Texas First Class
| Texas First Class Aircraft Carrier | |
| File:TF 01.jpg Texas First Class Aircraft Carrier | |
| Career | File:Flag of the Allied States of America.png |
|---|---|
| Nationality: | Allied States of America |
| Operated by: | Allied States Navy |
| Builder: | Euskalduna North America Trinity Shipbuilding and Shipyard |
| Ordered: | June 2007 |
| Launched: | February 2009 (First of class) |
| Commissioned: | December 2010 (First of class) |
| Status: | In Service |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 83,000 tons |
| Length: | 303 m |
| Beam: | 77 m |
| Draft: | 10 m |
| Power: | 2x500 MW |
| Propulsion: | 2 A1B nuclear reactors with four pods |
| Speed: | 37 knots |
| Maximum speed: | 45 knots |
| Range: | Unlimited distance; 20-25 years |
| Complement: | Ships company 3,090 Air wing: 1,740 |
| Armament: | Sensors AN/SPS-48E 3-D air search radar AN/SPS-49(V)8 2-D air search radar AN/SPQ-9B target acquisition radar TERMA ATM Air Traffic Management 4 × Mk 91 NSSM guidance systems 4 × Mk 95 radars 1 x TERMA Hull Inspector Sensor 1 x TERMA DD90 Diver Detection System Electronic warfare 1 x TERMA SME-200 Tactical EMS / ELINT 1 x TERMA NLWS Naval Laser Warning System Decoys 2 x TERMA DL-12T decoy launcher 2 x TERMA Loki torpedo countermeasure Armament 2 x 8cell RIM-162 ESSM 4 × RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles 4 x Phalanx CIWS |
| Aircraft carried: | 60+ |
The Texas First Class aircraft carrier is the first aircraft carrier class designed and manufactured in Allied States of America under the requeriments of the Allied States Navy. It is an evolution of the Nimitz Class with several technical improvements in order to reduce weight, increase speed and reduce the crew requirement and the cost of construction and operation.
Background
Unlike the Nimitz Class that was a design inherited from the United States, the Texas First Class was thought to meet the operational needs of the Allied States Navy. The new class of aircraft carrier was designed as a smaller vessel but a multirole, more versatile and less expensive to build and operate than the previous Nimitz Class.
The Texas First Class mission statement has been officially defined: "The Texas First Class is to be a joint defence asset with the primary purpose of providing the ASA with an expeditionary offensive air capability that has the flexibility to operate the largest possible range of aircraft in the widest possible range of roles."
Nine top-level Key User Requirements (KURs) have been laid out, as follows:
- KUR 1 Interoperability: TFC shall be able to contribute to joint/combined operations;
- KUR 2 Integration: TFC shall be able to integrate with the joint battlespace to the extent required to support air group operations, command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) functions and survivability;
- KUR 3 Availability: TFC shall be able to provide one operational and available platform at all times;
- KUR 4 Deployability: TFC shall be able to deploy for operations worldwide;
- KUR 5 Sustainability: TFC shall be able to sustain operations;
- KUR 6 Aircraft operation: TFC shall be able to deploy offensive air power to the sortie-generation profile specified without host-nation support;
- KUR 7 Survivability: TFC shall be able to achieve a high probability of survival;
- KUR 8 Flexibility: TFC shall be able to operate the largest possible range of aircraft; and
- KUR 9 Versatility: TFC shall be able to operate in the widest range of roles.
It is expected that TFC will be tasked:
- As an early coercive presence that can promote conflict prevention through deterrence;
- As a flexible and rapidly deployable offshore base during expeditionary operations when airfields may be unavailable or denied, or when facilities ashore are still being established; and
- Contributing to the support of peacekeeping forces, and, when necessary, initiating offensive military action.
Design
Isle
The Texas First Class has a highly unusual configuration of two separate small islands for macks, bridge and control towers, instead of the traditional single structure. This provides a physical separation of key ship and flying control function and reduces air turbulence over the flight deck..
One of the two big deck-edge aircraft lifts is clearly visible btween the two isles.
Hull
The stealthy hull shape with its highly flared sides is accompained with curved flight deck edges to reduce radar signature, a new underwater hull-coating system, deck covering modernized to reduce ship weight by 100 tons, low Solar Absorptive and Anti-Stain Paint, and a redesigned hangar bay that has less clutter. Specifications include a new propeller design, a new bulbous bow design that provides more buoyancy to the forward end of the ship and improves hull efficiency.
Flight deck
The 9º angled flight decks of the carriers use a CATOBAR arrangement to operate aircraft, with catapults and arrestor wires for launch and recovery. The design of the flight deck was made to improve aircraft handling, storage, and flow. Texas First Class has 2 catapults, 1 bow and 1 waist and the number of aircraft lifts from hangar deck to flight deck level is 2, but they are considerably larger than those in previous aircraft carrier classes. The design of the flight deck are instrumental in the maximization of sortie generation.
The route of weapons to the aircraft stops on the flight deck has been planned to accommodate higher re-arming rates, and in turn higher potential sortie rates.
Another major improvement is the creation of a deck space for a centralized re-arming and re-fueling location. This reduces the number of times that an aircraft will have to be moved after landing before it can be launched again. Fewer aircraft movements require, in turn, fewer deck hands to accomplish them, reducing the size of the ship's crew. On Texas First carriers the time that it takes to launch a plane after it has landed is defined by the time necessary to re-arm and re-fuel. To minimize this time, ordnance will be moved by robotic devices from storage areas to the centralized re-arming location via re-located weapons elevators. The new path that ordnance follows does not cross any areas of aircraft movement, thereby reducing traffic problems in the hangars and on the flight deck.
