Monday 28 March 2011

U.S.S. America Versus H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth : A Cost Comparison




It is often suggested that Britain should buy ships like the United States' Navy's U.S.S. America class.



This is usually suggested as a "cheaper option" than the Queen Elizabeth class carriers.

This does not appear to be the case when one considers how much these ships cost.

From the United States' Navy' FY 2012 Budget,the U.S.S. America/L.H.A.6 class costs (U.S.) $13,419 Million/(U.K.) £8,387 Million for 3 ships or an average of $4,473 Million/£2,796 Million each.



From the National Audit Office Major Projects Report 2010,the Queen Elizabeth class costs £5,900 Million/$9,440 Million for 2 ships or an average of £2,950 Million/$4,720 Million each.



It is important to note that the decision to delay construction of the Queen Elizabeth class is responsible for £1,560 Million/$2,496 Million of that £5,900 Million/$9,440 Million total cost.

Had the ships not been delayed to free up money for other over budget projects like Typhoon,the 2 ships would have cost £4,340 Million/$6,944 Million or an average of £2,170 Million/$3,472 Million per ship.

If the United Kingdom had been building or buying the U.S.S. America/L.H.A.6 class instead of the Queen Elizabeth class they would have been delayed due to the same budgetary problems with similar cost penalties.

The U.S.S. America/L.H.A.6 class will have significantly higher operating costs than the Queen Elizabeth class as it requires almost 1,100 crew members compared to almost 700 crew members for the Queen Elizabeth class.

The U.S.S. America/L.H.A.6 class can only operate the vertical landing F35B which has lifecycle costs 25% higher than the F35C,according to the British Prime Minister,which can be carried by the Queen Elizabeth class.

While a single Queen Elizabeth class ship can supply all of the United Kingdom's expeditionary air power needs in most conflicts,the less aviation capable U.S.S. America/L.H.A.6 class cannot and would require either additional ships or land based fighter and tanker support at an additional cost which far exceeds that of the aircraft carriers themselves.

As current operations in Libya are demonstrating,land based aircraft are usually based further from the combat area than carrier based aircraft.

This has been the case in almost every major war fighting operation the United Kingdom has been involved in over the last 65 years.


This results in them generating fewer sorties per aircraft per day and fewer hours on station per sortie.

Consequently the land based combat aircraft fleet must be significantly larger and hence more expensive than a sea based carrier wing to deliver the same effect.

Often the land base requires twice as many combat aircraft to achieve the same effect as the carrier's air wing.

The cost of these additional land based aircraft may be 5 times that of the aircraft carrier it's self.


The land based aircraft will also require substantial aerial refuelling support while the carrier based aircraft will require less,or often no,aerial refuelling.

The British Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft costs approximately 3 times as much as the Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers for each service year.

It can be seen that it would be prohibitively expensive for the United Kingdom to buy aircraft carriers with less aviation capacity.


Sunday 27 March 2011

Operation Ellamy : A Tornado Sortie


British sources of information about current operations over Libya are rather sparse.

Something interesting can be found on Stuart Hughes' page on youtube.com.




He shows the above video of a Tornado operating over Libya.

The pictures are from the Royal Air Force Mobile News Team and the supporting text appears to be from the same source given the detail.

Here is the text in full in full:



"23 March 2011


An RAF TORNADO GR4 recce mission on the 23 Mar generated RAPTOR imagery identifying Gadaffi's ground forces in a hostile posture 2.5 miles S of AJDABIYA. The imagery was sent to the! RAF's Tactical Imagery Wing (TIW) cell within the JFACHQ in Ramstein for analysis.


24 March 2011


At 1335Z a pair of RAF TORNADO GR4 took off from Gioia del Colle tasked with an Armed Reconnaissance mission in the AJDABIYA area.


