Dracan Commonwealth AU

[nighthunter]

After much debate on Cold War Carrier based stuff, leading to what I would be using in the 1990s and early 21st Century, here is the DCN's Naval Air Service Aircraft.

To follow relatively soon, is the DCN's Carrier based on the Wasp Class LHD. Rounded stern instead of a LHD Stern, DCN uses both types 3 of each.

[nighthunter]

Here she is, I present to you the DCS Dracan Island CVA-07:

[Obsydian Shade]

Vey nice! My only critique is that certainly, there has to be better radar available.

[nighthunter]

Updated and shown with recommended changed made.

[nighthunter]

Changed the Island of the Carrier & added a lift:

[Portsmouth Bill]

Impressive I really like the last update - it looks do-able

[acelanceloet]

nice, but why 2 air search radars?

[nighthunter]

Island updated, as for the 2 search radars, couldn't tell you other than I probably was redundant.

[trap one]

2 Search radars.
For me two is much better than one. Having 27 years of Air defence with both the RAF and RN it always frustrating to see the lowering of assets.
1st if you take one Search radar off for servicing then you still have the other. If 1 goes broke you still have another. If 1 is jammed you still have another, or the opposition has to use twice the assets to jam both radars and with today's frequency agile just jamming 1 100% of the time takes quite a bit of effort.

Phalanx
Good for sub sonic missiles but you may still get hit by debris, if I had the space I'd use 30mm, better range and more destruction.
However I do like the 4 corners coverage.

Airwing
You are missing both force multipliers of AAR and AEW/AWACS. The Harrier is good especially coupled with AIM120 to take away its lack of supersonic speed but you need AAR to extend CAP time and AEW/AWACS to detect and control them on to the low level threat.

Your step from the Texan 2 to Harrier is too big. The Harrier is not the easiest aircraft to fly so I would add some thing like Hawk/Alpha Jet in the mix

Ship
This is my only criticism of selecting the Wasp, for your base is the speed. 23 Knots is too slow, the Cavour with 30 Knots would be better. Those extra 7+ knots of wind over the deck would let you airwing operate with heavier AUW's and get you into or out of trouble much quicker.

However, please be aware that I do like the drawings very much.

[TimothyC]

Airwing
You are missing both force multipliers of AAR and AEW/AWACS. The Harrier is good especially coupled with AIM120 to take away its lack of supersonic speed but you need AAR to extend CAP time and AEW/AWACS to detect and control them on to the low level threat.

K/M/CV-22s for tanking, and EV-22s for AEW. Not as good as fixed wing assets, but better than nothing.