The Carrier Air Wing that will embark aboard HMS Prince of Wales represents the cutting edge of UK combat aviation.
Air Wing Commander Captain Colin McGannity RN outlined the formidable aerial component.
“We’ll start with 18 F-35B UK Lightning aircraft, and that will grow to 24 throughout the deployment. We’ll also start with 16 UK helicopters, and also three flights of uncrewed air vehicles.”
Captain McGannity noted the collective effort: “There’s 750 people in the UK Carrier Air Wing… They get on board exactly like Will said after some time at home, and those aircraft will fly on next week.”
“It’s important to recognise the amount of work that is being done at three air stations ashore… RAF Marham, RNAS Culdrose, and Yeovilton… with some really, really talented and dedicated people.”
The capabilities on display are a step beyond anything previously fielded: “The Merlin Mark 2 is just light years ahead of the Sea King that it replaced… The Wildcat… can protect the strike group both from surface vessels and from air threats as well.”
On the F-35B, McGannity didn’t hold back: “The jet is just absolutely incredible… the capability that the fifth Gen aircraft brings is just incredible, absolutely eye-watering.”
Commodore Blackmore added: “This deck will operate more aircraft than we’ve operated in the UK before, in this class carrier… by far more than we operated in the Invincible class.”
McGannity concluded: “It’s a really huge privilege of mine to lead that team… It really is. It’s the pinnacle of a career for me. I’m massively looking forward to it and serving the people that will also be serving us as well.”
Carrier Strike Group 25 will not only mark the UK’s return to full carrier strike—but its arrival as a peer-level air power at sea.
A real feeling of pride.
So that’s an air group with 40 British aircraft 24(f) and 16(h) + drones deployed to the other side of the world with more 5th generation aircraft on a ship that has ever been done by anyone else in the history of humanity (previous record is 20 by USMC)
I’m sure someone will come along shortly to tell us how s**t we are.
Well, after 9 years of ops, we are half way there I suppose…… I wonder if we’ll ever get to see a full load (as designed to carry some 20 odd years ago).
Know policy and stop being negative
Understand freedom of thought and speech before you start preaching. I’ve read enough of your comments on here and the FB site over the years to know your mindset.
Just needs the weapons integrated now. I wonder what the helicopter force consists of and what drones are in those flights. MQ-9 maybe?
It could be the Malloy T-150 logistics drones.
There will always be the nay-sayers and those with an anti-British agenda, plus those who just can’t seem to be able to help themselves being negative about our country.
HMG could wave a magic wand, up defence spending to 3+%, build more of everything and send off a carrier with 36x F-35s, plus helicopters and drones, 2-3 destroyers and frigates each, plus a pair of Astutes, all of which armed to the teeth, and they’ll still find something to moan about.
With 2 destroyers protecting it. If They are taken out you are out of the carrier business . Lack of escorts is the biggest problem Even if you remedy the jet numbers . You can’t have half of the fleet protecting one carrier ! The UK’s fleet is tiny, sorry out that’s the truth .
The biggest issue is lack of RFA’s. One AO to support is a real issue.
100%
Yes, 100% right. POW is underarmed and wholly dependent on its escorts. Any feelings of pride and Britain ruling the waves again need to be tempered with concern about how the CSG would cope with a saturation missile attack or faced with a shoal of enemy submarines.
It is a great achievement.
The various RAF manoeuvres which got as far a Tom Sharpe in the Telegraph and he is usually quite on it as well as the planted conversation from an ‘RAF guy’ on NL the other week [I don’t think he was RAF at all in retrospect and was just stirring things up for others] which suggested that a deployment of 16 with 8 on board for the whole deployment was all RN could hope for due for slow force generation and parts.
This deployment level seems realistic to me with six/eight jets returning to Marham early so that training and build up can continue.
Sixteen to eighteen jets is a very substantial force in its own right.
Yes, I agree. 16-18 F35’s is a substantial force, so why did we build two 65,000 tn carriers designed to carry so many more ? It’s not like we could load them to designed capacity any time soon.
Please mr Putin, can you wait another decade so we can manage to have a carrier load and some spare for homeland defence. And, please can you wait until Tempest arrives because our Typhoons will have been cut again by then.
