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Aviation History
1980
1980 - 0092.PDF
86 FUCHT International, 12 January /98 lated useful experience. Having pioneered V/Stol aircraft, Britain is the first country to commit itself to the V/Stol carrier. Although considered at first a poor second to a new medium-sized attack carrier, the three antisubmarine cruisers, In vincible, Illustrious and Ark Royal, will become valuable Royal Navy— and Nato—assets. Originally, Invinc ible was intended to carry Exocet missiles for surface strike but Sea Harrier proved to be a more effective weapon, with longer range and addi tional capabilities, including quick re action intercept and reconnaissance. The antisubmarine cruisers are not cheap vessels, mainly due to the command and control capabilities built in. Accommodation is provided for a Royal Marine Commando unit. Aircraft complement consists of nine Sea King ASW helicopters and five Sea Harriers. Self-defence is pro vided by a twin Sea Dart launcher. Capitalising on the unique combina tion of Ski-Jump and vectored thrust, a 7° ramp has been installed. This addition to the flight deck will in crease Sea Harrier take-off weights or, alternatively, reduce wind-over- deck requirements. The third ship, Ark Royal, will have a 12° ramp. Tests have shown that a 15° ramp can double the weapon load or add 50 per cent to the Sea Harrier radius of action. Benefits will be less at lower angles. The Ski-Jump gains can be converted into increased payload, re duced take-off run or reduced wind over deck. On the recommendation of British Aerospace the Spanish Navy is adding a 12° ramp to the 575ft flight deck of their new, 15,000-ton, V/Stol carrier. The vessel is based on the Sea Control Ship proposed by US Admiral Elmo Zumwalt in the early 1970s but never adopted. Spain's carrier, Dedalo (ex- US S Cabot), will retire in 1983 after 40 years afloat. Keel of the first Spanish Sea Control Ship has been laid and two more are planned. Em barked aircraft total 17; a mix of Sea ^4>Q=^ •——r-rxa I~T Typical of the new breed of low-cost V/Stol carriers is the Vickers Versatile Aircraft Carriei displacing 13,200 tons and with space for 16 aircraft. A 15° Ski-Jump is incorporated. For peacetim operations a helicopter would operate from the lower aft deck. For wartime operation the rear dec would be built up with containers to lengthen the flight deck. Overall length is 604ft King ASW helicopters, AV-8A Mata dors and small-ship helicopters. The carrier will be escorted by five guided- missile frigates. The design is being offered to the Royal Australian Navy to replace the 20,000-ton carrier Mel bourne. Also being offered to Australia is the Italian helicopter carrier Guiseppe Garibaldi (13,250 ton) which can accommodate up to 16 Sea Harriers and an ASW helicopter. In Italian Navy service Garibaldi will carry 18 Sea Kings as the Navy is not per mitted to operate fixed-wing aircraft at sea. A nominal 5° Ski-Jump ramp may be incorporated in anticipation of clearance to operate V/Stol air craft. The export; version will prob ably have a 12° ramp on the 570ft flight deck. Garibaldi is fairly well defended with missiles and guns. Having selected the Spanish Sea Control Ship and Guiseppe Garibaldi for further examination, the Austra lian Navy is committing itself to V/ Stol. The problem for the smaller carrier-capable nations is that, in addition to the cost of a new medium carrier—at least £400 million for a 30,000-ton vessel—there are no car- The US Navy will continue to operate large carriers as long as the Soviet Navy has ships like Kiev below) and the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier now under construction rier-borne aircraft available withii their price range. India has alread; taken the step of ordering Se Harriers to operate from its 19,50C ton carrier, Vikrant. V/Stol operations will help increas the life of existing ships such a Vikrant. Weight is reduced throug] deletion of the catapult and ass< dated manpower. Boiler stress is re duced because catapult steam genere tion is no longer required. Engine an hull life is extended by reducing th speed requirements. Selection of th AV-8B or Sea Harrier to replac Royal Australian Navy Skyhawk may serve to put back replacemen of Melbourne for a few years. Of the other carrier club member; Argentina and Brazil are in simila positions to Australia, requiring vessel and aircraft almost simu taneously. Argentinian Navy carrie 25 de Mayo is 37 years old while th Brazilian's Minas Gerais is a yea younger. France is in a better positioi Clemenceau and Foch have som years left and the country coul probably afford one new, 30,000-to carrier to replace both ships in th 1990s. There are plans to build nuclear-powered helicopter carrie now called PA75, indicating its sui ability for V/Stol aircraft. Fundin for this 18,400-ton vessel is being hel up, however. Apart from allowing carrier-natior to continue membership of their clul V/Stol may introduce more countrit to the elite. A number of proposa for small, low-cost carriers have a] peared. The first of these is th Vosper Thornycroft Harrier Carrie an 10,000-ton vessel capable of opera ing eight Sea Harriers from a 450: deck equipped with a 12° Ski-Jum Another low-cost platform for \ Stol operations is the container shi which is large, long and fast. Contrc maintenance and spares fadlitii would be containerised, and pi aboard within a couple of days. Flig] deck would be of Fairey Engineerir Medium Girder Bridge constructs with a retractable Ski-Jump.
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