Feature 3 | Weapons handling
Highly mechanised weapons handling
for QE class carriers
The automated weapons handling system for the UK Royal Navy’s Queen
Elizabeth (QE) class aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS
Prince of Wales has been described as being “at the cutting edge of British
engineering”.
The weapons
handling system
for the Queen
elizabeth class
aircraft carriers
employs a
high level of
automation.
T
he comment came from the and weapon preparation areas, and a It was recognised early by the Aircraft
Director General Ships, Defence series of weapons lifts to connect the Carrier Alliance (ACA) that an automated
Equipment and Support, at the UK magazines, hangar, weapons preparation handling system was required to achieve
Ministry of Defence (MoD) Rear Admiral area and flight deck. This represents the the unprecedented ordnance delivery
Bob Love, when the contract award to first maritime application of shore-based rates required to support and sustain
Babcock was announced last year. commercial warehousing processes using the enhanced operational capability
The requirement to reduce through-life automated systems with all-electric required of the ships, which could not
costs and adopt increased safety standards control, adapted for safe transport and be met by traditional manual handling
provided the drivers for an innovative stowage of munitions in a warship techniques.
solution to the handling of munitions environment. Importantly, it is estimated “HMWHS provides a highly efficient,
on board the carriers, in the form of the to yield a 65% reduction in manpower high-density automated stowage and
Highly Mechanised Weapons Handling required for the movement, securing retrieval system, as well as being recognised
System (HMWHS). and inventory management process, as a step change in improving on-board
The system will provide mechanical which is traditionally a labour-intensive, safety compared to manual handling,”
handling facilities for moving palletised time-consuming and potentially Babcock Integrated Technology surface
munitions around the deep magazine hazardous process. ships and specialist systems director Matt
26 Warship Technology May 2009
p26-27-30_WT_May09.indd 26 16/04/2009 11:24:39
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