Glasgow, UK - Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal marked the
start of construction on the first of two new Queen Elizabeth Class
Aircraft Carriers for the UK's Armed Forces, by ceremonially
cutting steel for the hull of The Queen Elizabeth.
The ship will be the largest ship to ever enter service with the
Royal Navy and together with the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)
aircraft and the new Type 45 destroyers, the aircraft carriers will
form the cornerstone of Britain's future ability to project
military power worldwide.
Chief Executive of BVT Surface Fleet, Alan Johnston said: "The
first steel cut for a ship marks the start of a vessel's life, and
when she enters service, the Queen Elizabeth is expected to make a
significant contribution to the UK's Armed Forces for at least 30
years.
"Both the Queen Elizabeth and her sister ship, The Prince of
Wales will provide the UK with four acres of sovereign territory,
which can be manoeuvred all round the world to protect the UK's
interests abroad. The priority of the BVT and the rest of the
Aircraft Carrier Alliance is to deliver a step change in capability
to our Armed Forces, and I have no doubt that we will do this in
the form of the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers."
Mike Pettigrew, Babcock Marine said: "First cut of steel is a
tremendous milestone in the life of the project, we at Rosyth are
preparing the ground for the arrival of the superblocks that will
become the QEC and clearly this event brings into focus the whole
programme"
Ed Lowe, Managing Director of Thales UK's naval business, said:
"For all those in our design teams who have been working so hard in
the transition of the design into build, today's steel cutting
ceremony in Glasgow is a tangible sign of real progress and an
important step towards delivery of the Royal Navy's most important
programme."
Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies MP:
"The MOD is committed to ensuring the UK's Armed Forces are modern,
versatile and well equipped for present and future operations. The
versatility of the design together with the long service life of
these ships will ensure that we will be able to deal with the
uncertainties of the future for years to come and they will deliver
the support to deployed UK forces around the globe.
"It is an honour to mark this historic moment with Her Royal
Highness here in Govan. We also must not forget the ongoing work of
the legions of people in industry in regions across the country who
are all delivering vital elements of this truly national
project."
About the Aircraft Carrier Alliance
The innovative Aircraft Carrier Alliance is a single integrated
team formed from BVT Surface Fleet, Babcock, BAE Systems, Thales UK
and the MOD (which acts as both partner and client.) It is
responsible for delivering the Queen Elizabeth Class ships to time
and cost.
Alliancing allows for the collaborative delivery of the aircraft
carriers by bringing together all interested parties with a vested
financial interest to make decisions to achieve what is best for
the project, as well as providing the most effective way of
managing risk and reward.
About the Queen Elizabeth Class
The contract to build the two new Aircraft Carriers for the Royal
Navy - HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, was signed on
3rd July 2008. The in-service dates announced at the time of the
Main Gate, 2014 and 2016, have been deferred by 1 to 2 years
following MOD's Equipment Examination.
The carriers will be the biggest and most powerful surface
warships ever constructed for the UK and represent a step change in
Joint Capability. They will enable the delivery of increased
strategic effect and influence around the world, at a time and
place of the UK's choosing, and will be a key component of the
improved expeditionary capabilities needed to confront the diverse
range of threats in today's security environment.
Contact
Catherine Thurogood
Aircraft Carrier Alliance
Email: catherine.thurogood@bvtsurfacefleet.com
Mobile: 07801 717 860