HMS PRINCE OF WALES - £3 billion scrap metal

 

£3 BILLION POUNDS WORTH OF SCRAP METAL, REPRESENTATIVE OF A BROKEN DOWN KINGDOM, BEREFT OF VISION OR PURPOSE, OTHER THAN BENEFITTING CORRUPT POLICIES TO MAKE ARMS DEALERS RICHER

 

 

Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier

 

 

BATHTUB DINOSAUR SENILITY - With the advent of drones and intelligent guided missiles, these floating museums might be seen as showboating in the extreme. The breakdown of the HMS Prince of Wales in February 2023, demonstrates the folly of investing in one large chunk of floating metal, when it can be disabled completely, like the Bismark, with one well aimed shot. What is needed in the modern world, are smaller autonomous, robotic craft, that carry drones like the Raptor - as many as they can carry. Before returning to a friendly port to re-arm. The war in Ukraine has shown that missiles aimed with great accuracy, are the order of the day. Low level satellites can be used to target the enemy with pinpoint accuracy. It's all about numbers and bombardment in the real world. Top-Gun Maverick days are over. Great film though it was. We don't need to sacrifice fighter pilots and we don't need TO sacrifice crew. The same applies to land based warfare. We need small agile robotic vehicles, well armed with missiles, that are cheap to deploy in large numbers, and difficult to eradicate, through sheer numbers. Heavy tanks will one day be a thing of the past, as will infantry. The first nation to develop and deploy such machines, are more likely to be the victor. World class tech leaders.

 

And, like the Brazilian Sao Paulo, the Navy will probably end up sinking the HMS Prince of Wales, rather than pay the high price of scrapping and dismantling a nuclear liability.

 

 

 

 

 

BROKEN DOWN BATHTUB - REPRESENTS HUGE WASTE OF TAXPAYER'S MONEY

 

The lack of vision is staggering. We let Russia build up her arms capability, by relying on imported gas and oil. We trade cheap goods with China and India, with less to sell in return, because we no longer make anything. And we left the European Union, with Brexit, another incredibly banal Conservative foul up, that has cost the British economy dear.

 

"We told you so," just does not cut it. There is no cure for stupidity, and for some reason, the British electorate like being lied to. So who is dim, the electorate for believing the hype, or the politicians for exaggerating to get elected. To wit: Boris Johnson's Big Red Bus deception, Partygate and Cash for Honours scandals. You name it, the level of corruption in British politics remains high, including the House of Lords, procurement scandal. But, sadly, the UK does not appear to have a competent alternative; a candidate standing out like a knight in shining armour. Labour and the Lib-Dem Alliance, borrowed just as much to shore up fossil fueled policies, that could not possibly lead anywhere, but to insolvency. When renewable energy, such as green hydrogen and a decent transport infrastructure for EV's should have been the order of the day.

 

The reason being that continued growth, in a shrinking world, makes no sense. The world is shrinking agriculturally and seafood wise. We are making deserts of previously arable land, and have fished out the acid oceans, now laden with toxic plastic and glass fibres. It's a carcinogenic minefield.

 

 

 

 

The Sao Paulo, before Brazil sunk her in the Atlantic

 

 

MORE SCRAP METAL - The Brazilian Sao Paulo, is another example of military irresponsibility. Tons of steel dumped in the ocean, when steel is a valuable resource, costing serious carbon dollars to produce. How dare they just throw all that away, and pollute the sea to cause harm to marine life? We think that warships should be designed to be recycled. The only exception is if they are destroyed during hostilities. But check out the planes on this vessel. Much smaller autonomous units could have greater firepower for air superiority - at a much lower cost to the taxpayer - and without loss of life. Also, being 100% recyclable, and sustainably powered.

 

 

 

 

Deforestation is also accelerating global warming. Soon, we will not want to kill Russians to halt Imperial aggression, but butcher them, to eat them. Being a valuable protein source, that humans typically stoop to during food shortages. Save us a slice of Putin. The Ruskies may be eating their fallen comrades as supply chains fail. Here's to Igor.

 

Though, Theresa May, is high on the menu in the UK, against rising food prices and staggering inflation levels - devaluing pensioner's savings at the rate of something like 10% per year. Leaders are normally consumed first by starving mobs, by way of making up for their misdeeds. But, even Bojo's bulk could not provide much in the way of meals for the hungry. And even his bank balance from speech making is worthless, when the supermarket shelves are empty.

