Queen Elizabeth for sale?

The original Queen Elizabeth' 15inch guns.

Information Dissemination today carried a long post by Robert Farley on the possible sale of one of the two new QE2 class carriers. His conclusion was that Brazil would be the most likely destination but is sceptical that a sale would actually take place. I share this scepticism and in fact would be amazed if a sale ever goes through (although I would put the RAN above Brazil as the most likely buyer). 

Notwithstanding the lack of fixed wing aircraft for the carrier its utility as a giant helicopter carrier will quickly prove worth maintaining I suspect. HMS Ocean carries around 18 helicopters and with the QE class ships around 3 times bigger it will clearly have a much bigger operational capacity. 

Helicopters are incredibly useful in most situations barring a major surface fleet encounter. They are fantastic sub hunters, useful for 'police' actions like the anti-piracy, anti-terrorism and anti-drugs missions (try putting a small party of marines on a suspected pirate skiff from a fast jet) and can provide radar cover. I have a lot of sympathy with Lewis Page' view that most of the combat capability of a frigate comes from its helicopter so why not create a new class of lightly armed small helicopter carrier that can hunt subs, dominate sea and perform police actions with a small fleet of maybe 3 helicopters.

The aircraft-less QE's utility is even more apparent in the humanitarian missions that large capital ships are often called upon to assist with. Imagine the 'soft-power' potential had QE been sitting off Haiti recently operating a continuous shuttle of supplies with her (40+?) helicopters, providing fresh water and generating power in full view of the world. 

Why not make sure that both carriers can support fast jets and we will then possess the deterrent of a permanently available fleet carrier - when one ship is refitting the aircraft complement can transfer. 

Actually why not simply buy F/A-18's off the shelf and populate both ships? - they just keep getting cheaper. At around £42 million versus maybe £100million for the F-35 the maths is simple and the undoubted loss of individual aircraft capability offset by the ability to put 72 (still highly advanced) airframes anywhere on the planet instead of 36. 

To put this in perspective only 62 UK strike aircraft (Harriers and Tornados) were used for Op Telic in 2003. They operated from 4 different countries.

The flexibility and capability that comes with the Prince of Wales and Queen Elizabeth will be exceeded only by the United States in the next 20 years - to abandon this capability with such vast costs already incurred seems foolish.