World Carrier Air Wings (2019): Part 2
While Part 1 of this series dealt with the powerful CATOBAR and STOBAR carriers, this part covers the less capable VSTOL carriers. Although VSTOL ships are much less complicated and can be significantly smaller, the selection of VSTOL fighter aircraft is extremely limited and the reliance on vertical landings places further restrictions on aircraft operations.
The standard air wing for these ships is heavily focused on air mobile landings and includes 12 MV-22B Osprey 30-ton tilt-rotor transports, 4 CH-53 Super Stallion 37-ton heavy-lift helicopters, 3 MH-60S Seahawk 12-ton utility helicopters, and either 6 AV-8B Harrier or F-35B Lightning VSTOL fighters. However, when needed these ships can instead embark a combat air wing composed almost entirely of fighter aircraft. Although this capability has so far been used sparingly and the exact numbers are not clear, it appears that this air wing configuration includes a full 16-plane squadron of AV-8B or F-35B fighters as well as 4 MV-22 and 2 MH-60S.
The MV-22B are likely retained for a combination of resupply and long-range SAR, while the MH-60S are for plane guard and general utility duties. However, the Marines are currently testing a modular system that will allow the MV-22B to provide in-flight refueling. This capability is expected to become operational in 2020.
Currently, the Marines in transitioning from the AV-8B to the F-35B, with 5 squadrons of the former and 2 squadrons of the latter. Despite both being VSTOL fighters, comparing the two aircraft is like night and day. Whereas the AV-8B is a 34-year old, 16-ton, subsonic plane, the F-35B is a brand-new 30-ton, supersonic stealth fighter. The air-to-air armament of the AV-8B is obsolescent and consists of the AN/APG-65 mechanically-scanned radar, the AIM-120C AMRAAM medium-range active radar-homing missile, and the AIM-9M Sidewinder short-range IR-homing missile. In contrast, the F-35B is equipped with the cutting edge AN/APG-81 AESA radar, the AIM-120D, and the AIM-9X.
However, air-to-ground armament is actually slightly in the favor of the AV-8B as many of the F-35B's planned weapons have yet to be implemented. Although both planes carry the Paveway laser-guided bomb and the JDAM GPS-guided bomb, the AV-8B also has the AGM-65 Maverick light-weight missile, the APKWS laser-guided 2.75" rocket, and a variety of unguided munitions.
But while this air wing can generate considerable combat power, it does not have any organic AEW or ASW aircraft. In a high-intensity naval war, this flaw would effectively consign these ships to a supporting role where they can be protected by fleet carriers and land-based aircraft.
The heart of the air wing is the same F-35B Lightning as on the American ships, but the British planes have a slightly different weapons fit. The air-to-air armament only replaces the AIM-9X with the functionally identical AIM-132 ASRAAM. However, air-to-ground munitions are limited to just a single weapon - the Paveway IV 500-pound GPS and laser-guided bomb. Although this is a rather sophisticated weapon, it does restrict the ability to engage large and hardened targets.
Currently the United Kingdom has 17 F-35B, but just 9 of those are in an operational squadron, while the remainder are being used for training in the United States. By the time full operation capability is reached in late 2020, a complete squadron of 12 F-35B should be available, but the final air wing size still remains to be seen. Given that it takes approximately 4 aircraft to keep one in the air, and that fighters generally operate in pairs, the current air wing would effectively be limited to providing a single CAP station if there is any threat of air attack.
The Queen Elizabeth air wing is rounded out by 14 Merlin HM2 16-ton multimission helicopters. Entering service in 2000, these large helicopters are designed primarily for ASW and are equipped with a surface search radar, multifunction dipping sonar, sonobuoy launchers, an EO pod, and up to 4 Stingray lightweight torpedoes. In the future, 5 of these helicopters will have their ASW equipment replaced with the Crowsnest AEW radar, an improved version of the old Searchwater radar used on the Sea King AsaC7 helicopters. However, Crowsnest only flew for the first time on April 10, while Sea King was retired in 2018. This means that Queen Elizabeth does not currently have any AEW aircraft.
Because the Royal Navy no longer has a through-deck amphibious warship after retiring Ocean in 2018, it is highly likely that Queen Elizabeth will at times serve as a helicopter platform in support of amphibious and littoral operations. In this role she will likely carry a mix RAF Chinook transport helicopters as well as the Army's Apache AH1 and Wildcat AH1 attack helicopters. However, the precise composition of such an alternate airwing has yet been released.