 

The message is clear, don't save money (pounds sterling, coin of the realm) it is worthless in a freefall economy. They cannot pay "the bearer on demand." That is another lie. There is virtually no gold reserve in the UK or USA. So, invest in tradable assets that can be bartered, and keep their value. Such as gold and silver. Or, for the really wealthy, diamonds. Wood is good. Build a log cabin and put solar panels on it to save energy costs. Grow your own crops. So buy land to farm. Keep chickens. Self sufficiency is the order of the day, when a government is incompetent. Don't let them rape your pension fund. It is stealing by negligence, or a form of fraud.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That is why the UK Government is trying to digitalize everything. To keep their citizens enslaved. We imagine that the smarter folk will be looking for alternatives to paper money, to escape financial slavery. Some have tried crypto-currency in desperation. But that is essentially pyramid selling based on absolutely nothing. Thin air. And that is free. Many have lost a fortune. Having at first seen digital profits stacking up, enticing them to risk more. We feel for them, but what persuaded them to invest in nothing? They probably also believed Boris Johnson's buffoonery. We'd be better off with Alice from Wonderland. Away with the fairies maybe, but a damn sight cheaper. And more truthful!

 

Now with European MEPs under investigation against bribery allegations, why on earth did the UK employ a French company for their latest hulking bathtub, when courting Brexit? Wow. That's like the Ukraine employing Russia to supply arms.

 

 

 

 

Admiral Sir George Zambellas  Defence Secretary Philip Hammond

 

 

Smiling all the way to the bank, British naval subcontractors are reaping the rewards of reckless government spending in times of economic austerity, on warships that are not needed in time of peace. Who in their right mind builds the biggest ever ship when there is no need for that vessel. When to stay ahead in the arms race, you need cost effective technology solutions. We need leaders with vision. In government and in the armed forces. Where is Barnes Wallace when you need him.

 

 

 

 

 

CHRISTENING JULY 6 2014

 

Her Majesty The Queen officially christened the Queen Elizabeth II with a bottle of whisky in 2014. Why not, they must have been on the sauce when dreaming up this scheme.

 

 

 

 

 

Never mind the floral outfits, the UK under Queen Elizabeth could not afford to replace the Royal Yacht Britannia, and now with the cost of living crisis and staggering National Debts in the region of £2.7 trillion, one wonders if the once proud Empire is hurtling towards bankruptcy.

 

 

 

 


Towering at 56 metres and weighing in at [displacement] 65,000 tonnes, HMS Queen Elizabeth was the largest ship ever built for the Royal Navy in times of peace. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aircraft carriers remain as a showboat exercise of a nation’s naval senility in an age where drones and missiles are the real threats. Geoff Searle, the program director for the ACA, battleships like HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier is quoted as saying: “are a significant diplomatic tool – they can go anywhere and do anything” – one colossal mobile airfield that you can park anywhere. At the staggering cost of over 5,5 billion dollars each, the two new UK aircraft carriers of the QE-class cost as much as 10 big cruise ships – each. In a WWIII situation, an enemy is likely to target the Nimitz and QE class carriers to level the playing field. It's a giant international "dick" measuring exercise with potentially far reaching consequences, not least of which is; how much has this increased our national debt?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The HMS Prince of Wales, is a massive embarrassment, at a time when the UK needs to be on red-alert, on a potential war footing with Russia, and perhaps China. Even India appears to be allied to Vladimir Putin, sucking up to the former KGB officer, for cheap oil imports.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From one extreme to the other. The leading section of the bows looks like a torpedo. It seeks to reduce hull drag by inducing laminar flow ahead of the conventional bow wave. All new cruise ships feature a “bulbous nose”. It is a strangely looking protruding nose located at the ship’s bow just below waterline. This hydrodynamic appendage reduces drag and increases the speed and operational range, making the QE fuel efficient (10-13%) and more stable (increasing buoyancy of the hull’s forward part, thus reducing pitching motion to a very small degree). The “ER” on the bow stands for “Elizabeth Regina” – this is the QE ship’s coat of arms.

