After returning from rotary wing flying trials at the end of February, where a thousand deck ladings were carried out, HMS Queen Elizabeth is currently in Portsmouth undergoing work as part of her Capability Insertion Period (CIP) in readiness for the next phase of her introduction into service, say the Aircraft Carrier Alliance.

The manufacturers of the carriers, the ACA, discussed the progress of HMS Queen Elizabeth.

“When the ship first sailed from Rosyth in June 2017, it was always planned that some of her equipment and systems would be fitted subsequently.  We are using this time to carry out a variety of work on the ship, including fitting the new funnel badges (her crest) and maintenance of the flight deck, hence how the islands are encased in scaffolding and tents cover parts of the flight deck. We are also improving the Junior Rates’ Scullery, doubling it in size to support the amount of demand on the area, and installing a new dishwasher conveyor system to get the washing up done more efficiently!

During her time alongside between the sea trials phases, additional equipment to support rotary wing, and now fixed-wing aircraft is being added. When the ship was originally designed in the early 2000s, some of the capabilities she requires had not even been conceived, and some were still under development when the ship completed initial construction. The hotly anticipated next phase of trials will see F-35 aircraft land on board for the first time which demands specific additional equipment.”

Hear from some of the ACA workforce on what is has been like for them being part of the HMS Queen Elizabeth journey here

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George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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Jonathan
Jonathan
5 years ago

So they are finishing fitting the kitchen then….bit late, bet the catering team loved that. Alright lads who forgot to put the dishwasher on the schedul of works then………pass me another plate mate.

Chris
Chris
5 years ago
Reply to  Jonathan

Bit of elbow greae goes a long way…

andyreeves
andyreeves
5 years ago
Reply to  Chris

have a look at big lizzie without a ramp pictureno ramp lizww.google.co.uk/search?q=hms+queen+elizabeth+without+ski+ramp&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBGB789GB789zie

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Helions
Helions
5 years ago

When she starts trials off the U.S. East Coast this year she may put into the carrier pier at NAS Pensacola for a visit. I’ll have to pop over for a visit if she does. NASP is within close proximity of Eglin AFB where a lot of F35 activity is underway.

Cheers

Andy G
Andy G
5 years ago
Reply to  Helions

That would make a great picture.

Julian
Julian
5 years ago
Reply to  Andy G

She just needs to make sure she doesn’t go anywhere near any of the US supercarriers – that would be the only time she’s going to be made to look small.

David Steeper
5 years ago
Reply to  Julian

But not by much. I’ve seen a few photos of the Invincibles alongside the US carriers. Now that was embarrassing.

Julian
Julian
5 years ago
Reply to  David Steeper

Funny, I was about to post an addendum to my last post, something along the lines of… maybe I shouldn’t have said “small”, perhaps something like “not quite as huge” or “slightly smaller” … so you are definitely right and your comment is well made.

Helions
Helions
5 years ago
Reply to  Julian

Not a thing wrong with the size of the class. The USN is looking at possibly building a class similar in size. Doubt it will happen but the USN’s CVN are called SUPER carriers for a reason. The QE’s are very large ships in their own right.

Cheers!

andyreeves
andyreeves
5 years ago
Reply to  Helions

in the area of sortie generation, we are BIGGER its about what a carrier can deliver, not how it looks on a picture

Lusty
Lusty
5 years ago
Reply to  Julian

She has already appeared alongside USS George HW Bush, and in my opinion, she held up pretty well!

Tomkat
Tomkat
5 years ago
Reply to  Lusty

@Lusty
US Navy SUPER Carriers are called that for a reason. Because of what they bring to the table. Their capabilities. Not just size. Those are things no other carrier on Earth can come close to matching. That’s what Helions was talking about.
US Navy SUPER Carriers are in a league all their own. No one comes close.

Helions
Helions
5 years ago
Reply to  Andy G

I’ll post some on Photobucket if it happens.

Cheers1

a
a
5 years ago
Reply to  Helions

if as they are saying, the 15 u.k f 35’s are coming to the u.k soon, i’d hope they go to mareham for integration training and then to queen elizabeth as soon as possible and bring forward the f 35 testing to the u.k sooner than the scheduled off american coast work up. after all our sea is as wet as the u.s.the traing could surely be done in u.k waters.

Jas.
Jas.
5 years ago

Coming along nicely, can’t wait to see F35s to fly from her…

Lee H
Lee H
5 years ago

Morning all Anticipation is starting to grow now. Rotary trials are complete RM trials are now complete FOST shakedown now well underway The crew are starting to know their ship. Pilot training is increasing in the US. 18 months ago if you had read the papers and listened to news you would have heard of an aircraft carrier with no aircraft that was running late. What a difference a couple of months make. Now sitting in Pompey having the important things fitted and having all of her FJ directing equipment installed (nothing is more important than getting the dishwasher situation… Read more »

a
a
5 years ago
Reply to  Lee H

has she had her phalanx fitted?

andyreeves
andyreeves
5 years ago
Reply to  Lee H

an area for those on nines(punishment duties).

