Member
I can't believe £3.2 billion is being spent on something as hideous as this. There used to be a time when warships had "lines", and were creations of beauty as well as power. Not any longer.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7486782.stm
Instead of their projected names: Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales, I think they should be named HMS Blockhead and HMS Boring!
Senior Member
Well, in the end it doesnt matter if britons like their design.....it matters if Sarkozy likes the design
Article
At least one cannot claim that he is a boring man without spontaneous ideas.
Im sure the british press showed "great enthusiasm" for this proposal
Banned
Member
Apparently, Sarkozy has been hinting at France rejoining NATO. Otherwise we will have NATO, the WEU (Western Europen Union) as well as individiual national armed forces (are there any other levels I've missed?). Just how many seperate tiers of armed forces are we Europeans expected to pay for?
Back to topic, these monstrosities are both going to be built in Scotland (one on the Clyde and one on the Forth). With the current rumblings going on "north of the border" (nothing to do with the food I'm told), I wouldn't be surprised if Scotland was to break-away from the Union in 2013-14 and claim these two ships as reparations. They're welcome to them!
Senior Member
All modern ships are extreamly ugly, it's more of a form follows function now.
Although not nessesarily designed for stealth all ships are designed to limit the radar reflection.
What with the price of steel on the rise they'll probobly end up costing 7 billion a piece. (a proper billion, not a tiny US one)
Senior Member
Banned
Hmmm.....Although not nessesarily designed for stealth all ships are designed to limit the radar reflection.
It's big enough to be easily seen with the naked eye from orbit, ......and it has a sound signature that even MY hydrophone operator could hear from 200 miles away.
I can see why limiting radar reflectivity would be important!
Big carriers are the last gasp of "Gunboat Diplomacy"! .....If a really serious "Shooting War" ever breaks out, ...they will be "The First Against The Wall"!
In 2008, the seas belong to the "Swimmers", ...NOT the "Skimmers"!
klcarroll
Senior Member
Hmmm.....Originally posted by klcarroll:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Although not nessesarily designed for stealth all ships are designed to limit the radar reflection.
It's big enough to be easily seen with the naked eye from orbit, ......and it has a sound signature that even MY hydrophone operator could hear from 200 miles away.
I can see why limiting radar reflectivity would be important!
Big carriers are the last gasp of "Gunboat Diplomacy"! .....If a really serious "Shooting War" ever breaks out, ...they will be "The First Against The Wall"!
In 2008, the seas belong to the "Swimmers", ...NOT the "Skimmers"!
klcarroll </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Limiting the radar reflection is vital due to radar guided anti shipping missiles.
It's also much easier to tempt the missile away if the target it's locked to appears that much smaller. And Radar aciusition is needed to fire in the first place, and they might be put off from firing if the signiture is only that of a small boat.
An important lesson from falklands.
Senior Member
I agree about the anti-radar / stealth design, and as andy3536 says, the Falklands taught us a LOT of lessons about anti-ship missiles.
I think it's like some new cars in a sense. Some you see launched and you think 'Dear God - did they build that with their eyes shut? It's horrible! But after a while that design becomes easier on the eye and you accept it as the norm.
That said, however 'Butt Ugly' it is, if I'm on finals on a stormy night with bingo fuel I ain't going to complain what my home plate looks like!
Banned
The Falklands War was 26 years ago: ....And it was a war against a third rate power.An important lesson from falklands.
"Smart" weapons have gone through three generations since then.
Any lessons learned there are now, in 2008, ....ancient history!
As I said earlier:
Big carriers are the last gasp of "Gunboat Diplomacy"! .....If a really serious "Shooting War" ever breaks out, ...they will be "The First Against The Wall"!
In 2008, the seas belong to the "Swimmers", ...NOT the "Skimmers"!
klcarroll