It’s a great achievement, but people are rightly concerned about the state of the RN escort fleet and RFA. I believe both will be experiencing a revival within the next 5 years though, with frigate deliveries galore and construction started on the new RFA vessels. My concern across all military branches is manpower, but hopefully that can be offset by reduced crewing requirements on ships / planes / vehicles (although this is often offset by increased maintenance requirements).
But overall I share your enthusiasm for this deployment! Look forward to seeing the pictures and videos. Hopefully we play our part in the Red Sea too.
Are we sure the extra f35 (above the original 16) will be British and not from partner nations as they pass?
Are we sure the extra f35 (above the original 18) will be British and not from partner nations as they pass? It’s hinted at the will be British but haven’t seen that confirmed
F35B, missing guns?
Lack of guns on an F-35B is a non-issue.
The range of a gun is so short – perhaps 2-3 miles at most – that no one in their right mind is going to put an F-35 in a position where it can use the guns.
Guns in air to air combat is a thing of the past, and no one is going to order an F-35 to go low for a gun run on enemy targets and risk losing one to MANPADs or other short-ranged air defences. At those distances stealth would count for nothing – hell, you could even see them with the naked eye if they’re that close and that low.
Only scenario I can think of is if an enemy launched subsonic missiles at our carrier, and the F-35s, running out of missiles, goes in for a gun kill like a Ukrainian F-16 pilot did recently. However, this is an extremely rare event. In all likelihood we’d just send up more planes or let our escort ships down them with missiles of their own.
Amazing capability. 2nd only to the US. With still much more to come.
Tell the truth. The F35B is still not FOC I believe and exactly what munitions is it already cleared to use? Not many I fear.
Also a Voyager tanker ac is going with the fleet to refuel these limited range ac.
Not that the RN will admit any of this of course. Still very Nelsonian I fear….
ASRAAM, AMRAAM and enhanced Paveway 4. It can hit fixed targets and moving targets day or night in any weather with pinpoint precision. It can drop 6 bombs to 6 seoerate targets in one pass. And a Voyager also refuels USN Super Hornets in the Red Sea. The support and logistics tailis what enables global deployments. If you didn’t know about that, then ill tell you ita standard operations. F35B carrys more fuel than a Typhoon. So they do not have limited range. They have very good endurance and a high internal fuel load for a fighter of its size.
sorry but I disagree. The F35B can carry very little weaponry on board so although you quote lots of things, unlike a Typhoon which can. Also it may carry more fuel but the burn rate men’s its range is not that of a Typhoon either.
They have already publicly stated the the RAF is supporting CSG with a Voyager, C-17 & Atlas
The F-35s will almost certainly take AMRAAMs, ASRAAMs and Paveway 4s.
Voyagers are ferrying the aircraft between the UK and the Carrier, no fighter flys that far
Hi.. Jim. Could not agree more.. Impressive to see. I did read few days back about Argus possibly joining the task group later on during the deployment Look forward to seeing how the carrier task group progresses over the coming months.
I do think the term “unleash” is a tad overstated.
18-24 F35s. Yes, that’s serious capability. That’s like 24 F22 Raptors but also with all weather day/night precision strike.
Fair play to the RN media team, they know exactly what kind of puff piece to put out to get the nostalgic old farts of the UKDJ comment section excited.
What did they put out?
Morning George, how are you getting on with the comments section ?
As has been previously posted, always a naysayer. Why also do you find it necessary to insult the posters on here. Really a childish and pathetic remark.
So as expected just 18 F-35B’s for the first leg of the deployment and Exercise Neptune Strike. World events will presumably dictate how many go East of Suez for the Info-Pacific leg. I expect that any final surge to 24 a/c will only occur when the CSG in back in the Med and homeward bound – largely a PR and photo opportunity for politicians and Admirals. But as we know from CSG21 that final effort has risks when the crew is tired and counting the days until they see their families again – standards slackened and mistakes start to occur. It’s also worth remembering that probably only a few dozen of the c.1500 personnel on POW will have been on QE for CSG21, and the RN has done nothing similar since then.