But in 1989, four years after Giuseppe Garibaldi was commissioned, the Navy was allowed to outfit her with fixed-wing aircraft and 16 AV-8B Harriers were procured. Two of these were TAV-8 trainers and two more have since crashed, leaving a fleet of just 12 operational fighters. The sensors and weapons of these planes are effectively the same as those of the American models, although the Italians have also used the Opher IR-homing bomb.
The original helicopter detachment was composed of the SH-3D Sea King. However, these were retired in 2013 and replaced by 22 Agusta Westland AW101 helicopters (delivered from 1999 to 2009) - the same basic airframe as the Royal Navy's Merlin HM2. These 22 aircraft consist of 4 EH-101A AEW helicopters, 10 SH-101A ASW helicopters, and 8 UH-101A transport helicopters. The SH-101A has the usual complement of surface-search radar, dipping sonar, EO sensors, and sonobouys. However, in addition to the MU-90 lightweight torpedo, it can also carry the Marte 2 lightweight antiship missile, significantly increasing its versatility. The EH-101A also stands out since it does not have a fold-out radar antenna as is found on other AEW helicopters. Instead it relies on an upgraded version of the APS-784 radar (dubbed the HEW-784) found on the SH-101A. The EH-101A can be distinguished from the SH-101A as its radome protrudes past the sides of its fuselage. The UH-101A is a standard naval transport helicopter with minimal avionics.
In 2009, Giuseppe Garibaldi was joined by the significantly larger Cavour. This 244-meter ship is a purpose-built carrier that includes a ski-jump for improved aircraft takeoff performance and lacks Giuseppe Garibaldi’s cruiser features. However, the Italian Navy never actually procured any additional aircraft to outfit its new carrier. Thus, Italy effectively has to share one air wing between two ships. Fortunately, this unhappy situation will largely be resolved with the Navy's planned purchase of 30 F-35B, the first of which was delivered in 2018.
The remaining Spanish Harrier fleet consists of 12 AV-8B and 1 TAV-8 trainer. Although the Spanish planes are technically designated the EAV-8B Matador, they have no significant differences from the Harriers in American or Italian service. As with the identically-sized Italian fleet, it is unlikely that more than 8 AV-8B would ever be available for deployment.
Rotary wing aircraft for Juan Carlos consist of the aging SH-3D Sea King 11-ton medium helicopter and the AB212 (the commercial designation for the famed UH-1 Huey) 6-ton light utility helicopter. Originally, 3 of the SH-3D were equipped with Searchwater AEW radars and 4 of the AB212 had electronic warfare equipment. However, these systems were removed and the helicopters that carried them converted to basic transports. In total, the Spanish Navy has 9 SH-3D and 7 AB212. However, these are shared with the two Galicia-class landing platforms and several auxiliaries, leaving only a small number of them for Juan Carlos.
Although the Spanish air wing is roughly equal to the British and Italian air wings in terms of the offensive combat power it can deliver, its combination of of a poor air-to-air fighter and a complete lack of AEW and ASW leaves it virtually useless for high intensity warfare.
Wasp-class & America-class
Ironically, the most powerful VSTOL airwing does not belong to an aircraft carrier at all, but to the eight Wasp-class and single America-class amphibious assault ships of the United States Navy. Although these flat-decked 257-meter ships may resemble carriers, they are primarily designed to transport and land large numbers of Marines and their equipment. This resulted in several design tradeoffs that limit their ability to conduct fixed-wing operations, such as a lack of a ski-jump, smaller maintenance facilities, and reduced magazine and fuel capacity. While the aviation facilities of the America-class are superior to those of the Wasp-class, they are still inferior to those of a dedicated carrier. However, VSTOL carriers are primarily the domain of smaller navies, against which these large and well-equipped ships compare quite favorably. |
| 2019 Wasp-class & America-class air wing: 16x F-35B, 4x MV-22B, 2x MH-60S |
The standard air wing for these ships is heavily focused on air mobile landings and includes 12 MV-22B Osprey 30-ton tilt-rotor transports, 4 CH-53 Super Stallion 37-ton heavy-lift helicopters, 3 MH-60S Seahawk 12-ton utility helicopters, and either 6 AV-8B Harrier or F-35B Lightning VSTOL fighters. However, when needed these ships can instead embark a combat air wing composed almost entirely of fighter aircraft. Although this capability has so far been used sparingly and the exact numbers are not clear, it appears that this air wing configuration includes a full 16-plane squadron of AV-8B or F-35B fighters as well as 4 MV-22 and 2 MH-60S.
