The HMS Queen Elizabeth has encountered significant operational issues despite its advanced capabilities.
Problems include reliability concerns, propulsion failures, and integration difficulties with F-35B fighter jets due to high maintenance costs and limited deck capabilities. There have been fires, flooding, and more.
The Royal Navy’s HMS Queen Elizabeth is, in theory, among the world’s more advanced naval aircraft carriers. Its introduction into service afforded the Royal Navy a significant leap forward in capabilities. However, constant challenges and shortcomings continue to weigh the two-hull class carrier down.
Aircraft Carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth’s History of Issues
The Royal Navy posted on its “X” social media platform on February 3, 2024, that “routine pre-sailing checks” undertaken on February 2nd had identified “an issue with a coupling on [HMS Queen Elizabeth] starboard propellor shaft”.
As such, the vessel “will not sail on Sunday” to join Exercise Steadfast Defender. This was the largest demonstration of NATO seapower since the Cold War. Its sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, only recently returned to sea following its own propeller shaft issues and is due to take its place “as soon as possible.”
So are these mechanical issues simply teething issues experienced by a class of relatively new warships, or something more complicated?
Royal Navy representatives stated, “It’s not uncommon to have maintenance issues with state-of-the-art ships that contain complex engineering and technology.” However, compared with other nations, the UK ships seem to have more than their fair share of difficulties.
The HMS Queen Elizabeth did complete a global deployment in 2021, operating in the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, and Asia-Pacific region, fully integrating a US Marine Corps F-35B unit alongside its own embarked air wing.
However, in November 2021, a UK-operated F-35B fighter crashed into the Mediterranean Sea after taking off from HMS Queen Elizabeth, sparking a recovery effort to ensure that technology did not fall into Russian hands, which maintains a considerable fleet of vessels in the region.
UNITED KINGDOM (May 2, 2021) A U.S. Marine assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, attached to Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 21, conducts carrier qualifications in an F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) off the coast of the United Kingdom, May 2, 2021. Alongside the UK’s 617 Squadron, VMFA-211 will form part of the largest carrier air group in the world. This deployment highlights the global reach of the U.S. and UK armed forces and their interoperability, and enhances the deterrence and defense capabilities of the NATO Alliance. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by 1st Lt. Zachary Bodner) 210502-M-MS099-369.
It was later learned that the aircrew didn’t remove a cover that protects the air intake when the aircraft is parked.
The carrier’s short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) design limits its ability to integrate with other types of aircraft that lack the F-35 B’s “jump-jet” capability.
The carrier can’t even carry its full complement of aircraft due to increased maintenance costs, high operating costs, and the RAF.
RAF Plays Keep Away With The F-35s:
The Royal Air Force often refuses to relinquish the aircraft to the carrier. Unlike in the US, where planes are designated for the navy or the air force at the point of purchase, the RAF and the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm must share them. “And none of the forces are very good at sharing,” a source told The Prospect. “The RAF is constantly finding things for the F-35 to do, which makes it hard for the Navy to get their hands on them.”
Reliability Issues continue to plague the HMS Queen Elizabeth. The UK carriers, which were not dispatched to replace a US Navy carrier strike group that departed the Mediterranean late last year, will persist, and new doubts have been raised about their ability to potentially replace USS Dwight D Eisenhower in the Red Sea in light of the latest setback.
Could the Aircraft Carrier Be Retrofitted With An Angled Flight Deck?
A British Minister of Parliament suggested retrofitting the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier to increase its capabilities. This would include adding catapults, an angled flight deck, and arresting wires.
Currently, both the HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales employ a ski-jump ramp. However, they were designed for short/vertical takeoff and landing (S/VTOL) aircraft, notably the Lockheed Martin F-35B variant.
With the UK’s budget issues already, while this sounds good on paper, the chances of it ever happening are slim to none.
The HMS Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier was built to allow for capability changes over the lifetime of these ships. “The Royal Navy is committed to developing capabilities that will allow it to build combat mass, whilst remaining at the forefront of technology, and this includes a strong focus on uncrewed air systems,” explained James Cartlidge, Minister of State Defense, according to a report from UK Defence Journal, while he added that the two flattops were developed to evolve – and that could include changes to the launch and recovery systems.
After having so many issues, the HMS Queen Elizabeth has plenty of bugs to work out before the RN would ever think of radical changes.
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications
