Royal Navy - Fleet Air Arm: News

Hole wrote:If Russia or China would do this western media would call it aggression.

Gov wrote:UK F-35B fighter jets operating from HMS Queen Elizabeth will join Operation Shader in the fight against Daesh.

F-35B Lightning fast jets will be the cutting edge of the Carrier Strike Group’s (CSG21) formidable power in the air.

These are next generation multi-role combat aircraft equipped with advanced sensors, mission systems and stealth technology, enabling them to carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks.

This will be the first time UK fighter aircraft are embarked on an operational aircraft carrier deployment since 2010, and will be the largest number of F-35Bs ever to sail the seas.

The renowned 617 Squadron RAF (‘The Dambusters’) will operate the jets to provide tangible and impactful support to counter-Daesh operations in Iraq and Syria.

Britain sent two patrol ships to defend Jersey from the French
Today, 12: 44

Great Britain, remembering its former might, began to send its warships to solve missions and display the flag in various regions of the world's oceans. In addition to sending an aircraft carrier group to the Asia-Pacific region to "threaten China" and two ships to the Black Sea to "contain Russia", the Royal Navy is sending two patrol ships to the English Channel "to threaten France."

Jersey, a British possession in the English Channel, will be covered by two Royal Navy patrol ships. These ships should provide protection of the island from the French, who threatened to arrange a complete energy blockade on the island.

The dispute between France and the UK arose over changes in London's fishing conditions in British waters following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. This concerns the French fishing trawlers, which are limited in their ability to fish off the island.

The French, of course, were offended by the ban and threatened to disconnect the island from electricity. Now the British were already offended and sent two patrol ships to the island so that the French would not dare to threaten the territories of the mighty naval power with any blockade.

How this dispute will end is still unknown. Paris accuses London of not complying with its own obligations under Brexit and threatens to retaliate. So a possible power outage is not the worst thing the French are threatening. We are already talking about the expulsion of British banks from France. So it may be time for London to recall the AUG directed to China and two ships from the Black Sea, otherwise the forces will not be enough to cover all their islands.

British Type 45 Destroyers Can’t Do Ballistic Missile Defence - Small Arsenals Have Limited Versatility


A number of questions regarding the capabilities of Britain’s sole class of destroyer, the Type 45 Class, were raised during a meeting of the Defence Select Committee - where the recent defence review white paper ‘Defending Global Britain in a Competitive Age’ was discussed. Britain currently fields a small destroyer fleet of six ships, with budgetary constraints leading to the size of the fleet being cut in half from an originally planned twelve ships. Although the Type 45 Class fields a formidable sensor suite particularly for an air defence role, its armament has increasingly been considered underpowered relative to high end warships fielded by leading naval powers such as the AEGIS destroyer of the U.S., Japan and South Korea or the Type 052D and Type 055 Class ships deployed by China which have similar features to the AEGIS system. Where U.S. and Japanese destroyer such as the Arleigh Burke and Maya and Atago classes field 96 vertical launch cells each, and high end Chinese and South Korean destroyers field over 100, the Type 45 integrates only 48 vertical launch cells. Moreover, these cells can only deploy two missile types - the Aster 15 and Aster 30 - both of which can only be used in anti air roles. This contrasts sharply to the vertical launch cells on AEGIS ships, on modern Chinese destroyers, and even on the latest Russian frigates and corvettes, which can deploy a wide range of missiles for air defence, anti submarine warfare, anti shipping and land attack.

At the Defence Select Committee, it was highlighted that the Type 45’s lack of versatility had left Britain without a maritime ballistic missile defence capability - something the U.S. and Japan in particular were investing heavily in for their own AEGIS ships. Dr Sidharth Kaushal, a research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, noted to this effect: “The Navy, however, will need to look at two key questions: first, the absence of a capability to counter anti-ship ballistic missiles on the Type 45 destroyer. That was discussed in the 2015 strategic defence and security review, as part of a wider ballistic missile defence capability for the vessel, but it was absent in this review, which I thought was noteworthy.” Rear Admiral Alex Burton, who also attended the meeting, concurred stating: “I would just reinforce Dr Sidharth’s view on the anti-ballistic missile defence, which I think was a wrong absence within the review… one of the gaping holes within the defence review is an anti-ballistic missile defence mechanism, both at sea and ashore.” When further questioned, the admiral reiterated: “There is a gaping hole in our ability to defend a carrier against a ballistic missile without the support of our allies, so there is mitigation there, but it is mitigation that is reliant on our allies… The Navy has been clear that there has been a national capability gap, for the last 10 years, at least, in an anti-ballistic missile defence capability. That can be mitigated by working alongside our allies, just like the Americans use our capabilities to mitigate their capability gaps. Firstly, this is known, and, secondly, it can be mitigated.”

