Page 41 - Air Forces Monthly - September 2017

of the dockyard’s Aircraft Carrier Alliance’s
basin on June 26, and position her in the
Firth of Forth. Later that evening she
passed under the three major bridges
across the Firth to start her four-month-
long contractor trials programme to allow
her to be handed over to the Royal Navy.
Prior to her sailing, Commodore Kyd described
the complex procedure to get HMS Queen
Elizabeth out from her place of construction.
“We need high water over the [entrance to the
basin]. Then we will have to wait for the tide
to go down so we can go under the bridges,”
he said. Kyd told AFM that the contractor sea
trials were expected to take place in two five-
to six-week blocks in the North Sea and Moray
Firth areas, stretching as far north as Fair Isle.
He said the first phase would concentrate
on testing the strengths and weaknesses of
the ship and its primary systems, such as
its sewage plant, fresh water systems and
auxiliary machinery. “After five to six weeks
we will come back into Rosyth for planned
engineering work and three weeks later we The impressive 919ft
will go out for more sea trials,” he explained. flight deck of the new
The second period will place more emphasis Queen Elizabeth-class
on warfighting mission systems, such as aircraft carrier.
radars and radios, as well as working with to-service evaluation can be carried out. entry to service – the fast jet trials. What
other aircraft and ships. “After that we will From January-March 2018, rotary-wing trials is termed a ‘technology insertion period’
transition to our base port at Portsmouth will take place in the UK before the ship heads will take place to install the equipment
which is ready to receive us,” he added. to the United States for fixed-wing work-ups. needed to operate helicopters and F-35Bs
“The next couple of weeks will be vital.” According to Commodore Kyd, the first on a sustained basis. This includes the
During the contractor trials, the ship will phase of the sea trials will involve taking F-35B’s computerised Autonomic Logistics
continue to be owned by the Aircraft Carrier measurements of the wind flow around Information System (ALIS), which is essential
Alliance (ACA) and its sea trials manager and over the deck as the ship undertakes to operating the Lightning II from the ship.
will run the activity. To support this work, various manoeuvres around the UK coast. “In 14 months’ time, we will be on the
around 300 military, government and Then, deck landings and take-offs will begin, eastern seaboard of the US to embark the
civilian contractors are embarked on board, involving all of the main UK helicopter types, first Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II,” Kyd
augmenting HMS Queen Elizabeth’s 700-strong including Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, said. “Then we will be carrying out hundreds
ship’s company of Royal Navy personnel. Apache AH1 attack helicopters, both variants of landings and take-offs under different wind
The ACA’s managing director, Ian Booth of the Wildcat, as well as Merlin HMA2s and and light conditions.” British and US aircraft
told AFM that these plans are designed to HC4s. The aim of this phase of the trials and personnel from the F-35 Integrated Test
be flexible. “This is the largest Royal Navy will be to confirm the release-to-service Force based at Naval Air Station Patuxent
warship to go to sea for some time,” he said. certificates to clear all relevant helicopters River, Maryland, will be at the heart of these
“Don’t be surprised if our plans change.” to safely operate from the carrier. This will trials. For reasons of national prestige,
During this first test phase, the focus will be mark the first milestone towards operational the first F-35B to land on HMS Queen
on proving whether HMS Queen Elizabeth readiness and will enable the carrier, if Elizabeth will be a British jet, piloted by a
meets the Royal Navy’s requirements. needed, to embark on limited helicopter- British test pilot. The MOD is expecting this
Commodore Kyd stressed that operating borne assaults by the Royal Marines. work to be carried out in autumn 2018.
aircraft was her primary function and that The carrier is then expected to return to her Senior officers onboard HMS Queen
he wanted to get aircraft on her deck very home base at Portsmouth for a maintenance Elizabeth are confident there will not be any
soon. Indeed, an 820 Naval Air Squadron and upgrade period to prepare her for what major problems putting the F-35Bs onto
(NAS) Merlin HM2 landed on deck on July could be the most challenging part of her the carrier. Many of the aircraft’s landing
3, marking a significant step in the first
period of trials. Throughout the contractor
sea trials, the ship will be supported and
protected by three shore-based Merlins from
the squadron, which had carried out a major
exercise in Scotland during March 2017 to
prepare for the mission. Operating from
forward bases at RAF Lossiemouth in Moray
and HMS Gannet at Prestwick International
Airport in Ayrshire, the Merlins are on hand to
provide surface and sub-surface surveillance
around the carrier to help prevent Russian
spy ships, submarines and reconnaissance
aircraft getting too close. Two Royal Navy
Type 23 frigates – HMS Sutherland and HMS
Iron Duke, with more Merlins embarked – also
escorted the carrier as she began this phase.
Aviation trials
Once the Queen Elizabeth is formally handed The ship passes under the three major bridges across the Firth of Forth at low tide.
over to the Royal Navy a more complex entry-

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