Regardless of all my negativity, the departure of CSG25 is a fine moment for the UK and RN, and will hopefully be a highlight of the military careers of the several thousand young men and woman taking part. It was desperately unfortunately that CSG21 was so blighted by COVID that it became a morale sapping test of endurance, with almost all of the promised exotic runs ashore cancelled as port after port refused to let the ships dock, let alone give the crews shore leave. Despite best efforts to put a positive spin on events, the Channel 4 TV documentary series was a recruiting disaster for the RN!
Great to see the deployment with a reasonable number of aircraft. Pity the original purchase plans were not achieved.
Like all things subject to evolving political spin, the UK history of the F35 program spin is not transparent, has evolved over time, and is open to interpretation. However, my firm recollection of the time, and the evidence I will refer to below, underpins case that the F35 original ‘up to 150’ number (not 138) was an operational requirement to maintain / replace existing and planned capabilities with 120 to 150 F35s….phased over a 10 year order placement period (not life of program) as RN Carrier designs matured and Tornado GR’s were retired. Not until 2007 did the number drop to 138 and not until the financial collapse of 2008 did MOD language consistently and materially change to ‘over the life of the Program’.
In 2001 – 2002 UK had @ +/- 380 GR and SHAR airframes then operated by RAF / RN.
· 143 Harrier II (GR 7 / 9)
· 40+ Jaguar GR3A
· 142 Tornado GR4
· 47 SHAR FA2
The 2002 plans and optionality for composition of up to 150 F35 Airframes to replace / partially replace the above was ‘fluid’ but can be summarised as:
· 60-90 F35B airframes to replace 190 GR7/9 and SHAR Harriers with the SHAR replacement role to be a function of the then forecast earliest 2004 Carrier CATOBAR decision. (I assume the SHAR replacement volumes are difference between 60 & 90)
· An order ‘of at least 60’ F35C to be made as early as 2004 if future RN carrier program adopts CATOBAR
· If CATOBAR decision is ‘No’ then consideration to adding (in addition to 60-90 F35b’s) up to 60 F35A (or additional ‘B’s’ ) for RAF Deep Strike role to replace Tornado GR’s as they retire.
· The evidence strongly suggests the order volumes to meet operational requirements were originally going to be somewhere between 120 and 150 over a 10 year period)
Tornado Deep Strike replacement was in large part, to be achieved by F35 in terms of the manned element and via outcomes from projects such as TARANIS etc for the unmanned element. The F35 share of Tornado Deep strike capabilities were initially to have been replaced by a combination of F35 with Paveway but also by the F35 in its Air and Surface ISR role feeding deep target information to Typhoons launching Storm Shadow / Meteor from further back.
Longer Term the F35s were themselves to be integrated with Storm Shadow. This was still the stated aim of UK Gov in Feb 2015…(but we know how that ended in Jan 2016). Indeed, my understanding is that Storm Shadow was identified as a key interface deliverable in the original JSF Joint Operational Requirements Documentation, with external weapon stations 3 and 9 to be designed to accept the 3,000 lb store !
The 2002 premise of up to 150 F35’s was reflected in 2002 to 2012 equipment and facilities capital expenditure forecasts (not budgets) of up to UKP8 Billion (subject to final volumes) on top of UKP2 Billion development costs (as part of 15% share). The UK Govt was carrying a unit purchase price of UKP40-50Million for each F35.
Through life operating costs, weapons systems and facility maintenance were forecast to add another UKP14 Billion through to (the then assumed) OOS date of 2042.
Evidence:
In Nov 2002 Lockheed Martin and various Aviation Publications were reporting the following:
‘Lockheed Martin expects to build 3,000 JSFs, including:
· 1,763 “F-35A” CTOL variants for the USAF, replacing F-16s and A-10s.
· 609 “F-35B” STOVL variants for the USMC, replacing F/A-18C/Ds and AV-8B Harriers.
· 480 “F-35C” CV variants for the US Navy, replacing F/A-18C/D Hornets.
· 150 “Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA)”, as the British refer to the JSF, for the British Royal Navy and Royal Air Force to replace the Harrier GR.7/9 and as an element of the “Future Offensive Aircraft System (FOAS)”.
