone has to not miss with.

 

[White_Unifier]

May I propose HMS Loan.

 

[taxslave]

The whole point of aircraft carriers is military power projection around the globe - something Great Britain is second only to the US at.

Aircraft Carriers that can not accommadate aircraft are just an expensive floating football field.