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A short thread on Carrier Strike.
This year Carrier Strike Group 21 is due to deploy, probably visiting the Med, Indian Ocean and the Pacific. It represents an interim operating capacity for our carrier capability. As we shall see, emphasis on the INTERIM...
This year Carrier Strike Group 21 is due to deploy, probably visiting the Med, Indian Ocean and the Pacific. It represents an interim operating capacity for our carrier capability. As we shall see, emphasis on the INTERIM...
All the bits and bobs needed for carrier strike will be present (carrier, air group, airborne radar, escorts and support vessel), however, each individual element is at a pretty immature stage for CSG21. DCDS has set this out to PAC...
Looking at the first element, Crowsnest. What will be deploying with CSG21 is a baseline capability, and judging from the evidence DCDS gave PAC, we're very lucky to have gotten even that...
Grim news to one side, DCDS also explained what it can do, and when we can expect to have full capability (2023 perhaps)...
A fundamental constraint for CSG21 is the lack of new Fleet Solid Support Ships, instead the deployment (and every deployment until at least 2028) will need to rely on RFA Fort Victoria. Again, evidence to PAC sets out what this will mean for carrier strike...
Onto airgroup. It's well known this is going to be a joint US/UK air group. It is also known our F35s have a limited number of weapons integrated (ASRAMM, Paveway IV). With a mixed magazine of UK/US weapons, UK F35s on CSG21 can apparently use US weapons...
Looking into the future, beyond CSG21 DCDS sets out both the need for more F35s if carrier strike is to be maintained at 2 sqns beyond 2040s, and the additional weapons in the integration pipeline (Meteor, SPEAR3)...
Despite these issues, Defence is clear that CSG21 will be an operational deployment, able to deploy lethal force (presumably against any sophisticated opponent this will involve heavy use of US F35s and US weapons)...
Asked if CSG21 would be fully sovereign, the answer was of course not at this stage. Although there is the ambition for it to be. Presumably this won't be until 2025 when Crowsnest delivered, RFA Fort Vic has been refitted and more F35s with better weapons...
Of course, carrier strike is an evolving capability and we need to start somewhere. Defence has always been clear CSG21 was IOC only, I think this exchange shows just how interim is interim in this instance. But as explained, CSG21 will be a development milestone...
I don't think you can escape the fact that carrier strike and its elements are a huge investment for a nation that has prioritised airpower since the 1930s. It's a capability that will have taken a third of a century to mature. I've always had my doubts about this level of...
...investment & if it has distorted defence around what is a relatively narrow capability at full-scale (albeit the platforms themselves are versatile). Interim certainly means interim in this instance and we'll have to wait for the Defence White Paper to know what FOC looks like
Perhaps a thread of interest to some folk or who might disagree with my view @EngageStrategy1 @pinstripedline @navalhistorian @TotherChris @thinkdefence @shashj @UKDefJournal @RoyalNavyHub