The actual mix of British aircraft remains a bit up in the air. While the British have committed to the STOVL F-35B as a Harrier replacements, the requirement in that case is from 60 to 90 aircraft. The remainder are likely to be the F-35C CV variant.
A final decision on British JCA production will not be made until 2004 at earliest. Two new British carriers are being built to go into service in the next decade. They will be built to handle STOVL aircraft, but will be designed to accommodate catapult and arresting gear…….’
See also Aviation Week Network, 7 Oct 2002 report by Douglas Barrie where it was reported (in similar vein to above) that the UK was committed to 60-90 F35B but could commit to at least a further 60 carrier or conventional versions for deep strike….again largely subject to CATOBAR outcome decisions due in 2004.
The following 2015 UK Parliamentary note extracts supports the above:
‘Standard Note: N06278
The UK’s F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter
Last updated: 6 February 2015.
Author: Louisa Brooke-Holland.
Section: International Affairs and Defence Section
……..
3: Background: short history of the programme
The selection of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter in 2001 was the culmination of originally separate programmes by the Royal Navy and RAF to replace the Harrier and Tornado fleets.
4.1 Weapons
…….According to the RAF a maximum weapon payload will consist of: 6 Paveway IV (precision guided bomb), 2 AIM-120C AMRAAM (advanced medium-range air-to-air missile), 2 AIM-132 ASRAAM (advanced short-range air-to-air missile) and a missionised 25mm gun pod.
Initial Operational Capability is expected to comprise two air-to-air missiles (ASRAAM and AMRAAM) and Paveway IV.
Future armaments include: Storm Shadow (long-range air to surface), SPEAR 1 (air-to surface), and METEOR (beyond visual range air-to-air missile). In the longer term it is also expected to carry the MDBA SPEAR 3, a munition capable of striking a moving target from long-range and of swarming enemy defences with multiple munitions.
5: How many aircraft?
The original planning assumption of 150 aircraft is not expected to be realised. Ref 54 & 55
In July 2012 the Government has committed to 48 aircraft but has refused to be drawn on the total number of aircraft it expects to order. Ref 55
Until early 2014 the Government had signalled the fleet size will be decided in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review. However the Government has since suggested the final numbers to be ordered will not be confirmed until the fifth and final Main Gate in 2017.ref 56
Note 54: (regarding the figure of up to 150 aircraft) This was stated clearly to the Defence Committee as late as September 2005: Defence Committee, Future Carrier and Joint Combat Aircraft Programmes, 21 December 2005, HC 554 2005-06, Ev 42, para 14.
Note 55: By 2007, the number had dropped to 138: “Details emerge of UK JSF deliveries”, Jane’s Defence Weekly, 5 November 2007’
See also :
House of Commons Defence Committee Future Carrier and Joint Combat Aircraft Programmes Second Report of Session 2005–06 Report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence Ordered by The House of Commons to be printed 13 December 2005
For the 2002 – 2012 F35 Equipment Expenditure Forecast and Development Costs v Full life OPEX questions and answers see: UK Parliament > Hansard > Commons: 22 October 2002 > Written Answers > Defence F35 Aircraft Volume 391: debated on Tuesday 22 October 2002
An excellent informative piece- thank you Pete
No probs. I get highly frustrated by the MOD apologists on this site who repeat and justify mod spin masking years of excessive defense cuts and who live in a world of arrogance that if push comes to shove the UK could, today, handle Russia. Yes F35 would be required in smaller numbers than what proceeded it……but it was not ‘the plan’ for it to be as low as it is….and even the original higher numbers were on the premise of an effective fast Jet strike UAV capability complimenting F35 (and that isn’t Predator) that hasn’t materialised. That gap would probably have required 200+ F35’s as a total fleet to achieve same capability
Not got the bo11ocks to do anything unilaterally, will just join the US&A on another illegal war against ‘terrorists/goat herders’ etc Crack on bully’s best mate 👍🏿
We are in for such a disappointment when they start being shot out of the sky by men in flip flops
I can only say that it is a monumental achievement for the UK. To be able to project considerable 5th generation airpower in the seas and oceans with 2 formidable aircraft carriers. That is no small feat. US needs more partners like UK.