 

The huge propellers are designed to convert rotary motion into thrust, to push the huge steel hull through the water. Any way you slice this particular cake, the warship will contribute hugely to global warming. £3.5 billion could be wiped out by one cruise missile. There must be a cleaner, safer way to patrol our oceans and deter threats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2012 the Rolls-Royce company repackaged the MT30 turbine so that it would fit into smaller ships. The company will offer the MT30 model to the Royal navy for the CODLOG system in the RN’s Type 26 frigates (their construction to start in 2015). The MT30 engine design is based on Rolls-Royce Trent 800 aero engine, which achieved a 44% share of Boeing’s 777 program.  Both QE-class UK aircraft carriers have the most powerful gas turbine in the world. HMS Queen Elizabeth power output is 109 MW (total). This absolutely stunning power generation capability features the two 120-tonne Rolls-Royce MT30 marine gas turbine engines.

Each of the HMS QE ship’s 2 gas turbines (the MT30 model was firstly produced in 2002) generates 36 MW – enough to power a small town. Both gas marine turbines will provide the power for the 2 propellers, weapons, sensors, command systems, the lower voltage requirements of the ship’s company. The MT30 turbine was engineered to meet the needs of both naval ships and commercial marine vessels. The list of its naval applications includes frigates, destroyers, and of course – aircraft carriers. The gas turbine main features are:

* compact size (15ft /4,5m in length)
* light weight (total module weight as a set 77t)
* great flexibility to the ship design process
* full authority digital control
* fully integrated alarm, monitoring and control

 

 

 

GAS GUZZLER STATISTICS

 

Cost to Build: £3,5 billion (US$5,520 billion), which is exactly £7 billion for the two carriers of the QE-class by the 2008 contract. And the money goes to (related to the construction of both ships): £1,325mill to BVT Surface Fleet (BAE and VT Group joint venture) for building the huge sections at Govan and Portsmouth, £300mill to BAE for the sections at Barrow-in-Furness, £675mill to Babcock Marine for the bow section/final assembly/completion at Rosyth, £425mill to Thales UK (design/engineering), £275mill to BAE (design and supply of Mission Systems (Insyte), additional contracts for the steel, diesel generators, aircraft lifts, key electronics.

 

Jobs created: hull section (Portsmouth – 1200), hull sections (Govan/Clyde – 3000+), hull section (Barrow-in-Furness – 400+), BAE Systems Insyte (Frimley, Surrey – 145), Thales UK (Bristol and Crawley – 250), for the assembly of both ships (Rosyth – 1,600). In the end of 2013, a total of 10,000+ people were involved in the process of building and providing equipment for the new UK carriers.

 

Size Comparison: HMS Queen Elizabeth will be 3 times the size of the UK’s only one remaining carrier HMS Illustrious and will be 2nd only to the USA’s nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.

 

Year of service: the end of 2017, fully operational by the end of 2020 (with HMS Prince Of Wales 2 years behind). On HMS QE sea trials to begin 2017, flight trials – 2018.

 

Homeport: (Her Majesty’s Naval Base) HMNB Portsmouth, one of three UK operating bases for the Royal Navy (along with HMNB Clyde and HMNB Devonport).

Capacity/Crew: 1450 (1600 company+aircrew), complement 686+, max 40 aircraft (which is double the existing UK carriers capacity).


The “food statistics” infographic (fun facts regarding the catering and food supplies on board the QE aircraft carrier) says the following: 40 chefs among the cooking staff, 12,000 tins of beans, 64,800 eggs, 66,000 sausages, 28, 800 bacon rashers, 1,000 loaves of bread (a day).

(Royal Navy) Ship Class: Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers (2 ships-in-class – sister ship HMS Prince of Wales (R09).


HMS QE carrier’s first Captain will be Commodore Jerry Kyd – former Captain of the UK aircraft carriers Ark Royal (1981-2013/scrapped) and Illustrious (1978-in active service). Godmother is Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II.

 

Including the Flight Deck, the QE hull is 9 decks deep. Due to budget restraints, a number of hull armor features were dropped form the original project design (the armored bulkheads and the side armorplates). QE’s hull design allows a future upgrade/conversion to accommodate a catapult launch system.

Deck area/facilities: 172,220 ft2 (or 16,000 m2, or by the words of one official “4 acres of sovereign territory” at sea), a huge hangar below deck (50,600 ft2 / 4,700 m2, volume 29000m3), flight deck (140,000 ft2 / 13,000 m2, ski jump angled at 13°), 2 aircraft lifts (capable of 70t loads/ which means two F-35′s/ to flight deck from the hangar in 60 sec), machine rooms, water-treatment equipment, ammunition storage space, a weapons handling bay, a room for the crew to play football (located in the passageways), accommodations for 1650, no catapults/arrestor wires.

