Royal Navy CVF programme Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description

A new generation of aircraft carrier developed for the UK's Royal Navy, the CV(F) vessels will displace approximately 60,000 tonnes - almost three times the displacement of the current British Invincible class of aircraft carriers. Total cost of the development and production is put at £3Bn ($5.5Bn) The carriers will be based in Portsmouth, Hampshire. The requirement for the carriers was confirmed in the new Labour government's Strategic Defence Review in 1998.

An alliance of BAE Systems, Thales UK and the British Ministry of Defence will develop and build the aircraft carriers from the Thales Group design. The first steel was due to be cut in 2005 and the two carriers should enter service in 2012 and 2015.

The vessels will be the largest and most powerful surface warships ever built in the UK and the most capable aircraft carriers outside of the U.S. Navy. They are designed to operate the Lockheed Martin F-35 (JSF). The vessels are expected to be capable of carrying 48 F-35s, four airborne-early-warning (AEW) aircraft and six support/anti-submarine helicopters, for example the AgustaWestland EH101. The crew will be about 600, only 15 more than the Invincible, indicating the high level of automation being integrated into the ships' systems.

Two ships of the class are planned, with constant rumors of France building a carrier to the same design. The French Navy is understood to be unwilling to proceed with another nuclear powered carrier of the Charles de Gaulle design due to the problems experienced both building and operating that ship.

While it has been suggested that reducing the carrier force by one vessel will lead to a reduction in the ability of the Royal Navy to project carrier air power, it is planned that advanced design and maintenance techniques will eliminate the present requirement for major refits. At present one carrier is in active duty (R2 - 2 days readiness,) one in reserve or refit (R6 - 60 days notice) and a third in training or maintenance. The MOD has decided not to use nuclear propulsion for the aircraft carrier because of high costs. The carrier's propulsion system will be Integrated Full Electric Propulsion (IFEP) based on four gas turbines. It is expected that the Royal Navy will continue its investment in the WR-21 advanced cycle gas turbine engines for the carrier. The optimum location for the position of the main propulsion system is being examined, with maximising the hangar space below decks a major consideration. The range of the carrier will be 10,000nm.

The UK has opted to build a larger carrier than strictly necessary for operation of the STOVL F-35 version. This allows the carrier to be designed for, but not with, catapults and arrestor wires for conventional aircraft launch and recovery (CTOL.) The carrier is thus said to be future-proof, allowing it to operate a generation of aircraft beyond the F-35.

It has been alleged that the large size of the carrier is a major problem. With the proposed specification of at least 55,000 tonnes displacement and a length of 274,32m (900ft), it will be difficult for them to routinely and safely enter and berth at either of the RN's main two naval bases, Portsmouth Naval Base and Devonport Naval Base. Moreover, there is no suitable dry dock for a CVF at either base, the No.10 Dock at Devonport being restricted to ships of about 40,000 tonnes and 259m (850ft) length, while the biggest two docks at Portsmouth are slightly smaller (259 m long with a 33m beam, 256 m long respectively). Lengthening of any of these docks, or the construction of a new dry dock, would be a major and expensive exercise

While announcing major restructuring of the British armed forces as part of the Delivering Security in a Changing World review the Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon confirmed the purchase of the vessels. During the same speech, on July 21 2004, he announced a one year delay to allow contractural and cost issues to be resolved.

In 1998 George Robertson joked that the best way to guarantee funding for the programme was to name the lead ship HMS Gordon Brown, after the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Although not confirmed, the following names have been leaked and reported in the UK media;

• HMS Queen Elizabeth
• HMS Prince of Wales

• Future French aircraft carrier
• The Royal Navy in the 21st Century
• European defence procurement
• Queen Elizabeth-class
• French Navy

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