HMS Prince of Wales (R09)

Draft of the Queen Elizabeth - class

  • 4 × Phalanx
  • 4 × 3.0 - mm guns
  • Max. 46 planes and helicopters

The HMS Prince of Wales is the second new aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth - class of the Royal Navy. The ship should be placed in the same configuration as her sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth first 2016 service and replace the three aircraft carriers of the Invincible class.

Construction

The aircraft carrier should first occur in STOVL design. The entire construction is designed so that safety ropes and start catapults for use as a CTOL aircraft carrier could be retrofitted. In October 2010, the government even announced that the carrier will be built right in the CTOL configuration, but in 2012 the plans were rejected, see details in the article about the class.

According to data published by the Ministry of Defence on 25 July 2007, the ship will have the following dimensions:

  • Length: 284 m
  • Width: 73 m
  • Displacement: 65,000 tons
  • Speed: 27 knots
  • Crew: 1,450 (including aircrew )
  • Aircraft: 46 ( max. )

Aircraft

As Hawker Siddeley Harrier replacement for the UK will purchase new fighter aircraft from the F- 35C Lightning II. The aircraft carrier is to be regularly occupied by only twelve of these jets and some helicopters like the Merlin for the transport of personnel and material.

Basically, the composition of the Air Group, however, depends on the respective mission. As Carrier Strike maximum of 36 Lightnings can be embarked. If increased transport or combat helicopters are needed, up to 40 helicopters, for example, Chinook, Merlin and Apache, will be taken on board. The acquisition of new aircraft or helicopters for air and naval reconnaissance is planned to come here, among others, the American V-22 Osprey and an AEW variant of the Merlin in question.

Keel laying Draft (hull) Rolls-Royce MT30 Boeing CH-47 Chinook Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey
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