The launching system has been designed to use Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) developed by General Atomics for the Gerald R. Ford Class aircraft carriers. This system allows to launch aircraft from carriers using a linear motor drive instead of steam pistons used in conventional aircraft catapults. This technology reduces stress on airframes because they can be accelerated more gradually to takeoff speed than steam-powered catapults. EMALS also uses less fresh water, reducing the need for energy-intensive desalination.
Power generation & propulsion
For the power generation of the ship, 2 A1B nuclear reactors manufactured by Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corporation are installed. Aditional NAtech NAsoft ST energy servers provide emergency energy source.
The propulsion system is fully electrical with four AZIPOD s (ABB azimut thrusters) mounted externally to the main hull. The electricity for the motors is supplied by the power system.
Electronic systems
Sensors
- AN/SPS-48E 3-D air search radar
- AN/SPS-49(V)8 2-D air search radar
- AN/SPQ-9B target acquisition radar
- TERMA ATM Air Traffic Management
- 4 × Mk 91 NSSM guidance systems
- 4 × Mk 95 radars
- 1 x TERMA Hull Inspector Sensor
- 1 x TERMA DD90 Diver Detection System
Electronic warfare
Decoys
Armament
The Texas First Class uses three main weapon systems.The weapons system of the ships are:
- 2 x 8cell RIM-162 ESSM
- 4 × RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles
- 4 x Phalanx CIWS
Air wing
The ship are able to carry more than 60 aircrafts. The 2012 Typical Aircraft wing is formed by:
- 14 F/A-18E or F Super Hornets as strike fighters
- 28 F/A-18C Hornets as strike fighters
- 4 EA-6B Prowlers for electronic warfare
- 4 E-2C Hawkeyes used for AWACS
- 4 C-2 Greyhounds used for logistics
- 6 SH-60F & HH-60H Seahawks as Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron
List of ships
| # | Name | Ordered | Launched | Commissioned |
| C-101 | ASV Texas First | June 2007 | February 2009 | December 2010 |
| C-102 | ASV Wichita | June 2007 | May 2009 | May 2011 |
Queen Elizabeth Class
| Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carrier | |
| File:QEAC01.jpg Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carrier | |
| Career | .svg){kind=small} |
|---|---|
| Nationality: | United Kingdom |
| Operated by: | Her Majesty's Navy |
| Builder: | Euskalduna Solutions UK |
| Ordered: | March 2008 |
| Launched: | December 2009 (First of class) |
| Commissioned: | January 2011 (First of class) |
| Status: | In Service |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 79,000 tons |
| Length: | 297 m |
| Beam: | 74 m |
| Draft: | 10 m |
| Power: | 4x90 MW |
| Propulsion: | NAtech Hybrid Multi-Gas Power Plant with four pods |
| Speed: | 35 knots |
| Maximum speed: | 43 knots |
| Range: | 17,400 miles at 35 knots |
| Complement: | Ships company 2,930 Air wing: 1,570 |
| Armament: | Sensors 1 x TERMA C-Flex Combat Management System 1 x TERMA ATM Air Traffic Management 1 x TERMA C-Fire Control System 2 x Saab EOS 500 Weapons Control Radar 2 x TERMA SCANTER 6000 Surveillance Radar 1 x TERMA Hull Inspector Sensor 1 x TERMA DD90 Diver Detection System Electronic warfare 1 x TERMA SME-200 Tactical EMS / ELINT 1 x TERMA NLWS Naval Laser Warning System Decoys 2 x TERMA DL-12T decoy launcher 2 x TERMA Loki torpedo countermeasure Armament 2 x 8-cell Ezpata Vertical Launching System 4 × RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles< 4 x Phalanx_CIWS |
| Aircraft carried: | 60+ |
In March 2008, the Royal Navy commissioned Euskalduna Solutions UK to design and subsequent construction of its new aircraft carrier class. After studying and evaluating several alternatives, it was decided to build upon the design that Euskalduna North America had used for the American aircraft carrier "Texas First". In December 2008 construction began on the first ship of the class that was commissioned by the Royal Navy in January 2011.
Differences from the Texas First Class
A major focus in the development of the carrier class was the need to reduce costs and this has been the main reason for the changes.
- General design: The navy has choosen to build a STOVL carrier. STOVL aircraft (as the selected F-35 STOVL) do away with catapults and arrestor gear, allowing simpler, smaller and cheaper aircraft carriers.
- Power plant: Without catapults and arrestor gears the needs for power has been reduced in order to eliminate nuclear populsion. The Navy has choosen the NAtech Hybrid Multi-Gas Plant. The propulsion system is fully electrical with four AZIPOD s (ABB azimut thrusters) mounted externally to the main hull.
- Electronics & Combat Management Systems: Finally the Navy decided to mount TERMA the C-Flex Combat Management System currently in use in the Eusko Itsas Gudarostea as well as other TERMA traffic and fire control systems.
- Armament: The armament of the new class remains similar to the "Texas First" with the exception of RIM-162 ESSM surface to air missiles that has been replaced by the Ezpata System.
Air wing
The ship are able to carry more than 60 aircrafts. The 2012 Typical Aircraft wing is formed by:
- 36 F-35 STOVL as strike fighters
- 2 E-2 Hawkeye used for AWACS
- 6 AgustaWestland AW101 in the role of anti-submarine warfare
- 6 AgustaWestland AW159 in multi-role configuration
List of ships
| # | Name | Ordered | Launched | Commissioned |
| R-08 | HMS Queen Elizabeth | March 2008 | December 2009 | January 2011 |
| R-09 | HMS Prince of Wales | September 2008 | March 2010 | September 2011 |