The possibility of arming the Royal Navy’s six destroyers with anti ballistic missiles was discussed in April 2019, when members of parliament stated that they were working to “investigate the potential” of equipping the Type 45 for ballistic missile defence. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence, Stuart Andrew, stated regarding these efforts that the Defence Ministry was “investigating further the potential of the Type 45 Destroyers to operate in a Ballistic Missile Defence role. We will continue to support research and development initiatives and multinational engagement through the UK’s Missile Defence Centre.” While the SM-3 and SM-6 used by the U.S. and Japan were not compatible with British destroyers, a new missile class known as the Aster 30 Block 1NT could potentially provide the Type 45 with an area defence capability against ballistic missiles with a 1500km range. With Britain looking to increase its naval presence in East Asia, where it would face sizeable Chinese and North Korean ballistic missile arsenals including many missile designed to neutralise enemy warships, this capability may well be realised in future. The Type 45 would nevertheless remain a far less well armed destroyer than its competitors with much more limited versatility, and with many Chinese and Korean missiles such as the Hwasong-12 and DF-26 designed to engage target at much longer ranges than 1500km, the Aster 30 Block 1NT may itself prove underwhelming.

HMS Prince of Wales has arrived in Gibraltar for her first port visit outside the United Kingdom.

The Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier is there as part of a programmed logistics visit as she continues training and sea trials.

The 65,000-tonne Royal Navy vessel has been undergoing different simulations to prepare for active deployment and will move on to Carrier Sea Training later this year.

Last month the aircraft carrier trained with three British Army Apaches developing their take-off and landing capabilities.

The training marked the first time an Apache and an F-35 have operated from the same flight deck.

HMS Queen Elizabeth passes through Suez Canal as the UK Carrier Strike Group heads east


Flanked by the spectacular scenery of Egypt’s desert landscape, HMS Queen Elizabeth and her escorts and auxiliaries have passed through the Suez Canal, marking a new chapter in the operational deployment of the UK Carrier Strike Group.
The passage through the world famous waterway marked the end of a six-week phase of exercises and operations in the Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea.

The nine ships of the Carrier Strike Group between them visited eleven different European countries, drawing together presidents, prime ministers, diplomats and military leaders, as well as holding a series of events designed to support British trade and exports.

But the central purpose of the opening phase of this seven-and-a-half month deployment was to promote solidarity and cooperation with the United Kingdom’s NATO partners.

Highlights included exercises with the French aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle; called Exercise Gallic Strike, this dual carrier operation with the French will be the first of many where Europe’s two most powerful navies rendezvous and work together.

There were also exercises with the Italian air force and navy, and with the combined might of Western maritime forces for Steadfast Defender, NATO’s flagship exercise for 2021.

More recently, the Strike Group joined coalition operations in the Eastern Mediterranean; a historic milestone as British and American F-35B strike fighters flew the first operational missions from a Queen Elizabeth-class carrier, as they stood ready to strike at Daesh.

Meanwhile, 1,600 miles away, HMS Defender and the Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen visited Ukraine, Georgia and Romania in a mission designed to underline NATO’s commitment to security, prosperity and the rule of law in the Black Sea.

Commodore Steve Moorhouse, Commander United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group, said: “The Carrier Strike Group’s period working with our NATO partners in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Seas offers unmistakable proof that the United Kingdom’s most important overseas defence commitment remains the security of the Euro-Atlantic region.

“While HMS Queen Elizabeth launched counter-Daesh missions over Iraq and Syria from the Eastern Mediterranean, HMS Defender and HNLMS Evertsen were conducting concurrent operations 1600 miles away in the Black Sea – true strategic reach.

“Meanwhile, our programme of defence engagement involved a huge amount of work in support of British Embassies and High Commissions, but from Alicante to Alexandria and Bar to Batumi, the message was the same: Britain’s friends and allies are delighted to see the Royal Navy back in town.

“Now we head east, towards the rising economies of the Indo-Pacific. From the Strait of Gibraltar to the Strait of Malacca, CSG21 offers unprecedented influence and engagement in support of Global Britain.”

Squadron Leader Joanna Magill, a Royal Air Force physiotherapist based within HMS Queen Elizabeth’s medical team, said: “The days are long and the work is hard but it’s rewarding: I am enjoying the deployment so far. After a year of being so restricted at home it’s great to be able to look out and experience the world, even if at times it is still from the confines of the ship.”

Petty Officer Adam Walker works with HMS Queen Elizabeth’s Air Weapons Party. He said: “Operation SHADER was a busy period for the Air Engineering department. Maintaining HMS Queen Elizabeth’s Highly Mechanised Weapon Handling System has given me an incredible opportunity to expand my experience as an engineer. No other Navy has anything with this level of automation. The system enables us to provide Air Weapons for preparation in a fraction of the time it took on a traditional carriers, and with a minimum of personnel. During these operations we have also been working closely with US Marine Corps aircraft and US Navy weapons and our integration with them has been seamless.”