The MV-22B are likely retained for a combination of resupply and long-range SAR, while the MH-60S are for plane guard and general utility duties. However, the Marines are currently testing a modular system that will allow the MV-22B to provide in-flight refueling. This capability is expected to become operational in 2020.
Currently, the Marines in transitioning from the AV-8B to the F-35B, with 5 squadrons of the former and 2 squadrons of the latter. Despite both being VSTOL fighters, comparing the two aircraft is like night and day. Whereas the AV-8B is a 34-year old, 16-ton, subsonic plane, the F-35B is a brand-new 30-ton, supersonic stealth fighter. The air-to-air armament of the AV-8B is obsolescent and consists of the AN/APG-65 mechanically-scanned radar, the AIM-120C AMRAAM medium-range active radar-homing missile, and the AIM-9M Sidewinder short-range IR-homing missile. In contrast, the F-35B is equipped with the cutting edge AN/APG-81 AESA radar, the AIM-120D, and the AIM-9X.
However, air-to-ground armament is actually slightly in the favor of the AV-8B as many of the F-35B's planned weapons have yet to be implemented. Although both planes carry the Paveway laser-guided bomb and the JDAM GPS-guided bomb, the AV-8B also has the AGM-65 Maverick light-weight missile, the APKWS laser-guided 2.75" rocket, and a variety of unguided munitions.
But while this air wing can generate considerable combat power, it does not have any organic AEW or ASW aircraft. In a high-intensity naval war, this flaw would effectively consign these ships to a supporting role where they can be protected by fleet carriers and land-based aircraft.
Queen Elizabeth
The most capable of the dedicated VSTOL carriers is undoubtably the British Queen Elizabeth. Commissioned in 2017 and measuring 280 meters in length, she is both the newest and largest of these ships, far surpassing the American amphibious ships and even rivaling many of the STOBAR carriers (which is less surprising when one remembers that she was originally planned as a CATOBAR carrier). However, her current airwing is rather less impressive as it is not yet fully operational and is both lacking in numbers and missing some critical capabilities. |
| 2019 Queen Elizabeth air wing: 9x F-35B, 14x Merlin |
The heart of the air wing is the same F-35B Lightning as on the American ships, but the British planes have a slightly different weapons fit. The air-to-air armament only replaces the AIM-9X with the functionally identical AIM-132 ASRAAM. However, air-to-ground munitions are limited to just a single weapon - the Paveway IV 500-pound GPS and laser-guided bomb. Although this is a rather sophisticated weapon, it does restrict the ability to engage large and hardened targets.
Currently the United Kingdom has 17 F-35B, but just 9 of those are in an operational squadron, while the remainder are being used for training in the United States. By the time full operation capability is reached in late 2020, a complete squadron of 12 F-35B should be available, but the final air wing size still remains to be seen. Given that it takes approximately 4 aircraft to keep one in the air, and that fighters generally operate in pairs, the current air wing would effectively be limited to providing a single CAP station if there is any threat of air attack.
The Queen Elizabeth air wing is rounded out by 14 Merlin HM2 16-ton multimission helicopters. Entering service in 2000, these large helicopters are designed primarily for ASW and are equipped with a surface search radar, multifunction dipping sonar, sonobuoy launchers, an EO pod, and up to 4 Stingray lightweight torpedoes. In the future, 5 of these helicopters will have their ASW equipment replaced with the Crowsnest AEW radar, an improved version of the old Searchwater radar used on the Sea King AsaC7 helicopters. However, Crowsnest only flew for the first time on April 10, while Sea King was retired in 2018. This means that Queen Elizabeth does not currently have any AEW aircraft.
Because the Royal Navy no longer has a through-deck amphibious warship after retiring Ocean in 2018, it is highly likely that Queen Elizabeth will at times serve as a helicopter platform in support of amphibious and littoral operations. In this role she will likely carry a mix RAF Chinook transport helicopters as well as the Army's Apache AH1 and Wildcat AH1 attack helicopters. However, the precise composition of such an alternate airwing has yet been released.
