Article Summary: The HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Navy’s prized aircraft carrier, is struggling to prove its worth. Mechanical failures, a shortage of F-35B jets, and inadequate battle protection raise serious concerns about its combat effectiveness. Despite a $3 billion price tag, the carrier lacks a capable strike group, making it vulnerable in modern naval warfare.
Key Point #1 – Budget constraints and shifting political priorities mean the necessary upgrades may never come.
Key Point #2 – With Britain’s defense strategy in flux, the Queen Elizabeth’s future remains uncertain. Can the Royal Navy restore its former glory, or is its flagship carrier destined to sail with unfulfilled potential?
HMS Queen Elizabeth: A $3 Billion Carrier That Can’t Fight?
It’s been over a year since the HMS Queen Elizabeth was pulled out of duty during a major NATO exercise for a coupling problem on one of its propeller shafts.
This exit had the British Royal Navy holding its breath as one of its best and most expensive ships suffered this embarrassment and failed to complete the NATO exercise Steadfast Defender.
The Queen Elizabeth has endured no other known problems over the last 12 months. Still, the level of carrier aviation prowess with the Queen Elizabeth-class flat-tops is not what the British Ministry of Defense expected when it plowed over $3 billion into each carrier.
Is the HMS Queen Elizabeth Battle Worthy?
The Royal Navy is at an inflection point with the HMS Queen Elizabeth and its sister ship, the HMS Prince of Wales. Both vessels have suffered mechanical problems—maladies that spur military analysts to wonder if the country can sustain a naval battle with its carriers.
There were high hopes that the pair could project power beyond Europe—even patrolling the Indo-Pacific. However, that hasn’t happened, and the Queen Elizabeth must now focus on being relied on to simply participate in NATO exercises.
This Aircraft Carrier Needs More Aircraft
Also, the Queen Elizabeth, like the Prince of Wales, does not have enough F-35B vertical take-off and landing jets to launch off its ski-jump ramp. The Royal Navy has suffered from F-35B acquisition delays and cost overruns that have limited the fleet of stealth fighters.
There was an original order for 138 F-35Bs, but only a fraction are available for active duty. The deficit of aircraft is a broader problem for the Royal Navy as it contends with budget cuts and a lack of consistency in its overall readiness program.
Can It Survive Modern Naval Warfare?
The Queen Elizabeth is also susceptible to missile attacks and has overall survivability issues. It needs a better battle control system and protection, such as the SeaRAM ship-based defense system that features the new Rolling Airframe Missile, which is so good at knocking out enemy missiles.
The Queen Elizabeth could also use a close-in weapons system as incoming projectiles would hurtle close to the ship during battle.
There are also questions about replenishing the carrier at sea as the support ships that supply food and water are limited, which hurts the carrier’s range and battle readiness.
Unworthy Carrier Strike Groups
And speaking of support ships, there are not enough modern destroyers and frigates to form two able carrier strike groups for the Queen Elizabeth-class. A strike group is one of the necessities of carrier warfare. The Queen Elizabeth cannot just sail on its own without proper defenses, enough fighter jets, and plentiful support ships.
The Royal Navy must examine its power projection and deterrence ability with the HMS Queen Elizabeth and the HMS Prince of Wales. It can crack on despite the technical and mechanical issues and continue trying to keep the vessels in the water despite the problems or plow more money and resources into a fairly new carrier to begin with.
The Royal Navy Needs to Become a High Priority for the Government
With the unpopular Keir Starmer government, a new robust spending program is unlikely. Starmer is just trying to survive in a fight for his political life amid low approval ratings. That is one of the problems with British defense policy and strategy.
Different prime ministers have wavering opinions on national security. Long-term defense strategy seems to suffer as a polarized public and its political leaders are fickle and feckless when it comes to keeping the nation safe.
The Royal Navy is suffering under these constraints and limitations. It seems that the Queen Elizabeth will have to continue without an overall maritime strategy that the public and the various prime ministers agree on.
Should the Queen Elizabeth focus on homeland defense and protection of British sovereignty, or could it become a fixture in a Blue Water Navy revival that could patrol as far as East Asia?
HMS Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier. Image: Creative Commons.
Before that question can be answered the Ministry of Defense will have to do some soul-searching. Despite its limitations, the Queen Elizabeth is still one of the British fleet’s most advanced and modern ships. It needs some confidence-building experience like the NATO exercises, where the crew can rehearse battle drills and aviation sorties that build morale and esprit de corps.
Those 5 Words: Not An Easily Fixable Problem
The British will just have to take it one day at a time with the Queen Elizabeth.
I don’t see the government allocating more money for the improvements that need to be made. It will have to sail on, facing challenges while the country figures out its long-term defense strategy that has been criticized by many over the years.
The full United Kingdom (UK) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) assembled at sea on 04 October, 2020. The (CSG) is led by Her Majesty’s Ship Queen Elizabeth and includes flotilla of destroyers and frigates from the UK, the Netherlands, the USS The Sullivans, and 15 F-35B Lightning II’s from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 and the UK’s 617 Squadron. The Navy-Marine Corps team is humbled and proud to represent the United States and serve alongside our United Kingdom counterparts.
(Royal Navy Photo by LPhot Alker)
The British Royal Navy is a shadow of its former self, and officers and enlisted sailors will have to do the best they can with limited resources and haphazard political leadership. Let’s hope the HMS Queen Elizabeth can fend off these problems.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
