HMS Prince of Wales (R09) - Carrier Air Wing

Carrier Air Wing

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, fifth generation multi-role fighters under development to perform ground attack, reconnaissance, and air defence missions with stealth capability. The F-35 has been designed to have a low radar cross section primarily due to stealthy materials used in construction, including fibre mat.

As originally intended, the aircraft selected to be used on the carriers is the Short Take Off Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of the F-35 Lightning II, known as the F-35B. On 19 October 2010, David Cameron had announced that the UK would change their order to the carrier variant (F-35C) and that the carrier design would be modified to use a catapult launch and arrestor recovery (CATOBAR) system to allow for the launch and recovery of these aircraft. This was because the F-35C variant has a greater range and the ability to carry a larger and more diverse payload. However, on 10 May 2012 Defence Secretary Philip Hammond announced in Parliament that the government had decided to revert to its predecessor's plans to purchase the F-35B rather than the F-35C, and to abandon the completion of Prince of Wales to a CATOBAR configuration. The reason given was that, "conversion to ‘cats and traps’ will cost about double what was originally estimated – and would not be delivered until 2023 at the earliest."

An improved version of the Westland Super Lynx military helicopter, the Lynx Wildcat, entering service with the Royal Navy in 2015, will doubtless make up a significant number of the helicopters aboard both Queen Elizabeth class carriers. It will have room for seven passengers, a top speed of 187 mph and a range of 520 {{nmi. It will be armed with forward firing CRV7 rockets and machine guns, pintle mounted machine gun (e.g. FN MAG or Browning M2), Air-to-Surface Missile system: Thales Lightweight Multi-Role Missile (LMM), possibly Hellfire and Torpedoes and depth charges.

The Merlin is a medium-lift helicopter that performs a wide variety of functions for the Royal Navy. It performs exceptionally in an Anti-Submarine role. A chin forward looking infra-red (FLIR) is fitted to some variants. The AW101 (excluding the ASM MK1) is equipped with chaff and flare dispensers, directed infra-red countermeasures (infra-red jammers), ESM (electronic support measures, in the form of RF heads), and a laser detection and warning system. It has two hard points for weapon carriers, on which the HM Mk1 model can carry four Sting Ray torpedoes or Mk 11 Mod 3 depth charges, though at present cannot use the Sea Skua missile. The Mk1, Mk3 and 3a variants can mount General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs) in up to 5 locations in the main cabin pointing out of door and window apertures.

Royal Navy Merlins have seen action in the Caribbean, on counter-narcotics and hurricane support duties. They have also been active in Iraq, providing support to British and coalition troops on the ground, as well as maritime security duties in the North Persian Gulf.