Royal Navy: Further upgrades possible on HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth but no catapult system

Minister for defence procurement, Maria Eagle, said the government is looking into what upgrades can be made to both HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth. She made the claim in response to a parliamentary written question by Ben Obese-Jecty, who asked if a catapult-and-arrest configurations will be fitted to them.

Such a system, also known as a Catapult-Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR), helps aircraft take off from an aircraft carrier’s flight deck with the help of a catapult. Jets will then land on the ship on their return with the help of arresting gear.

Ms Eagle said: “The Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers operate the F-35B Lightning fighter aircraft, which does not require Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment. The Royal Navy's Maritime Aviation Transformation Strategy will expand the deployment of un-crewed air systems in Royal Navy ships, including the aircraft carriers.

“The Strategic Defence Review will consider opportunities for modernisation and transformation, and greater productivity, including through the rapid and consistent application of Digital Age technologies. As new technologies develop, it is possible that some uncrewed systems would require specific Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment. Should this become the case, balance of investment decisions would be made to ensure that the Royal Navy is optimised to gain the most benefit from un-crewed systems.”

It was announced earlier this year that sophisticated new electronic warfare systems will be installed on both HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth; tests were proven successful for the Maritime Electronic Warfare System Integrated Capability (MEWSIC). This is due to be fitted to the Royal navy’s Type 45 destroyers, as well as the new Type 26 and 31 frigates currently in production.

Dr Allan Paterson, Maritime Electronic Warfare Team Leader of the Defence, Equipment and Security’s arm of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), previously said: “The Royal Navy has invested in an ambitious programme to deliver modern electronic warfare capabilities that will help its surface warships keep the UK and its allies safe around the world.

“It’s fantastic to see the first MEWSIC system being delivered by DE&S and our industry partners, so that this crucial phase of testing and evaluation can be carried out and the capabilities of MEWSIC can be proven.”