Two new aircraft carriers.

Rabbie

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Hope this hasn't been posted here before - can't be bothered to look!
USS REAGAN

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When the Bridge pipes 'Man the Rail' there is a lot of rail to man on this monster: shoulder to shoulder, around 45 acres. Her displacement is about 100,000 tons with full complement.

Capability:
Top speed exceeds 30 knots, powered by two nuclear reactors that can operate for more than 20 years without refuelling

1. Expected to operate in the fleet for about 50 years
2 Carries over 80 combat aircraft
3. Three arresting cables can stop a 28 - ton aircraft going 150 miles per hour in less than 400 feet

Size:
1. Towers 20 stories above the waterline
2. 1092 feet long; nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall
3. Flight deck covers 4.5 acres
4. 4 bronze propellers, each 21 feet across, weighing 66,200 pounds
5. 2 rudders, each 29 by 22 feet and weighing 50 tons
6. 4 high speed aircraft elevators, each over 4,000 sq ft capacity
7. Home to about 6,000 Navy personnel
8. Carries enough food and supplies to operate for 90 days
9. 18,150 meals served daily
10. Distillation plants provide 400,000 gallons of fresh water from sea water daily, enough for 2,000 homes
11. Nearly 30,000 light fixtures and 1,325 miles of cable and wiring 1,400 telephones
12. 14,000 pillowcases and 28,000 sheets
13. Costs the Navy approximately $250,000 per day for pier side operation
14. Costs the Navy approximately $25 million per day for underway operations (Sailor's salaries included).


HMS GORDON BROWN
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Sunday, July 20, 2008 The Royal Navy welcomed the latest member of its fleet today. The HMS Gordon Brown set sail today from its home port of Skegness .
The ship is the first of its kind in the Navy and is a standing legacy to Prime Minister Brown for his foresight in military budget cuts and his conduct while Prime Minister.

The ship is constructed nearly entirely from recycled aluminium and is completely solar powered with a top speed of 5 knots. It boasts an arsenal comprised of one (unarmed) F14 Tomcat or one (unarmed) F18 Hornet aircraft which, although they cannot be launched or captured on the 100 foot flight deck, form a very menacing presence.

As a standing order there are no firearms allowed on board.

The 20 person crew is completely diversified, including members of all races, creeds, sex, and sexual orientation.

This crew, like the crew aboard the Severn Ferry, is specially trained to avoid conflicts and appease any and all enemies of Britain at all costs!

An on - board Type One DNC Universal Translator can send out messages of apology in any language to anyone who may find Britain offensive. The number of apologies are limitless and though some may seem hollow and disingenuous, the Navy advises all apologies will sound very sincere.

The ship's purpose is not defined so much as a unit of national defence, but instead in times of conflict, the HMS Gordon Brown has orders to seek refuge in Blackpool.
The ship may be positioned near the Labour Party Headquarters for photo - ops.
The Browns should be very proud.
 
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Hav'nt we just launched HMS Daring under a Labour Government.Reported as one if not the most advanced warship in the world?

Well, it's been launched and it floats. And that's about it.
Meanwhile it's beset by all sorts of mechanical, electronic and software problems.
I think the current planning is to have it fully operational in a year or two.

Teething problems are to be expected for the first in class, but Daring seems to have more than a fair share.
 
Well, it's been launched and it floats. And that's about it.
Meanwhile it's beset by all sorts of mechanical, electronic and software problems.
I think the current planning is to have it fully operational in a year or two.

Teething problems are to be expected for the first in class, but Daring seems to have more than a fair share.

That's what happens when the state outsources this kind of thing to self serving capitalist arms manufacturers, motivated by profit. No such problems were ever experienced by the Soviet Navy.
 
Talking about the cold war Ruski kit. They tended to freeze the design early, after getting the ideas right. Then getting it made. In contrast to the west, that had lots of commities staffed with 2 year military apointees trying to make a name. This tended to add loads of time to the design phase and jack up the costs. Several Soviet jet fighters were very good if rather agricultural in their comforts. Way back the Mig 15s gave the US a real fright in Korea. And laterly the fighters made some of the Wests offerings look a bit passé. All in the past now. But lessons should have been learned.
Digressing a bit, some of the best aircraft were designed by very few people, often only one, with a good support team.
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Of course the lemons get forgotten.

As for this thread's OP, clumsy cheap shot. I have no time for GB or his cronies, can't wait for the reaper. But this sort of stuff should be down in the lounge (where I won't see it)
 
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Actually in the SW . (note the bit in my bio.) Which translates to be a bit south of Rochefort. Lived out of UK since '75. But still influenced by UK politics. Couldn't think of living in a Lab run UK (apart from the cost) and the French ignore most of the rules that are so keenly inforced in UK.
From what I'v seen, the South of France is not too much of a paradise. Lots of crime, high housing costs and overcrowding in the summer. Might be nice in the winter though.
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