UK MOD in a muddle over F-35C

Does anyone know when the Bedford Array is due to be fitted to HMS Queen Elizabeth?

Most recent 'date': viewtopic.php?f=58&t=15969&p=459271&hilit=Bedford+Elizabeth#p459271
"... Queen Elizabeth won't get [Bedford Array] until her first refit...." says: 'timmymagic'

BA aka; "...Previously known as the Bedford Array, the SRVL Array is a set of visual aids on the deck that the pilot must line up with the HMD symbology...." viewtopic.php?f=58&t=15969&p=398647&hilit=Bedford+Elizabeth#p398647

Perhaps the actual SRVL thread may be a good finder? http://www.f-16.net/forum/viewtopic.php ... VL#p230592
OR
Less so: http://www.f-16.net/forum/viewtopic.php ... VL#p320457

Britain takes delivery of more F-35 jets
21 Nov 2022 George Allison

"The arrival of three F-35B jets means the UK has now taken delivery of 30 jets. With one aircraft lost in an accident and three test jets in the US, there are now 26 of the type in operational service in the UK. Seven more will arrive in 2023 with an expectation that all of the 47 in the first batch will be delivered by the end of 2025. Note that it would have been 48 if one didn’t crash.

After that, the Ministry of Defence expressed the intention to purchase another tranche of jets....

...How many are expected?
The former First Sea Lord said during a webcast earlier this year that the UK intends to purchase ‘around 60’ F-35B jets and then ‘maybe more up to around 80’ for four deployable squadrons. A defence insider informed the UK Defence Journal of a live webcast given by the previous First Sea Lord.

“The First Sea Lord has just said 60 F-35, then maybe more up to around 80 for 4 deployable squadrons.”..."

Source: https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/britain ... f-35-jets/

Brief UK Carrier Strike Group 2022 deployment wraps up
04 Dec 2022 Navy Lookout

"HMS Queen Elizabeth, her air group and escorts recently conducted a three-week period of training and re-familiarisation. Here we round up RN aircraft carrier activity for the latter part of this year....

...The decision to go to New York instead of mounting a more substantive operational deployment may also have been driven by background air group force generation pressures. It is possible the slow growth of the Lighting Force has hampered the ability to generate and sustain jets at sea following the maximum effort in 2021 and a few F-35s deployed on air policing duties in the Baltic States. On 2nd November the Defence Secretary admitted the UK has a combined total of just 33 pilots trained to fly the 29 F-35s now in its possession (including three pilots on exchange from the USAF, USMC and RAAF).... [Oz F-35B pilot?]

...After returning from the US on 14th October, HMS Queen Elizabeth spent a month alongside before sailing on 10th November for the 21-day activity. The embarked air group consisted of eight F-35 jets of 617 Squadron, two 820 NAS Crowsnest Merlins and one other Merlin Mk2 (non-Crowsnest-equipped Mk2s are now sometimes referred to by the Merlin community as the ‘Maritime Patrol Helicopter’ (Merlin MPH)). Two 845 NAS Merlin Mk4s and two 825 NAS Wildcats completed the total of 15 aircraft on board the carrier.

An intense round-the-clock flying schedule was conducted in the North Sea, sometimes in very challenging weather conditions and further F-35 pilots achieved carrier deck qualifications. The American destroyer USS Paul Ignatius and French frigate FS Aquitaine also operated with the Carrier Strike Group....

...Unconfirmed sources say the work on HMS Prince of Wales in Rosyth is on course to be completed by around mid-February. At some point next year she is likely to make the ‘Westlant 23’ trip to the US to conduct the flying trials that she was forced to abandon this year. The much-delayed third phase of F-35B Developmental Flying Trials (DT3) will be primarily focussed on extending the safe flight envelope for Shipborne Rolling Vertical Landing (SRVL), and recovery to the ship with unused weapon loads. The Bedford Array, a series of lights designed to assist the pilot when performing the challenging SRVL manoeuvre, is only integrated on HMS Prince of Wales.

HMS Queen Elizabeth will remain the ‘high readiness carrier’ (at 72 hours’ notice to move) and is also scheduled to be at sea again for further operations next year. Plenty of critics are lining up to prematurely dismiss Carrier Strike as a failure but, in truth its great value and future potency remain, despite the frustration of constant delays and postponements, common to so many aspects of UK defence."

