PA NG - next gen French Aircraft carrier program

TomS said:
TomS said:
Ah, so not a third but just the second relocated to the other side of the ship and moved forward a bit. Makes sense -- having them distributed like this reduces the need to launch missiles across the flight deck.
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Hmm. I've had a closer look at that third Navy Lookout picture and there are clearly two VLS nests to port, for a total of three.
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They look like deep Sylver VLS as well. I think there is room for Sylver A70 by the looks of it. Easy enough for the 7 metre height of them.

Makes sense for future proofing and for ballistic missile defence I guess.
 
H_K said:
timmymagic said:
They look like deep Sylver VLS as well. I think there is room for Sylver A70 by the looks of it. Easy enough for the 7 metre height of them.
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Good eye. The video interview by Naval News mentions Aster 15/30 so at the very least those are Sylver A50s.
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I see a comment on Reddit that the starboard nest is 16 cells, versus 8 each on the two port side ones. So, matching the total installation on CdG but possibly with longer-range SAMs
 
TomS said:
H_K said:
timmymagic said:
They look like deep Sylver VLS as well. I think there is room for Sylver A70 by the looks of it. Easy enough for the 7 metre height of them.
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Good eye. The video interview by Naval News mentions Aster 15/30 so at the very least those are Sylver A50s.
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I see a comment on Reddit that the starboard nest is 16 cells, versus 8 each on the two port side ones. So, matching the total installation on CdG but possibly with longer-range SAMs
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Had a look at some video walkrounds of the model and all 3 appear to be the same length as well so no division between different cells for 15 and 30.

Compared to the height of the Rafale's on the mockup, based on the reasonable assumption that every thing is to scale, they're definitely the full fat Sylver A70.
 
Archibald said:
You can bet they will build only one, unfortunately. Unless we find oil somewhere, or diamonds...
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Which will be sad if that is the case, after all the research and development that has gone into the carrier and that is before they get the carrier actually built, tested and put into service.
 
That the main issue with being a medium power, yet wanting Kitty-hawk size, nuclear carriers.
China can afford that, the USA, too - in large numbers. India, too.
Russia once could but nowadays barely can.
All those countries are huge, with big populations and lots of resources.
This leaves France and the UK as the last medium powers wanting full size carriers. It is a pity France cannot at least build from the Q.Es, say a nuclear & CATOBAR variant of them (PA2 & CVF, how we still miss you !)
 
Well, port elevators are essentially useless in the modern age, so you can see there is a VLS bank there, and PA NG has two VLS banks. So the reason there is no third starboard elevator on the 300m hull is because the second VLS battery takes up the place of it, as it does the port elevator. A 330m hull might accommodate a third starboard elevator though.
 
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In addition to purchasing the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) for Miller, the modification awarded to General Atomics includes an effort for a “case study and developmental research in support of the potential future procurement of EMALS and AAG for the government of France.”
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news.usni.org

General Atomics Wins $1.2B Contract for EMALS, AAG on Future Carrier Doris Miller, French Carrier Study - USNI News

The builder of the electromagnetic catapults and advanced arresting gear used by the Navy’s Ford-class aircraft carrier won a $1.19 billion contract for the purchase of the systems aboard the future USS Doris Miller (CVN-81), the Pentagon said in a Wednesday contract announcement. In addition to...
news.usni.org news.usni.org
 
Oh, man that is an attractive ship. The French do make them pretty.

I do have a question about the lack of a port side elevator, I'd kinda expect one aft of the waist cat that should be clear of the angled deck.


Kat Tsun said:
Here's hoping they'll make two but they probably won't. :(
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Yes, only having one will make it a nightmare for scheduling. You really need 3 of any given ship to be able to keep one at sea.


Kat Tsun said:
A single starboard bow cat is ideal because bow cats are generally unavailable to begin with though? You stage your DLIs and BARCAPs off the port bow.

Unless you're a STOBAR carrier like Soviet or English designs, you are using the bow for storage of aircraft most of the time. If you're not doing that, then you're prepping an alfa strike with the entire combat ready air wing and probably have another carrier (or two) providing both local air/seaspace control and strike group escort, and probably have a diminished air wing size to begin with.

Two bow cats is marginally more flexible, but in practice this won't be appreciated without a air wing of (presently) impossible size. A single bow cat is adequate for any conceivable current or future air wing size and in all likelihood will probably go unused in the majority of cases.
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It's not about the flexibility, it's about operating while not everything is working.

Two bow cats means you can have one down for maintenance and still not be totally screwed in terms of air operations.
 
Scott Kenny said:
only having one will make it a nightmare for scheduling. You really need 3 of any given ship to be able to keep one at sea.
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Alas, a three carrier fleet has been a pipe dream since 1959 (cancellation of PA58 Verdun then PA59 "third Clemenceau"). Or 1974 when Arromanches went to the breakers.

Nowadays France had given up a carrier fleet. Alternatives are a) AdA Rafales from forward bases (Djibouti, UAE, overseas territories) b) SCALP cruise missiles on frigates and submarines c) Tigres on Mistrals

As seen in Lybia, 2011.
 
On the other hand, Macron is desperate enough at the moment, politically speaking, that a headline grabbing increase in the carrier buy and associated forces/equipment may not be out of the question.
 
starviking said:
And I note, that opposed to my screengrab in post #334, the port centre deck catapult seems to have gone, but is represented in outline under the forward wheels of the Rafales.

Fitted for but not with?
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It's a problem they have, planning for only 2 cats instead of 3. Notice, if I remember well, that the issue is not arrested as it transpired in the DCS with an extra one as an option.
 
An Island is an Island in my opinion, look at the USS Nimitz carrier Islands for example they were not designed for their looks. And any way they may redesign the Island on the PANG before it enters service.
 

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