The ramp is something that small aircraft carriers use to make up for their size. It's still a STOVL carrier, and can't launch conventional aircraft.
The Queen Elizabeth AC's, though, are pretty sweet, and will put the UK second to the US again when it comes to capital ships. They do lack nuclear propulsion, but they have a range of 10,000 miles anyway (nuclear is basically unlimited, but a nuclear reactor costs much more than several decades of fuel). And they will use CATOBAR, so the UK has actually decided to order the F-35C's instead of the STOVL F-35B's. Hopefully, if the Conservatives (and their lackeys, who will go unnamed) lose in 2015, the UK will even keep the second one.
Carriers aren't everything when it comes to a navy either, and it's not like the Spanish, Italian, or Brazillian navies come close the UK. On wikipedia, it mentions that the UK spent a long time during the cold war specializing as an anti-submarine force against the Soviet Union, so it's likely they just decided to devote resources there instead of the flashy carriers. The United States had enough carriers anyway, and the Soviet Union largely ignored them (they didn't build any until the 80's), so the UK likely simply had different practical strategic concerns. Now tha the Cold War is over, they're turning back to more traditional blue water naval concerns.
Here's what the Queen Elizabeth's will look like:
Also, the previous picture of the Charles de Gaulle was very flattering, and I posted it mainly to troll. Here's it next to a Nimitz-class carrier:
Reply With QuoteOriginally Posted by Waterfart
The ramp is something that small aircraft carriers use to make up for their size. It's still a STOVL carrier, and can't launch conventional aircraft.
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