Cavour & Giuseppe Garibaldi
Italian carrier aviation is rather mixed and has a somewhat convoluted history. Although the Italian Navy has two carriers, its aircraft fleet is far too small to take advantage of the theoretical capability of its ships. The first Italian carrier, Giuseppe Garibaldi, commissioned in 1985. However, at that time she was not an aircraft carrier, but a through-deck helicopter cruiser designed for ASW. This led to her small size (180 meters - 17 meters shorter than the Japanese Hyuga-class helicopter destroyers), cruiser pennant number (C 501), hull-mounted low-frequency sonar, and battery of 4 Otomat antiship missiles (removed in 2003) and 6 lightweight torpedo tubes. |
| 2019 Cavour / Giuseppe Garibaldi air wing: 8x AV-8B, 3x EH-101A, 5x SH-101A, 2x UH-101A |
But in 1989, four years after Giuseppe Garibaldi was commissioned, the Navy was allowed to outfit her with fixed-wing aircraft and 16 AV-8B Harriers were procured. Two of these were TAV-8 trainers and two more have since crashed, leaving a fleet of just 12 operational fighters. The sensors and weapons of these planes are effectively the same as those of the American models, although the Italians have also used the Opher IR-homing bomb.
The original helicopter detachment was composed of the SH-3D Sea King. However, these were retired in 2013 and replaced by 22 Agusta Westland AW101 helicopters (delivered from 1999 to 2009) - the same basic airframe as the Royal Navy's Merlin HM2. These 22 aircraft consist of 4 EH-101A AEW helicopters, 10 SH-101A ASW helicopters, and 8 UH-101A transport helicopters. The SH-101A has the usual complement of surface-search radar, dipping sonar, EO sensors, and sonobouys. However, in addition to the MU-90 lightweight torpedo, it can also carry the Marte 2 lightweight antiship missile, significantly increasing its versatility. The EH-101A also stands out since it does not have a fold-out radar antenna as is found on other AEW helicopters. Instead it relies on an upgraded version of the APS-784 radar (dubbed the HEW-784) found on the SH-101A. The EH-101A can be distinguished from the SH-101A as its radome protrudes past the sides of its fuselage. The UH-101A is a standard naval transport helicopter with minimal avionics.
In 2009, Giuseppe Garibaldi was joined by the significantly larger Cavour. This 244-meter ship is a purpose-built carrier that includes a ski-jump for improved aircraft takeoff performance and lacks Giuseppe Garibaldi’s cruiser features. However, the Italian Navy never actually procured any additional aircraft to outfit its new carrier. Thus, Italy effectively has to share one air wing between two ships. Fortunately, this unhappy situation will largely be resolved with the Navy's planned purchase of 30 F-35B, the first of which was delivered in 2018.
Juan Carlos
Spanish carrier aviation was devastated by the 2008-2014 Spanish Financial Crisis. As part of the deep cuts in government spending towards the end of the crisis, Spain was forced to retire her dedicated carrier, Principe de Asturias, after only 25 years of service as well as scrap nearly half of her Harrier fleet and retire the AEW and EW systems for her helicopters. This has left Spain with Juan Carlos, which entered service in 2009, as her sole aviation platform. While the 231-meter Juan Carlos is significantly larger than Principe de Asturias and was built with a ski-jump for improved fixed-wing performance, she is still primarily an amphibious warfare ship. |
| 2019 Juan Carlos air wing: 8x AV-8B, 2x SH-3D, 2x AB212 |
The remaining Spanish Harrier fleet consists of 12 AV-8B and 1 TAV-8 trainer. Although the Spanish planes are technically designated the EAV-8B Matador, they have no significant differences from the Harriers in American or Italian service. As with the identically-sized Italian fleet, it is unlikely that more than 8 AV-8B would ever be available for deployment.
Rotary wing aircraft for Juan Carlos consist of the aging SH-3D Sea King 11-ton medium helicopter and the AB212 (the commercial designation for the famed UH-1 Huey) 6-ton light utility helicopter. Originally, 3 of the SH-3D were equipped with Searchwater AEW radars and 4 of the AB212 had electronic warfare equipment. However, these systems were removed and the helicopters that carried them converted to basic transports. In total, the Spanish Navy has 9 SH-3D and 7 AB212. However, these are shared with the two Galicia-class landing platforms and several auxiliaries, leaving only a small number of them for Juan Carlos.
Although the Spanish air wing is roughly equal to the British and Italian air wings in terms of the offensive combat power it can deliver, its combination of of a poor air-to-air fighter and a complete lack of AEW and ASW leaves it virtually useless for high intensity warfare.
