Feature 8 | AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
Production begins on second Royal Navy aircraft carrier
Construction of HMS Prince of Wales, the second of the two new Queen Elizabeth (QE) class aircraſt carriers for the UK Royal Navy, got under way in late May at BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard on the Clyde.
Work is now under way on both of the UK Royal Navy’s QE class aircraft carriers.
was invited to press the button on the company’s plasma machine to cut the first steel for the vessel, marking a pivotal stage in the programme. Dr Fox said: “We are committed to
E
delivering this next generation of powerful British aircraſt carriers that will mark a step change in our carrier strike capability and form the cornerstone of the Royal Navy’s Future Force 2020. Tis major construction project is creating and sustaining thousands of jobs in shipyards around the country.” Mick Ord, Managing Director of BAE
Systems’ Surface Ships business, said: “Tis is a proud day for our workforce, our Aircraſt Carrier Alliance [ACA] partners and the thousands of people throughout the supply chain who are contributing to the delivery of the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers. The construction of these 65,000tonne ships is a huge feat of
48
mployees and guests gathered at the shipyard as Secretary of State for Defence, Dr Liam Fox,
engineering and the rapid progress we have made, with work starting today on the second carrier, clearly shows the skills and expertise we have across British industry.” The Second Sea Lord, Vice-Admiral
Charles Montgomery, who also attended the steel cutting ceremony, said: “The Queen Elizabeth class will provide Britain with the means to deliver air power from the sea, wherever and whenever required, and in a stronger and more decisive form than ever before. “In addition they will be able to
undertake a wide range of tasks including support to peace keeping operations and delivery of humanitarian aid in time of crisis. They will undoubtedly prove a tremendous asset both to the Royal Navy and to the UK as a whole.” BAE Systems is a member of the ACA,
working in partnership with Babcock, Tales and the Ministry of Defence to deliver the biggest and most powerful surface warships ever constructed in the UK.
Sustaining thousands of skilled jobs
throughout industry, work is well advanced with construction on the first of class HMS Queen Elizabeth underway at six shipyards across the country, including BAE Systems in Glasgow and Portsmouth, as well as Alliance partners at Appledore, Merseyside, Newcastle and Rosyth, where final assembly will take place. The
company provides overall
leadership and programme management to the QE class programme. It also plays a central role in the design and build of the ships. Construction of the mid and stern
sections of HMS Queen Elizabeth are underway at the company’s Govan yard while the forward and lower stern sections are in build at its Portsmouth facility. BAE Systems is also set to begin work
on the two island structures for the first ship, which house the bridge and air traffic control facilities in the coming months. In addition, BAE Systems is
Warship Technology July/August 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52