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Why do the Queen Elizabeth class carriers not have catapults?

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It's simply a question of cost. Catapults are currently judged to be an unnecessary expense. They can still be fitted later on if things change. Original concept planning for the two new British aircraft carriers began in the 1990s. read more

The Queen Elizabeth class will not be equipped with catapults mainly because the Royal Navy has no money. The service is buying two very expensive ships and can only afford to operate around six warships at a given time. This means that in all likelihood the Queen Elizabeth carrier group will be the entirety of RN forces on the water at a given time. read more

Now, the Royal Navy also has 2 carriers under construction for the Queen Elizabeth class of carriers, which consist of the HMS Queen Elizabeth and the HMS Prince of Wales. HMS Queen Elizabeth's commissioning is planned for 2017, while HMS Prince of Wales is expected to be commissioned during 2020. read more

Ski-jump carriers have been smaller, and do not support simultaneous operations. That might be one of the reasons why the UK's next generation carrier(s) will be larger, use catapults, arresting gear, and no ski-jump. read more

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