Thistle
Well-Known Member
You surround it with tugs and forget to switch on its AIS.
In Rosyth, now. See https://www.vesselfinder.com/
How do you hide an aircraft carrier?
- Thread starter Thistle
- Start date
You surround it with tugs and forget to switch on its AIS.
In Rosyth, now. See https://www.vesselfinder.com/
Lucky Duck
Well-Known Member
Same as when I last saw it depart Portsmouth - the tugs had their AIS on but not the carrier.
LittleSister
Well-Known Member
So if the UK were under air attack while the carrier was in port, would they have to send the tugs out in formation (with AIS on) to act as a decoy?
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
None of the naval ships patrolling with border force between Greece and Turkey transmit on AIS. Two years ago we saw one that displayed as NATO ship but that's the only one we have seen.
newtothis
Well-Known Member
The Grey Funnel Line is pretty much exempt from any general maritime regulations. A real-world case of might is right (of way).
capnsensible
Well-Known Member
Nope. Sorry but well wrong.
Foolish Muse
Well-Known Member
Paint the portholes red and hide it in a cherry tree.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
We don't need AIS to reveal British military secrets to the enemy, not while we have Cambridge graduates in positions of trust.
MoodySabre
Well-Known Member
Paint it yellow and hide it in a bowl of custard.
Blue Sunray
Well-Known Member
Good lord man, they can't afford Oxbridge types these days, Bristol or St Andrews at best.
Neeves
Well-Known Member
Do you realistically think that our friends (some of whom might be considered dubious - until they need back up) and enemies (I think they are the same for both of us) rely on AIS to follow each other's tracks.
If AIS was the sole source then the idea of a drone carrying the AIS signal would have merit and be very cheap - but I don't think it would work.
Jonathan
If AIS was the sole source then the idea of a drone carrying the AIS signal would have merit and be very cheap - but I don't think it would work.
Jonathan
BurnitBlue
Well-Known Member
I think the RN tried a stealth carrier but dropped the project when all the aircraft that took of had to ditch in the sea because they could not find the carrier to land on.
grumpy_o_g
Well-Known Member
Oddly enough it does matter in this day and age of total nutters with access explosives. A newspaper report of a visit and an AIS transmission could be enough for someone to throw some explosives into a boat and try a USS Cole style attack. I agree that, if the nuclear powers start bombing each other's aircraft carriers, then AIS won't be an issue to anyone for long....
grumpy_o_g
Well-Known Member
They seem to have tried stealth Captains recently as well, with equal success...
BobnLesley
Well-Known Member
You'd need to move the elephants first to make room for it.
BobnLesley
Well-Known Member
About four or five years ago, having sailed overnight down the Chesapeake Bay, we were in the extreme SW corner of the bay approaching the James & Elizabeth Rivers when a US 'Battle Fleet' hove into view from the east (seaward) gaining on us fast when we got the VHF Call: "Small sailing vessel..." Having identified ourselves we were advised that we were 'approaching their exclusion zone and needed to change course immediately'. I politely responded, noting that we weren't approaching them, they were approaching us and that given our current locations, any change of course would actually take us even nearer to them.
There followed perhaps thirty seconds silence then a new instruction to 'maintain present course, but increase speed immediately to fifteen knots', whereupon I suggested that they needed put someone on the radio who knew something about sail boats, because our current 5.5kts was as good as it was going to get.
Another 30-40 seconds and we got a new voice, instructing that we 'move a minimum of 1000' to starboard immediately'. By this time we were right in the entrance, on the outside starboard edge of the channel and in no more than 4m of water; I explained (still being polite) that perhaps he didn't understand sail boats either, as besides not being capable of 15 knots, we didn't have any wheels either and the beach is less than 200' to starboard of us.
In the expected but somewhat longer period of silence we continued motorsailing south at best speed for another 5-10 minutes, until we received a call delivered in almost a shriek (the Battle Fleet's now well within a mile of us and three rapidly advancing ribs are closer still) instructing that 'there is now open water to your starboard side, turn IMMEDIATELY'.
I - finally beginning to get Peed-off with them - suggested that besides a better knowledge of sailboats, it might be worth their while getting someone who could read charts aboard too; that 'open water' was Hampton Flats, it was only 3-4' deep and we drew six!
In an effort to resolve the situation I then enquired as to whether they intended going up the Elizabeth (more likely) or James Rivers as I would then head into the other one out of their way. The silence was brief that time: 'For security reasons we cannot broadcast that information.'
I'd had enough, advising that if they could find both a chart and someone capable of reading it, then they would see that there was a triangular section of deepish water just where the two river channels separated; I was going to proceed into that area and turn circles until they'd gone by. I'd be well inside their exclusion zone, but as there were now three ribs accompanying us (nice enough lads, they smiled and waved) they could circle with us to keep an eye on us.
We got no further response, but not only did the armed-ribs circle, a tug-boat shaped vessel with a couple of cannons on the front came over and anchored nearby to guard us too as we turned circles for the next 30-40 minutes. More ridiculously, having gone another mile up the Elizabeth River and reversed the carrier into its berth, the river was re-opened to other traffic before they'd closed the security boom across the carriers bow; in the next few minutes perhaps 100+ boats, including us, all motored past within 100m of it!
Seajet
...
The security at Portsmouth has massively increased since the arrival of our new carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth - the harbour is effectively shut down when she moves, then again it's a VERY narrow entrance for her.
It's long been standard to keep to the west of the harbour which is away from the naval base anyway but there are at least three layers of security patrols;
the ' Harbour Wombles ' - friendly volunteers who generally help out all round the harbour, liaising with QHM, Queens' Harbour Master.
Then there are the fairly big mobos, who love their new found powers to chase any boat away if they stray vaguely near.
Then the RIBS full of armed guys who I've heard about but not seen - yet.
It's all quite reasonable in the harbour, but like you I have become overtaken by a gaggle of warships mid - English Channel, loads of various NATO warships on exercise - no Notices To Mariners and radio silence, so we couldn't do much except carry on our way - that was before the modern security concerns though and such a situation now would be a worry.
It's long been standard to keep to the west of the harbour which is away from the naval base anyway but there are at least three layers of security patrols;
the ' Harbour Wombles ' - friendly volunteers who generally help out all round the harbour, liaising with QHM, Queens' Harbour Master.
Then there are the fairly big mobos, who love their new found powers to chase any boat away if they stray vaguely near.
Then the RIBS full of armed guys who I've heard about but not seen - yet.
It's all quite reasonable in the harbour, but like you I have become overtaken by a gaggle of warships mid - English Channel, loads of various NATO warships on exercise - no Notices To Mariners and radio silence, so we couldn't do much except carry on our way - that was before the modern security concerns though and such a situation now would be a worry.
Robert Wilson
Well-Known Member
Which reminds me of that wonderful exchange of VHF traffic between the US Atlantic Fleet flagship and a "light on my starboard bow", during which the flagship officer became more irate in each response as the light refused to turn out of the way.
Finally the light said "I suggest you turn away, I am holding my position. - Skerryvore Light-house. OUT."
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
Anyone with eyesight so bad that they can't spot an aircraft carrier without electronic aids should probably not be trying to wire up bombs.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
I know someone who was instructed by Air Traffic Control to maintain his altitude and heading. He was, as they knew, in a glider.
