Event Brief
UPDATED Sep 4, 2026 at 12:00 AM ET
Sep 3, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET
Royal Navy carriers lack catapults, limiting jets to F-35B
By The BriefBrief
HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales each displace about 65,000 tons and are the largest warships the Royal Navy has put to sea. Because neither has a catapult or arresting wire, the ships cannot operate aircraft that require those systems, leaving the F-35B as the only fast jet they can fly for the rest of their service lives.
WHO: Royal Navy
WHAT: Design of HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales without catapults or arresting wires limits their fast-jet capability to the F-35B.
WHEN: Reported Sep 3, 2026 at 2:43 PM ET
WHERE: United Kingdom
WHY: The ships do not have catapults or an arresting wire, which prevents operation of aircraft that require those systems.
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