Carrier Onboard Delivery aircraft transport people and cargo between air bases on land and the decks of aircraft carriers at sea.
The United States' Navy has recently ordered the CMV-22B Osprey aircraft to replace it's doughty Greyhound Carrier Onboard Delivery aircraft.
There have been suggestions that the United Kingdom should procure Osprey Carrier Onboard Delivery aircraft for it's new Queen Elizabeth class flying ships.
Even a small fleet of such aircraft could cost hundreds of millions of pounds per year or tens of thousands of millions of pounds over the fifty year service life of the Queen Elizabeth class.
For hundreds of years Royal Navy warships have operated without such logistic support and they continue to do so today.
The need to deliver engines for the Lightning II aircraft to flying ships at sea is often cited to justify Royal Navy procurement of Osprey Carrier Onboard Delivery aircraft.
However,Pratt & Whitney F135 engines may be delivered to the Queen Elizabeth class flying ships by the Merlin helicopters which are already in service with the Royal Navy.
They may also be delivered to the ship by our proposed Super Merlin helicopters which shall have greater range than the current Merlin thanks to their more efficient engines and higher useful load.
The proposed Hermes or Ultra Merlin helicopters shall be able to deliver Pratt & Whitney F135 engines to the Queen Elizabeth class flying ships at even greater ranges than the Super Merlin as their composite airframes shall reduce drag by integrating external equipment whilst providing greater volume for fuel beneath the floor of their lengthened cabins.
There shall be no need to use any aircraft to deliver engines to the Queen Elizabeth class flying ships if they are delivered by a replenishing ship like the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fort Victoria which has a Heavy Replenishment At Sea system capable of handling the Pratt & Whitney F135.
There shall also be no need to deliver aircraft engines to the Queen Elizabeth class flying ships at sea if those ships are loaded with an adequate number of spare engines before they leave port.
An adequate supply of spare Pratt & Whitney F135 engines shall cost a great deal less than a fleet of Osprey Carrier Onboard Delivery aircraft.
No comments:
Post a Comment