Britain’s fleet of aircraft carriers have been given a huge upgrade as the threat of WW3 looms large.
The Queen-Elizabeth-class will now be equipped with deck-launched long-range missiles and unscrewed aerial systems as part of a significant upgrade to their striking capabilities, the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) has confirmed.
It marks a seismic shift in the role of carriers in naval warfare – going from a ‘passive’ hub that purely launches jets to becoming multi-faceted striking platforms capable of delivering destructive firepower.
The SDR outlines the Royal Navy’s move toward hybrid carrier air wings that are a mix of crewed combat aircraft to autonomous strike weapons launched from the deck itself.
“Carrier strike is already at the cutting-edge of NATO capability but much more rapid progress is needed in its evolution into ‘hybrid’ carrier airwings,” the review states.
“Whereby crewed combat aircraft (F-35B) are complemented by autonomous collaborative platforms in the air, and expendable, single-use drones.
“Plans for the hybrid carrier airwings should also include long-range precision missiles capable of being fired from the carrier deck.”
While it is not specified exactly which missile systems are under consideration to be launched from the carriers, it does refer to “long-range precision missiles capable of being fired from the carrier deck”.
As such, this points to more ambitious plans “beyond current F-35B-launched munitions”, according to the UK Defence Journal.
This builds on the UK’s ongoing Future Maritime Aviation Force programme that explores various opportunities for carrier operations.