At 1435Z, soon after the TORNADO'S arrival over AJDABIYA, the Coalition Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Ramstein passed the coordinates of a number of Libyan Main Battle tanks to Coalition aircraft in the area; this included the two RAF TORADO'S. The information had been supplied by the TIW Cell based on their assessment of the imagery collected on the previous day.


The TORNADO'S arrived over the target area and identified 4 x MBT. The tanks were still positioned 2.5 miles south of AJDABIYA, with barrels elevated and pointing north towards the town. They were deemed to have clear hostile intent. Other Coalition aircraft located and identified the remaining 6 x MBT.


The TORNADO'S th! en rendezvoused with the VC10 tanker on station in the area for fuel while the other Coalition aircraft identified and engaged their targets; destroying 6 x MNT.


At 1450 post refuelling, the RAF TORNADO'S returned to the target area and, having re-confirmed the targets were still in a hostile posture and that the area was clear of civilians, successfully engaged the 4 x MNT with Brimstone missiles.


One of the Strikes was delayed when a civilian vehicle was spotted close to the target, with the aircraft re-engaging once the vehicle was outside of the danger area.


Initial Battle Damage Assessment indicates all three MBT were destroyed.


At 1735Z the TORNADO'S landed back at Gioia del Colle."



We can deduce from the above that it takes a Tornado just under an hour to transit from Gioia Del Colle to Libya.

The Tornado received it's first aerial refuelling less than 1 hour and 15 minutes after taking off.

The Tornado's sortie lasted for 4 hours in total.

As transit time was about an hour one way,the Tornado would have spent about 2 hours "on task" out of it's 4 hours in the air.

As the objective of this sortie is to maintain an aircraft on station,this mission might be described as acheiving 50% mission efficiency.

With a Tornado spending 2 hours over Libya on each sortie,it would require 24 daily Tornado sorties to maintain a 24 hour 2 Tornado patrol over Libya from Gioia Del Colle.

Figures for the Tornado's sortie generation over Libya have not been released.

However,those same Tornados flying sorties of similar endurance over Afghanistan generate about 6 sorties per day from a total of 8 aircraft in theatre.

It would not be unreasonable to extrapolate from that that 32 Tornados would be required in theatre to generate a 2 aircraft continuous patrol over Libya when flying from Gioia Del Colle.




It is interesting to compare these figures with those for the Harriers which the United States Marines are using in Libya.

On a close air support mission the Harrier II has an unrefuelled endurance of about 3 hours with 2 external drop tanks.

Being based just a few minutes flying time off the Libyan coast,it can can spend well over 2 hours on station in Libyan air space without any aerial refuelling support at all.

A Harrier can also fly multiple sorties over Libya each day.

Based in the Mediterranean Sea,Marine Corps Harriers have been reported to be flying 2 sorties per aircraft per day over Libya.

If that sortie rate were sustainable,it may require as few as 12 Harriers with no aerial refuelling support to maintain 2 Harriers on patrol over Libya continuously.

 

It will be interesting to compare the statistics for the Harriers and Tornados performance over Libya when they are eventually released.

The Tornado is likely to generate far fewer hours on station per aircraft per day than the Harrier with far more aerial refuelling per aircraft per day.

The Tornado and tanker combination also cost far more than the Harrier and carrier alternative.

Thursday 24 March 2011

French Shoot Down Libyan Aircraft



Reports are coming in that a Libyan Soko Galeb Ground attack aircraft has been shot down by French Fighter aircraft.


If the French aircraft involved was a Rafale this could be the type's first air to air kill and probably the first for any of the modern generation of "Eurocanards".

Tuesday 22 March 2011

How Many Minutes Prime Minister?

 
David Cameron
 
 
 
He said:
 
"Today, I can confirm that RAF Typhoon jets have been deployed to a military base in southern Italy within 25 minutes flying time of the Libyan coast,and two Typhoons will be helping to patrol the no-fly zone this afternoon."
 