 

Weight/Displacement: 65,600 tonnes (64,600 long t) at deep/full load. This is about 3 times the size of the Royal Navy’s current aircraft carriers of the Invincible class. For the construction of the two UK future aircraft carries a total of 80,000 t. of steel will be used.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMO number: 4907892.

* Length overall 932 ft (284 m).
* Width/Beam: overall/flight deck 239,4 ft (73 m), waterline 128 ft (39 m).
* Height: 184 ft (56 m) overall/from keel to masthead.
* Draught/Draft: 36 ft (11 m). 

* Top Speed: 25 kn (29 mph or 46 km/h).

* Range: up to 10,000 nautical ml (19,000 km).

* Service life of up to 50 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

DINOSAURS & TAXES

 

Aircraft carriers are an outdated form of battleship that superpowers like to parade about the ocean to demonstrate affluence, in the process polluting the planet massively and raping the taxpayer to be able to play with these new toys - that with other far more economical methods of defense, is nothing less than empire building. 

 

The new UK Queen Elizabeth class carrier is no exception. It's like someone buying a suit that one cannot afford, just to come to the table and appear wealthier that one really is, but in reality the buying of the suit is at the expense of an unsustainable national debt.

 

Most navies have retired this class of warship with no plans to commission another. A few navies are newly dabbling with self-build to discover the tremendous cost causing delays to completion. Only the US and UK (both of whom have serious national debts) are investing seriously in replacing the Nimitz class so that they can continue to thumb their noses at poorer less advanced nations like playground bullies. 

 

These days it only takes one torpedo, or one cruise missile to sink a large warship. The larger the conventional warship the more staggering the loss of life - and the blow to the nation concerned. It's a high price to pay for a bit of ocean swagger, where the money would be far better spent providing clean (free) energy from nature for housing and zero pollution electric motoring. That is of course another means to keeping the peace, instead of constantly coveting our neighbors oil reserves - the cause of most serious military engagements in the past ten years.

 

The question is that with stakeholders prepared to do just about anything to secure defense contracts, how is the man in the street to know who agreed what, why and how much may have been involved in brown envelopes. Generally in tackling procurement fraud one need look no further than the companies involved and the administration that is running the country. This is one reason that politicians should not be allowed financial interests in business, and especially not in foreign businesses, and that military procurement should be as a result of facts upon which the public have a direct say.

 

 

 

 

 

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Looking at her afloat, the design could have been improved many ways. She is hardly aerodynamic for starters, and there's not a renewable energy harvester in sight. Shame on you Royal Navy. That would have been a real diplomatic coup - leading the sustainability cause by example.

 

 

 

 

LINKS & REFERENCE

 

http://www.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that is what we call a rudder. Let's hope it can turn the ship quicker than the Titanic, should an iceberg ever get in the way.

 

 

 

 

SUBMARINE INDEX

 

Alvin DSV - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

HMS Astute 1st of Class

HMS Vanguard- Trident

INS Sindhurakshak - explosion & sinking

Lusitania - Torpedo attack

Nuclear submarines lost at sea

Predator - Covert submarine hunter/killer

Seawolf - Autonomous wolf pack deployment of Predator mini-subs

Torpedoes - UUV anti submarine weapons

U20 - Kapitan Leutnant Walther Schwieger

USS Alabama

USS Bluefish WWI submarine

USS Bluefish - Nuclear submarine

USS Flying Fish

USS Jimmy Carter - Seawolf class fast attack nuclear submarine

USS Nautilus - 1st nuclear submarine & subsea north pole passage

USS Scorpion

 

 

 

AIRCRAFT CARRIER INDEX

 

Cavour - Italy

Chakri Naruebet - Thailand

Clemenceau - France

Dokdo - Republic Korea

Gerald Ford Class - USA

Hyuga - Japan

Invincible - UK

Kuznetsov - Russia

Liaoning - China

Nimitz - USA

Principe de Asturias - Spain

Queen Elizabeth - UK

Vikrant Class - India

 

WARSHIPS

 

Bismarck - Battleship - Germany

HMS Neptune - Leander class cruiser 1941 WWII

Type 23 - Duke class frigate - UK

Type 26 - Global combat ship - UK

Type 45 - Daring class destroyer - UK

Electric prototype - USA

Zumwalt - Class destroyer - USA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fat chance. The way the Royal Navy conducts themselves, there is virtually zero prospect of sustainable convoys. It's more like an oil crisis disaster movie in the making. 

 

 

 

 

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