Incredible and detailed work. However, I think your carrier's air wing could be more effectively optimized, especially given the size of your carriers. Currently under your "force projection outfit", you only have 24 multi-role fighters which is a pretty underwhelming number if you want to be doing sustained air combat operations. You currently have 8 Merlins in your CAG dedicated to ASW, however in theory you're going to be sailing with multiple escorts, most of which are embarking one, if not two, ASW helicopters. I'd be tempted to eliminate the helicopter ASW mission completely from your carrier and leave your escorts and their helos to deal with ASW threats.
Same goes for your HMAs, I'd reduce that to perhaps four at a maximum. That'll allow you to have one on station as a plane guard continuously rotating with another on standby. You'll likely be spending a lot of time on the open ocean so you won't be doing a lot of resupply via helicopter. You can dedicate your third unit to VERTREP/personnel transport and then have your fourth undergoing maintenance. You'll also have AORs and their helicopters to deal with replenishment-type tasks.
You've got a dozen aircraft for dedicated AEW/ESM/MRA which look to be based on the same airframe. In the interests of saving space I'd do something like the
Bombardier/Saab GlobalEye - essentially cram as many similar-type capabilities a possible into a single common type. That allows you to use one type of aircraft for several missions which will allow you to embark fewer specialized aircraft overall. Fixed-wing ASW is a "nice to have", but the current trend at least with the US Navy seems to be to leave that mission to helos where possible. Your Growlers should be able to share a portion of the ESM workload as well, which you'll likely want to do if you're going to be operating in contested airspace.
My final point is towards your "littoral manoeuvre" air wing - clearly Tol Galen has a large and very well funded and equipped navy. I don't see why you couldn't move your amphibious air wing do a vessel dedicated to that task. That way you can save your carriers for where they're really needed and you can dedicate your LHAs to amphibious warfare tasks.
- The aircraft figures are without taking into account a permanent deck park for any additional aircraft not able to be stowed. Deck spotting wise there's something like a further twenty four permanent Super Hornet sized spots available on the deck should there be a requirement to operate in high-density mode.
- There appears to have been a mixup on your part between the two variants (not that it matters as they were both equal, number wise) The ASH does not refer to anti-submarine but rather amphibious support, it's how the Italians refer to their ramp-equipped model 410s. The numbers could most certainly be cut down however (most likely 4 and 4 rather than removal of the HMA entirely)
- With the
MR2 the patrol and AEW variants are actually identical airframes that are from a common pool, it's just the tasking that is split. The ECM variant is the only one with modifications, which are similar to those found on the Shadow.
- You're not wrong there. It's one of the things on the to do list. Previous ideas had ranged from an Ocean analogue all the way up to the dual-tram LHX. If you check the fleet review linked in the top of the post you'll see that there are two LHAs accounted for, albeit not yet drawn.
EXCELLENT work Mark my old fruit bat
Jolly WELL DONE sir
I can't wait to see the rest of the updated fleet
Good things come to those who wait.
erik_t wrote: * | May 12th, 2017, 1:18 am |
I tend to agree with the general thrust of the comments on the airwing, but these are (as always) absolutely beautiful drawings.
I've had my own attempts to render SharpEye in a standards-compliant way... this solution is no worse than any of the ones I've played with.
One assumes you had them on the fusion
battleship destroyer?
Hood wrote: * | May 12th, 2017, 7:54 am |
Really nice to see this AU still ticking along. The updates look good but can't wait to see what new stuff you've done.
eswube wrote: * | May 11th, 2017, 7:02 pm |
Excellent drawings.
Ta much!