Distance from Gioia Del Colle To Libya during Operation Ellamy
 
 
Why is this claim so astonishing?
 
Royal Air Force Typhoons have been seen at Gioia Del Colle in Italy.
 
It is about 580 miles* from Gioia Del Colle to the Libyan coast.
 
To fly that distance in 25 minutes,the Typhoon would have to average 1,392 miles per hour.
 
This is about 1.8 times the speed of sound (Mach 1.8).**
 
Which is less than the published maximum speed of a Typhoon.
 
A Royal Air Force Typhoon of 17 Reserve Squadron
 
Picture: Unknown photographer,unknown copyright
 
But combat aircraft are rather like motor cars.
 
Your car might be capable of 150 miles per hour but it will spend most of it's time driving round at less than half that speed.
 
The faster a combat aircraft flies the more fuel it burns. 
 
Flying at supersonic speeds burns fuel at an extraordinary rate and consequently it is done sparingly.
 
Also,when the aircraft is carrying external weapons and fuel tanks,as a Typhoon would usually do in combat,it's maximum speed is reduced by the additional aerodynamic drag.
 
Consequently,most of the time a combat aircraft would be flying at subsonic speeds.
 
A Tornado bomber with Storm Shadow missiles
 
Picture: Geoffrey H. Lee
 
For example,the Tornado bomber has a claimed top speed of 1.3 times the speed of sound,about 1,000 miles per hour.
 
But the recent 3,000 mile mission to launch missiles against targets in Libya is said to have taken 8 hours.
 
An average speed of just 375 miles per hour.
 
Question Mark
 
 
As we are sure the Prime Minister would not dream of misleading Parliament,this raises some interesting questions:
 
Has the Prime Minister divulged that the Typhoon has an extraordinarily high cruising speed?
 
Has the Prime Minister divulged that the Typhoons are based somewhere other than Gioia Del Colle?
 
Are the Typhoons flying supersonic transits to Libya from Gioia Del Colle and making up the fuel burn with aerial refuelling?
 
Has the Prime Minister been incorrectly briefed?
 
*Distance from Google Earth.
 
**The speed of sound varies with altitude.
 
(Dead links to the Prime Minister's statement and Tornado's top speed replaced and additional links and picture attributions added on the Twenty-first of November,Twenty Twenty-one)
  

Sunday 20 March 2011

Royal Air Force Tornados Bomb Libya From Norfolk



Reports are coming in that Royal Air Force Tornados have launched Storm Shadow missiles against targets in Libya.

The Tornados are said to have made 3,000 mile round trips to launch the missiles against targets in Libya.

If this is true (we await confirmation) it will be the longest British bombing mission since the ineffectual Black Buck bombing raids in the Falklands War of 1982.

The United States Air Force has flown far longer missions in numerous conflicts in recent years,including in Kosovo,Iraq and Afghanistan.

Unlike the Black Buck raids,Storm Shadow attacks are at least likely to have hit their targets.


Applying air power at such long ranges when closer bases are available is an example of grotesque military inefficiency.

War is not about setting records,it is about doing damage to the enemy.

Very long range sorties result in very low sortie rates.

Low sortie rates mean less damage is done to the enemy.

The resources required are out of all proportion to the effect on the enemy.


There is no military advantage to bombing Libya from Norfolk rather than Cyprus or Sicily when closer bases are available.

A 3,000 mile sortie from Norfolk to Libya is likely to have taken at least 6 hours and to have required substantial aerial refuelling support.


Historic trends suggest that these Tornados will generate around 0.6 sorties per aircraft per day.

Time will tell if the Royal Air Force Tornados can match that number.

In contrast a Harrier on an aircraft carrier off the coast of Libya could have flown up to 4 sorties in a single day with no tanker support.

Royal Navy Sea Harriers did just that during the Falklands War.

All at ranges similar to those which they would have faced flying from an aircraft carrier off the coast of Libya.