Julian
Julian
5 years ago

Very excited to see this get started although one part of me is bracing myself for some of the inane slightly cynical and negative media coverage that we’re likely to get over here.

Message to self – don’t read any of the mainstream media coverage, only look as the pictures and video footage, and absolutely do not under any circumstances whatsoever read any of the online comments section for any of the articles posted on U.K. newspaper websites. Oh, and ignore the trolls here.

andyreeves
andyreeves
5 years ago
Reply to  Julian

i binned the ‘gutter press’ years ago

Jonathan
Jonathan
5 years ago

In no way linked to the report and just a blurt on my own ascetic preferences , but I always through these were really ugly ships, when they were/are being build and fitting out, my reaction had always been yuk and thinking back to how we always built nice looking warships before. But now Queen Elizabeth is at sea I’m changing my mind a bit. she’s never going to be a pretty ship, but she does project a gravity that has overcome my initial “what an ugly ship reaction”. Still think she could look look a bit more clasically British,… Read more »

Rob
Rob
5 years ago
Reply to  Jonathan

I have to disagree. I think she looks fantastic and will look even better with jets flying off her.

Paul T
Paul T
5 years ago
Reply to  Jonathan

Yes they have a look all of their own id agree,but at the end of the day they were the best we could get for a given price.Im sure we could all name things that they have not got that they possiblyshould have been fitted with but hey-ho we are where we are.Im curious (having read) that the POW is of significantly more tonnage than the QE,i wonder why that is if it is indeed true.

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
5 years ago
Reply to  Paul T

Heavier?

That’s interesting.

She’s being modified to take on Commando Carrier role I believe but what could the extra tonnage be if true?

Lusty
Lusty
5 years ago

I read that POW was heavier at this stage in its construction than QE was – meaning that they’d learned the lessons of the first build and built it faster!

I do believe, however, that POW does already have some modifications in place over QE – certain corridors are wider, and it will employ a slightly different deck landing system (The Bedford Array) than QE will.

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
5 years ago
Reply to  Lusty

Cheers mate.

Helions
Helions
5 years ago
Reply to  Paul T

I recall I read the POW is being fitted with extra equipment and modifications to give her more of an LHA capability. Also, they are incorporating some lessons learned from the QE.

Cheers

andyreeves
andyreeves
5 years ago
Reply to  Jonathan

she’d look far better without that damn ramp!

Gerry Walmsley
5 years ago

I haven’t read all of the above, but what I did read mentioned nothing of a CIWS (presumably Phalanx). Does anyone know if she is going to be fitted with a basic CIWS?

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
5 years ago
Reply to  Gerry Walmsley

Good Lord yes.

A can of worms you’re opening here as 3 Phalanx is not deemed enough.

andyreeves
andyreeves
5 years ago
Reply to  Gerry Walmsley

three phalanx are planned for, one each on the port and starboard sponsons(sticky out things on the sides)

Pacman27
Pacman27
5 years ago

I love the QEC but would have liked a bit more deck where the ramp is for helicopter landing spots that would require a sponson (minor point but bugs me every time. I do think we would have been better off with 4 45k tonne Wasp/America style carriers that would really give us scale and capability that is more suited to our operating model, but again this is nitpicking. These carriers are awesome, match up well with the USN carriers and when we have enough aircraft to fill them (72 each carrier) we will truly have created an asset worthy… Read more »

Tomkat
Tomkat
5 years ago
Reply to  Pacman27

They don’t match up with US Navy carriers. They lag far behind in capabiities.

The QE class more matches the America class ships. The main differences is that they are larger and have a ski jump. The QEs are in no way ‘comparable’ or ‘match up well’ with USN supercarriers like the Nimitz or Ford class.

Frank62
Frank62
5 years ago
Reply to  Pacman27

Wasp/America carriers have RAM & ESSM SAM systems in addition to Phalanx CIWS, whereas we haven’t fitted Phalanx or miniguns yet. Note to our opponents: Please don’t attack us until we finally have the QE fully equipped & preferably after a SAM system has been added. If escorts are so reliable, how come the USN fits its crriers with a 3 tier air defence(4 with jets), when we make do with just CIWS? Especially with super/hypersonic ASMs ranged against us. The USN has many more escorts than we do. The QEs, type 45 DDGs, Type 26 & 31s look like… Read more »

andyreeves
andyreeves
5 years ago
Reply to  Pacman27

an angled deck would provide a larger flight deck, as would an extension of the deck over the sponsonsand removal of the zit on the front(the ramp), but still not enough for, fourth generation aircraft like, the gripen or rafale, super hornet,we’d need an assisted launch /recovery system ,emals, maybe.

a
a
5 years ago

i like how queen elizabeth would look like without the ugly ramp

andyreeves
andyreeves
5 years ago

she’d look like a supercarrier then.

Billy
Billy
5 years ago

The ramp is an ugly add-on spoiling the whole ship .
Time for cutting edge emals .
Once upon a Time British inginuity would have provided that system .