Photo: "Arriving in snowy Oslo" https://www.navylookout.com/wp-content/ ... h-Oslo.jpg (1.1Mb)

Source: https://www.navylookout.com/brief-uk-ca ... -wraps-up/

Britain takes delivery of more F-35 jets
21 Nov 2022 George Allison

"The arrival of three F-35B jets means the UK has now taken delivery of 30 jets. With one aircraft lost in an accident and three test jets in the US, there are now 26 of the type in operational service in the UK. Seven more will arrive in 2023 with an expectation that all of the 47 in the first batch will be delivered by the end of 2025. Note that it would have been 48 if one didn’t crash.

After that, the Ministry of Defence expressed the intention to purchase another tranche of jets....

...How many are expected?
The former First Sea Lord said during a webcast earlier this year that the UK intends to purchase ‘around 60’ F-35B jets and then ‘maybe more up to around 80’ for four deployable squadrons. A defence insider informed the UK Defence Journal of a live webcast given by the previous First Sea Lord.

“The First Sea Lord has just said 60 F-35, then maybe more up to around 80 for 4 deployable squadrons.”..."

Source: https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/britain ... f-35-jets/

The next batch has already been stated to be 26 F-35B. That would mean 74 F-35B purchased, which includes 3 test ITF aircraft and 1 that has crashed, leaving a UK based fleet size of 70 aircraft. And that will be that, unless at some point in the late 2030's we decide to buy some more to replace early production.

A key word for this thread is 'MUDDLE'. It would seem - as usual - there is a MUDDLE about the NEBULOUS NUMBERS. The First Sea Lord said what he said above - recently. The muddling of the numbers of F-35Bs is 'business as usual' for the UK.

Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to star in BBC series focusing on her first deployment around the world

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/peopl ... ld-3947043

Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to star in BBC series focusing on her first deployment around the world

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/peopl ... ld-3947043

Something to look forward to early next month. I wonder if they'll show any incidents in the South China Sea? I'm watching the first documentary they made back in 2017-2018 to get up to speed, very good so far.

I wasn't sure where to post this but the F-35C is featured prominently in it.

https://youtu.be/gfI6uyRScwo

Has anyone here worn the helmet?
It looks uncomfortable.

Wot is the policy of the RN regarding public release of crash investigations? Was a report ever publicized regarding the crash of the Bee off Queen Lizzie in the Med? (My search-fu is weak today, and I have not found any.)

I ask in light of the recent Ft Worth crash, if the Med takeoff escapades was formally decided to be ingestion of an air intake cover? If that was never formally decided, then I wonder if there could be any possible connection to the Ft Worth crash? (IMO, I am not seeing any. The Med Bee appears to visually lose velocity as it is going up the ramp, almost as if someone was retarding the throttle. But thought I'd toss this out and inquire about any official reports.)

TIA.

Yes this was posted on here previously:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1099593/20220819-ZM152_SI_Interim_Report.pdf

As 'THE BASHER COUNTDOWN' indicates 09 Sep 2022: viewtopic.php?f=58&t=15969&p=472584&hilit=Interim#p472584

I wasn't sure where to post this but the F-35C is featured prominently in it.

https://youtu.be/gfI6uyRScwo

Has anyone here worn the helmet?
It looks uncomfortable.

Yes, but a much earlier version than what they use today. I thought it was very comfortable, and what I wore was a generic example, not the (very…) custom-fitted version that people who actually fly the jet wear today.

…much better than what we used back in the day to fly w NVGs on our face.

…much better than what we used back in the day to fly w NVGs on our face.

A couple pounds hanging in front of your forehead has got to do wonders for you neck... esp. pulling G's and whatnot.

…much better than what we used back in the day to fly w NVGs on our face.

A couple pounds hanging in front of your forehead has got to do wonders for you neck... esp. pulling G's and whatnot.

I think we all tended to pull a bit less ‘G’ cuz you can’t see into a turn w NVGs as far as you can w your eyes; w your eyes (in daylight…) you move your head as far as it comfortably moves and then look the rest of the way into the plane of motion by moving your eyes. W goggles you can only see as far as you can move the google fov.

I never noticed any neck fatigue.