That is more than 6 times our estimate of what Tornados will manage attacking Libya from Norfolk.

The Defence Secretary should compare these figures with the sortie rates acheived by Tornados during the current operation.


British and American warships have launched 112 cruise missiles against Libya in a single night.

Had Storm Shadow been integrated on to Harrier as was planned,an Invincible class aircraft carrier with 18 Harriers could easily have delivered up to 144 such missiles in a single day with no aerial refuelling.

We will see how many Storm Shadows the Royal Air Force managed to deliver at vast expense with this long range Tornado raid.

Libyan No Fly Zone Update


Since our last post on this subject a great deal has changed so it is time for an update.

Unfortunately things are happening so quickly this will probably be overtaken by events before it is finished.

Information is patchy at present so this will be updated as more becomes clear.


Summary Of Recent Events

The United Nation Security Council passed the Libyan No Fly Zone (N.F.Z.) resolution.

Libya announced a ceasefire.

Countries which had opposed the N.F.Z. including Italy decided to allow their bases to be used making the operation far more practical.

Many countries have now offered to contribute assets including Britain,France,United States of America,Canada,Greece,Belgium,Denmark,Italy,Qatar and United Arab Emirates.



Operations have begun over Libya with reconnaissance and fighter sorties and most recently a large naval bombardment by cruise missiles.

Participating Aircraft 

Belgium

6 F16s (349 Squadron/10 th Tactical Air Wing) at Araxos,Greece.





Britain

2 Sentry,1 Nimrod R1,Sentinel and VC10s are based at Akrotiri in Cyprus.

Tornados at Marham England United Kingdom.

Typhoons at Gioia del Colle,Italy.


Canada

6 CF18 Hornets at Trapani Birgi,Sicily,Italy


Denmark

6 F16s at Sigonella,Sicily,Italy




France

(Air Force)


2 Rafale B/C (Gascogne Squadron) at Saint-Dizier-Robinson,France.

2 Rafale B/C (Provence Squadron) at Saint-Dizier-Robinson,France.

2 Mirage 2000D (Ardennes Squadron) at Nancy,France.

2 Mirage 2000-5 (Cigones Squadron) at Dijon,France.



6 KC135 at Istres,France.

1 Puma,2 Caracal

(Navy)

Rafale (17F),Super Etendard (12F)

 2 Dauphin,1 Alouette 

Aircraft Carrier Charles De Gaulle




Greece

4 f16,1 Eriyeye

2 Super Puma




Italy 

4 Tornado ECR at Trapani Birgi

Qatar

4-6 Mirage 2000-5s


N.A.T.O.

E3 Sentry at Trapani Birgi



Norway


6 F16s


Spain 


United Arab Emirates

24 Mirage 2000-9s and F16at Decimomannu,Sardinia,Italy. 





United States of America


(Navy)

E/A18G Growlers at Sigonella,Sicily,Italy.


(Marine Corps)


Harrier II Plus on U.S.S.Kearsarge,Mediterranean Sea.


(Air Force)


1 Global Hawk at Sigonella,Italy.


F15E Strike Eagles at Lakenheath,England,United Kingdom.


F16CJ Fighting Falcons.


3 B2 Spirits at Whiteman Missouri,United States.


KC135 at Mildenhall,England,United Kingdom.



Basing

Italy has contributed access to a number of it's air bases and other facilities including Sigonella,Pantelleria,Gioia Del Colle,Pantelleria.

Spain has contributed access to a number of it's air bases and other facilities including Moron and Rota.

France is using a number of it's bases including Solenzara

Greece is permitting the use of it's bases.

Saturday 19 March 2011

French Rafales Over Libya



The latest news from Libya is that French Rafales are now in action enforcing the no fly zone.

More to follow.

Friday 18 March 2011

Libyan Ceasefire




The latest news from Libya is that the Libyan government has announced a ceasefire.

This is almost certainly in response to the threat of a no fly zone.