Royal Navy drops buoys to find Putin submarine that stalked Big Lizzie

Britain's largest aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth was hunted by a Russian submarine in the waters of the eastern Mediterranean, it has emerged.

In response to the stalking of the Royal Navy vessel and her carrier strike group, two Merlin Mk2 helicopters were deployed to search for the Russian submarine.

The aircraft dropped sonobuoys into the water to search for the lurking vessel by detecting its sounds underwater, reports The Daily Telegraph.

The Russian boat - believed to be a Kilo-class diesel powered attack submarine from the Black Sea fleet - is believed to have been stalking HMS Queen Elizabeth and her carrier strike group as she sailed off Cyprus last month.

Her strike group includes two Type 45 destroyers, two Type 23 frigates and two support vessels.

The cat and mouse chase reportedly occurred on June 27, just four days after HMS Defender was involved in confrontations with Russian forces in the Black Sea.

The two Merlin Mk2 aircraft, hailed as the 'world's most potent hunting helicopter' by the Royal Navy, were deployed from HMS Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Navy support vessel RFA Fort Victoria.

Former Royal Navy submariner Ryan Ramsey told The Telegraph: 'Submarines aim not to be detected – it stops you completing your tasks.

'Evasion in a submarine is really difficult when you're going up against something as capable as Merlin helicopters. The UK has always been really effective at anti-submarine warfare using ships, submarines and aviation.

'When I was teaching the submarine command course, Perisher, it was the Merlins that the student captains worried about the most. I'm sure the opposition are doing the same thing.'

The Russian Navy is believed to have diesel-electric submarines in the Mediterranean, which is near their naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus.

Russia has waged a military campaign in Syria since September 2015, allowing Syrian President Bashar Assad's government to reclaim control over most of the country after a devastating civil war.

The incident, which is believed to have occurred on June 27, occurred just days after Russia launched sweeping military manoeuvres in the Mediterranean Sea.

The military drills featured warships capable of carrying hypersonic missiles and several warships.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkob at the time warned Britain and the US that Russia will defend its borders using 'all possible means' including military force and accused the two countries of trying to incite conflict in the Black Sea.

Moscow had also warned the UK it would bomb British naval ships in the Black Sea if what it called provocative actions by the British navy were repeated off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea.

The Ministry of Defence declined to comment on whether the incident occurred but told the publication that there are 'robust measures' are in place to protect the carrier strike group.

The MoD said: 'We do not comment on operational matters of this kind, but can confirm that robust measures are in place to protect HMS Queen Elizabeth and the ships of the UK Carrier Strike Group.'

Since the reported incident HMS Queen Elizabeth has been sailing through the Suez Canal for the first time as it crosses from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea as part of its maiden deployment.

Among them are HMS Defender and Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen, two vessels which were involved in recent confrontations with Russian forces in the Black Sea. Also present is American destroyer USS The Sullivans.

The voyage takes the Elizabeth and her carrier group into dangerous waters that have been the site of clandestine fighting between Iran and its proxies and western-allied nations in recent years.

In April, an Iranian vessel suspected of being a spy ship was blasted by a limpet mine as it was anchored off Yemen's Red Sea coast. In October 2019, an Iranian oil tanker was shot by two missiles as it sailed in the region.

The route will also take the Queen Elizabeth close to China's only overseas naval base, located in Djibouti.

Finty wrote:From the Mail, expect less than brilliant reporting.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/royal-navy-drops-buoys-to-find-putin-submarine-that-stalked-big-lizzie/ar-AALYWJB

Royal Navy drops buoys to find Putin submarine that stalked Big Lizzie

PapaDragon wrote:

Finty wrote:From the Mail, expect less than brilliant reporting.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/royal-navy-drops-buoys-to-find-putin-submarine-that-stalked-big-lizzie/ar-AALYWJB

Royal Navy drops buoys to find Putin submarine that stalked Big Lizzie

Yes, that's how you usually look for submarines, jeez....

But I can't bring myself to be too hard on the Mail because I once clicked on article from something called ''The Sun'' and wow, what the hell was that?  

Moscow had also warned the UK it would bomb British naval ships in the Black Sea if what it called provocative actions by the British navy were repeated off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea.

GarryB wrote:Hahahaha... yeah... the Russians only sent a sub to track them four days after they were dicks and illegally entered Russian waters...

Interesting story that is basically empty... they think they were being followed and they dropped buoys to see if they were, and the helicopters they use are so amazing their own navy is afraid of them.
But no information about any actual sub detections at all despite likely being followed since they left the UK.
Bit of a nothing story really... not really saying anything except suggesting the obvious...

And the claims that the Royal Navy is really good at detecting and tracking subs seems a bit thin considering there is no mention they detected or tracked any at all...