European countries can laugh at it all they want.
But the facts are the mightiest of the world's navy has no AC, and their helicopter carrier will be phased out because they don't have enough ships to protect it and the 2 additional Queen Elizabeth ACs being finalized.
Other carriers in NATO, Spanish(decommissioned) & Italian's 8 Harrier capability pale to this accident prone AC.
This battle group has as much firepower as entire navies in Europe.
The last remaining Invincible class carrier HMS Illustrious was relegated to the role of interim helicopter assault ship while Amphibious Asault ship HMS
Ocean was in refit, following the retirement of the last British GR-9 Harriers. Upon HMS Ocean rejoining the fleet, HMS Illustrious was retired. On 24 November 2015, the MoD confirmed that HMS
Ocean is to be decommissioned in 2018 as part of cost saving measures with no like-for-like replacement. However, one of two 65,000-ton Queen Elizabeth-class carriers now being assembled would be “enhanced” with the addition of new systems to support Royal Marine amphibious operations.
Two much larger
Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers are under construction. Both are intended to operate the STOVL B-variant of the F-35 Lightning II. With the retirement of the Joint Force Harrier and the Harrier GR7/GR9 strike aircraft in 2010, the FAA has no fixed-wing aircraft in front-line operations. There is an intention to operate the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II B version with the Royal Air Force. 809 NAS is hoped to be the first FAA Squadron to operate that aircraft. The F-35B will be operated from the Navy's new
Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers starting 2018 for initial flight training.
The Spanish Navy has 13 AV-8B Harriers. The Sea Control carrier Principe d'Asturias, which could carry up to 29 fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft (with up to 12 on deck and 17 aircraft in the hangar), became a victim of defence cuts, being officially decommissioned on 6 February 2013. In addition to 12 ABV-8Bs, the normal complement of support helicopters consisted of 6 Sikorsky Sea King SH-3H, 4 Agusta AB-212 and 2 Sikorsky SH-3 AEW (Airborne Early Warning) helicopters.
With the retiring of Principe d'Asturias, the Spanish aviation capability now being provided by the significantly larger landing helicopter dock ship SPS
Juan Carlos I. The vessel has a flight deck of 202 metres (663 ft), with a "ski-jump" ramp. The ship's flight deck has eight landing spots for Harrier, F-35 Lightning II or medium-sized helicopters, four spots for heavy helicopters of the CH-47 Chinook type, and one spot large enough for aircraft of V-22 Osprey size. The ship can carry either 30 helicopters or 10/12 AV-8B or F-35B plus 10/12 helicopters, using the light vehicles bay as an additional storage zone. Aircraft carried comprise AV-8B Harrier II, F35B (future) Chinook, Sea King, NH-90. Typical
Air arm compositions:
- Pure combat: 20 AV8B or F35B + 6 flight deck parking spots
- Mixed: 11 AV8B or F35B + 12 NH90 + 6 flight deck parking spots
- Pure transport: 25 NH90 + 6 flight deck parking spots
The Italian Navy has 16 AV-8B Harriers, which is will replace with with 15 (originally 22) Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II within the next few years. It currently operates 2 flat tops: the smaller and older Garibaldi and the newer and larger Cavour.
The air arm of Garibaldi consists of a maximum sixteen AV-8B Harrier IIs and 2 Augusta helicopters, or eighteen Agusta helicopters or a mix of helicopters and fighters. The helicopters would be Augusta SH-3D "Sea King" or AgustaWestland AW101 "Merlin" (in ASW, AShW and AEW versions).
The air arm of Cavour (which is not apure carrier but combines role such as Sea Control ship, ASW helicopter ship, attack transport and landing platform with helicopter and dock) consists of a maximum 20-30 aircraft. Typically 8 AV-8B Harrier IIs and 12 AugustaWestland AW101 "Merlin" helicopters would be carried (in ASW, AShW and AEW versions).
Cavour will have room for ten F-35Bs in the hangar, and six more parked on deck.
AV-8Bs are currently mostly operates from Cavour, relegating Garibaldi to helicopter carrier role (ASW).
