13-05-2003 04:26									#31
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quote: Originally posted by Dissident I can't believe a carrier went up there though.

You are quite correct Diisident. US carriers have to anchor about 5 miles offshore of Portsmouth because the water is too shallow to moor in the Port. Notice the reference to "the Solent" in the article. Every few years or so one drops by to wavr the flag and drink the pubs dry.

This water depth thing is one reason why the proposed 2 new Brit carriers are smaller than the US varieties - they wouldn't fit in Portsmouth otherwise. And there's NO WAY the Uk navy would start a new base in a deeper port - the words "limpet" and "rock" come to mind. (They'd would have to move "Victory" as well - UNTHINKABLE!!!)

For the record, I like Bud. The Czech variety, that is. Can't stand the US variety (but it is heavily overpriced in the UK, which could be part of the reason I don't like it).

That and the flavour, of course.

	13-05-2003 04:47									#32
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Why don't you guys just dredge the port? The USN has been dredging San Diego harbor for years just so they can fit their aircraft carriers in the harbor.

	13-05-2003 04:54									#33
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They can drink as much of that piss as they like...we'll keep the decent beer for ourselves. You couldn't get a cirrhotic seagull drunk with a gallon of the stuff, so should only take a bottle or two for a yank

	13-05-2003 04:54									#34
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I have no positive information to offer on dredging Portsmouth. I suspect at least part of the reason is geological, that is after a fathom or two you hit solid rock.

On the other hand, the UK being what it is, partly because we don't want US nuclear carriers in our ports.

Please note: the naval facility at Portsmouth was designed for sailing ships. You guys would scarely say it was a marina, let alone a naval base. It doesn't compare to San Diego at all.

Last edited by Cruddy on 13-05-2003 at 05:01

	13-05-2003 04:56									#35
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I wasn't suggesting you do it for American ships but so you folks could have a place to birth your own carriers. That is if the RN ever gets around to making a proper one.

	13-05-2003 04:59									#36
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What's the UK need a large supercarrier for, anyway?

	13-05-2003 05:03									#37
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Why does any country need a large supercarrier?

	13-05-2003 05:04									#38
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To kick the **** out of other countries. Why else?

	13-05-2003 05:05									#39
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quote: Originally posted by David Floyd What's the UK need a large supercarrier for, anyway?

So we can have a crutch next time we go to war.

	13-05-2003 05:10									#40
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It's sad that they drank up all the Bud. I ALWAYS drank beer from the country I was in when I was in the Navy.

Drinking Bud is like going to an Italian restaurant,crap, eatery, and ordering a hamburger and fries.

ACK!

	13-05-2003 05:12									#41
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So now you know.

Actually, the RN has taken a lot of stick for not having a carrier whose aircraft are supersonic since.... 70s???

Current "Invincible" class is really just for ASW in the North Atlantic. The air threat it was designed to cope with - Soviet land based bombers with stand off missilbes - isn't really a threat.

So we have a few carriers with no mission anymore. Politically very embarrassing. OK, the Russian Navy has maintained boomers and HK nukes at expense of surface fleet.

Now, new levels of ship board aircraft are coming into production/off the design boards, especially JSF. These won't fit onto existing carriers. So we needed a couple of new ones (which won't be ready till 2015).

The short answer is - same reason we have a nuclear deterrent. To deal with an uppity France if necessary.

	13-05-2003 05:15									#42
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Damn those French.

	13-05-2003 05:26									#43
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I was joking, of course. The real reason for the new carriers is because the Navy feels very silly if they don't have any ships.

I should point out, that as a French firm has part of the contract to build these carriers, the French govt does not consider them a threat.

Here's a link with pix;-

http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/cvf/

Last edited by Cruddy on 13-05-2003 at 05:37

	13-05-2003 05:49									#44
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After how badly the French f'ed up the de Gual I wonder what the hell the Brits were thinking to let the Frogs touch one of their carrier projects.

	13-05-2003 05:55									#45
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Unfair! Most unfair. It is not easy to get the first example of a naval vessel correct - there have been many examples of UK naval design getting it wrong on the first attempt. Leander, type 22, the original Warrior - all were design disasters that should not have entered service.

EDIT: I could quote some old buddies of mine... Never mind, to get back on topic - sailors will be sailors.

	13-05-2003 06:05									#46
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Having been to a couple of pubs mentioned in the article, I seriously doubt if they would have more than 2 dozen cold bottles of Bud at any one time.

I also doubt that many USN personnel would tolerate warm Bud.

It's not really surprising the pubs run dry. 50 USN personnel could have done it, with careful planning.