Aircraft Carriers

April 22, 2020

HMS Queen Elizabeth prepares to sail despite COVID-19 crisis

(UPDATED) HMS Queen Elizabeth will leave Portsmouth for another period of training next week but it was announced on 23rd April that her departure will be delayed by a few days while the entire ship’s company is tested for COVID-19. At a time when aircraft carriers in other navies have experienced widespread infection amongst their crews, we look at the rationale for sailing and the measures taken by the RN to mitigate risks to its personnel.

News Commentaries

January 21, 2020

Commanding the carrier – a brief history of HMS Queen Elizabeth’s captains

In January 2020 the 4th seagoing captain of HMS Queen Elizabeth was appointed. As the ship has only been in commission for just over two years and is not yet operational there was some surprise at the high turnover of commanding officers. Here we provide some background and context to the most high profile job in the navy.More

Analysis

January 4, 2020

What have aircraft carriers ever done for us?

In this article David Hobbs provides a brief outline of events, crises, conflicts and deterrence, in which fixed-wing aircraft carriers were deployed in support of UK Government policy since 1945.More

Analysis

December 15, 2019

Aircraft carriers, dinosaurs and Max Hastings

In yet another broadside published in The Times from the Royal Navy’s most opinionated critic, Max Hastings has described the new aircraft carriers as “dinosaurs… expensive, impractical and alarmingly vulnerable”. Here we examine Hastings’ pontifications and provide a more balanced view.More

Analysis

December 12, 2019

Royal Navy carrier strike development – the next 18 months

On the day HMS Prince of Wales commissioned into the Royal Navy, we spoke to the Commander UK Carrier Strike Group, Commodore Mike Utley, about the medium-term plans for the aircraft carriers.

Analysis

December 3, 2019

Portsmouth Naval Base – ready to support two aircraft carriers

This week HMS Queen Elizabeth returned home from the Westlant 19 deployment to the US. She joined her sister HMS Prince of Wales alongside in Portsmouth together for the first time. Here we look at the new facilities that will support both aircraft carriers.

Analysis

November 22, 2019

Photo essay: HMS Queen Elizabeth – Westlant 19 deployment – Part 4

After the arrival of jets onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth in October, the Operational Test (OT-1) flying programme got into full swing. This photo essay covers the UK Carrier Strike Group during this period which was followed by diplomatic visits to the United States.

Photo Essay

November 17, 2019

Up close with HMS Prince of Wales as the Royal Navy’s second aircraft carrier arrives in Portsmouth

On 16th November the second of the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers, HMS Prince of Wales entered her home port for the first time. We witnessed the ship’s arrival and went on board to find out more about her progress and future programme.
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News Commentaries

October 19, 2019

Cats, traps and claptrap. Why the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers operate VSTOL aircraft

There is a consistently held view that the Royal Navy was mistaken when it chose to adopt Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing (VSTOL) aircraft carriers. In this long read we look at the convoluted history of the issue and review the arguments both for and against.
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Technical Briefing

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