Despite the threat of drones, the British Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy will not be equipped with 30 mm cannons, as confirmed by the United Kingdom government in a recent parliamentary response. The decision, which generated alarm in British media such as UK Defence Journal, directly affects HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, two aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy that operate as a central part of the country’s expeditionary capability, and that were originally designed with four positions available for these weapons systems.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Defence, Lord Coaker, who responded to a written query from Lord Lee of Trafford regarding the defensive equipment of the aircraft carriers. “There are no plans to install a 30 mm weapons system on HMS Queen Elizabeth or HMS Prince of Wales,” the official stated. He also added that these ships “are equipped with a variety of defensive systems which, together with escort ships and force protection measures, provide an effective layered defensive system against a wide range of threats, including new unmanned aerial threats.”
The position of the Ministry of Defence remains despite the fact that the aircraft carriers were conceived with spaces intended to install DS30M Mark 2 cannons, a system widely used in the British surface fleet. This stabilized 30 mm cannon was originally designed to face attacks from fast boats and short-range surface threats, although it was later adapted in certain cases for defense against drones and aerial targets, as specified in his analysis by George Allison for the aforementioned outlet.
The DS30M Mark 2 uses an electro-optical director and can be controlled from different points of the ship, allowing operators to track and engage targets without the need to maintain direct visual contact from the mount. Its stabilization system and dual-feed ammunition system offer flexibility against different types of threats, with the capacity to engage targets at distances of up to 5 kilometers. This system complements other existing defensive capabilities, such as the Phalanx close-in weapon systems installed on escort ships.
Without anti-drone cannons and… lack of operational capability
In parallel to this technical debate, in recent weeks pressure from Washington to London has emerged for not having deployed an aircraft carrier to the Middle East, and military specialists have recalled that aircraft carriers do not operate autonomously and depend on a carrier strike group whose composition varies according to the operational environment, and this composition cannot be achieved in the short term given that they do not have operational attack submarines (the only one that is operational is in Australia fulfilling what was agreed under the AUKUS project).
Retired Vice Admiral Duncan Potts, former officer of the Royal Navy, underlined that “the deployment of an aircraft carrier is not a decision that can be executed in isolation,” and explained that these platforms require naval escorts, air assets, and logistical support. According to him, the configuration of the group depends directly on the anticipated threats.
Potts also pointed out that, in a scenario such as the Middle East, where aerial threats are predominant, an aircraft carrier should operate under the air defense umbrella of a Type 45 destroyer equipped with air defense. “If we think about that part of the world, one would want to operate under the air defense umbrella of a Type 45 destroyer, such as HMS Dragon,” he stated when analyzing the necessary conditions to guarantee a safe and effective deployment.
In that framework, the Royal Navy recently confirmed the deployment of HMS Dragon to the Eastern Mediterranean, after several days of reports about delays in preparations. This destroyer, based in Portsmouth, will employ its Sea Viper air defense system to contribute to the protection of British assets and interests in the region. The operation will be supported by Wildcat helicopters from the 815 Naval Air Squadron, equipped with Martlet missiles specifically designed to face threats such as drones.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
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