Could V-22s Expand the Mission Profile of the UK's New Aircraft Carriers?

摘要

The UK is committed to building two 66,000t HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH-class aircraft carriers, but whether they will both be retained, and for so in what roles, still remains unclear. That decision has been left until after the news Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) in 2015. The carrier(3) will be at the centre of the Royal Navy's Responsive Task Force Group (RTFG) Following the decommissioning of the UK's last conventional catapult and arrested- landing aircraft carrier, the AUDACIOUS-class HMS ARK ROYAL (R09) in 1978, in was not a surprise that the next class of carriers were smaller with a reduced capability. There were the three light aircraft carriers that comprised the INVINCIBLE-class (INVINCIBLE, ILLUSTRIOUS, and ARK ROYAL) seemed to balance the direction that the UK's land forces were heading. They weighed in at only 22,000t and they air arm post Falklands operations comprised around 12 aircraft (3 x AEW Sea KINGs and 8/9 Sea HARRIERs). This contrasted with the much larger force that had been resident on HMS ARK ROYAL (R09). Its final air wing between 1970-1978 comprised: 12 BUCCANEER S2 fast jets; 14 PHANTOM FG1 fighters; 4 GANNET AEW3; 1 GANNET COD4 Carrier Onboard Delivery; 7 Sea KING HAS2 Helicopter Anti-submarine warfare; and 2 WESSEX HAS1 SAR.