Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

£35m contract allows assembly of Navy Super Carriers
uk MoD ^ | 11 feb 08 | uk MoD

Posted on 02/11/2008 1:54:12 PM PST by Rikstir

The start of an investment project to modify the dockyard at Rosyth, in preparation for the assembly of the two Royal Navy super carriers was witnessed today, 11 February 2008, by Defence Secretary Des Browne.

The two 65,000 tonne aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, are to be constructed in sections in shipyards at Portsmouth and Barrow-in-Furness, Glasgow, with final assembly at Babcock's Rosyth in Scotland.

Des Browne witnessed the signing of a £35m contract today by Babcock Engineering Services with Glasgow-based subcontractors Edmund Nuttall Limited to modify the docks in order to accommodate the building of the carriers and widen its direct entrance.

(Excerpt) Read more at mod.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: british; cvf; navair; navy
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-51 next last
To: Cobra64
I still love the old Invincible Class. Time to move on though... Photobucket
21 posted on 02/11/2008 2:22:36 PM PST by Rikstir
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Rikstir
Given the relative size of our country compared to yours and the difference in GDP and defence expenditure I would argue that these represent the best outside the US. No other nation besides the US, UK (and possibly China and Russia) are embarking on such an advanced carrier to take their navies into the 21st century.

It is said that the QE class is will embark as many combat aircraft as did Operation Granby in 1991. And as been noted by others here, composite structures will reduce the weight of the vessel to what it is proposed to be. If it were built 20+ years back the vessel would probably weigh 1,000,000 tonnes!

Oh, absolutely - these might not be as big as the Reagan, but they are going to pack a lot of punch onboard. I don't think, outside the US, anyone is even remotely close to anything like these. Russian and Chinese carriers, including the ones they have in planning stages, are much less impressive.

22 posted on 02/11/2008 2:24:00 PM PST by AzSteven ("War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." Jean Dutourd)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: AzSteven

Its just galling that of the fleet of 3 we are to build, we are selling one of them to the Frogs!

Whoring out our tech and expertise now it seems...


23 posted on 02/11/2008 2:27:06 PM PST by Rikstir
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Tatze
Have the Brits ever had an angled deck?

They invented the angled deck. They used it until the retirement of HMS Ark Royal in 1978.

The Ark Royal carried the following:

12 Phantom FG MK.1s

14 Buccaneer S MK.2s

4 Gannet AEW Mk.3s

6 Sea King HAS Mk.1s

2 Wessex HU Mk.5s

1 Gannet COD MK.4

24 posted on 02/11/2008 2:35:03 PM PST by GreenLanternCorps (Vote Republican in 2008 or President Hillary Clinton will be reading your FBI file!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Rikstir

Not entirely fair in that profile view. Invincible is shown above water only, while the CVF has the entire hull exposed. Makes the CVF look bigger because they’re not compared the same way.


25 posted on 02/11/2008 2:35:18 PM PST by Rinnwald (You're soaking in it)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Rikstir

Is the name referring to the present Sovereign or to the one who faced the Spanish Armada?


26 posted on 02/11/2008 2:35:29 PM PST by RonF
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Rikstir

Defense budgets percent of GDP (2001):

United States is 3.04 percent;
Britain, 2.50 percent;
Russia, 2.1 percent;
France, 1.96 percent;
Germany, 1.10 percent.

Today the US number is well over 4%.
Can’t say where the others stand today, but would guess not much different. US still carries the biggest load.


27 posted on 02/11/2008 2:39:35 PM PST by BroJoeK
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Rikstir

Besides, Russia and China will always be 350 years or so behind the British Navy in tradition, reputation and skill.


28 posted on 02/11/2008 2:42:48 PM PST by Mr. Lucky
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Rinnwald

yeah i saw that after the fact. neat little cut and paste job...


29 posted on 02/11/2008 2:47:06 PM PST by Rikstir
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: RonF

Good question. I cant give you a definitive answer, but I reckon its for our current monarch.


30 posted on 02/11/2008 2:48:05 PM PST by Rikstir
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Rikstir
No other nation besides the US, UK (and possibly China and Russia) are embarking on such an advanced carrier to take their navies into the 21st century.

France has the 38,000t nuclear powered aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle, which I believe is now fully operational.

http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/gaulle/

-Traveler

31 posted on 02/11/2008 3:02:53 PM PST by Traveler59 (Truth is a journey, not a destination.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: AxelPaulsenJr

Much smaller and much lighter. I think the Ronald Reagan is about Eighty Six thousand tons.


32 posted on 02/11/2008 3:24:51 PM PST by puppypusher (The world is going to the dogs.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: RonF
Is the name referring to the present Sovereign or to the one who faced the Spanish Armada?

The present. The tradition is that the leap ship of the first new capital class a sovereigns reign carries the name of the sovereign

Victoria got two

King Edvard VII 1904 src=http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/images/hmskingedwardviisym43.jpg>

King George V 1912

The next king to get a ship would have been Edward VIII but the name came at the same time as the Abdication crisis - so - couldn't give it to him, or his eventual sucessor George VI, who wasn't annouced yet - George V got a repeat

(although HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Duke of York of the same class were named ref to Edward VIII and George VI respectively)

Elizabeth II should have got her ship in the 60s But a Labour government made withe the defence cuts

However Good Queen Bess of the Armada also got a ship back in WWI

33 posted on 02/11/2008 3:25:28 PM PST by Oztrich Boy (Never say yer sorry, mister. It's a sign of weakness)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Rikstir

see above


34 posted on 02/11/2008 3:27:10 PM PST by Oztrich Boy (Never say yer sorry, mister. It's a sign of weakness)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: Oztrich Boy
King Edvard VII 1904
35 posted on 02/11/2008 3:38:26 PM PST by Oztrich Boy (Never say yer sorry, mister. It's a sign of weakness)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: Oztrich Boy

great post pal. good info, good pics. cheers


36 posted on 02/11/2008 4:11:27 PM PST by Rikstir
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: Traveler59

Indeed the CdeG is excellent. The fact that it is nuclear powered however wont make it as technologically advanced as the QE Class. They will be a generation apart. Which is why the French are paying us to make one for their own fleet.

No disrespect to the CdeG, great looking ship. If someone can post a pic of it here, si vous plait?


37 posted on 02/11/2008 4:14:51 PM PST by Rikstir
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Rikstir

Ping..


38 posted on 02/11/2008 4:21:59 PM PST by thundrey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: em2vn
I think they were for use when the Harrier was the seagoing jet of choice for the Brits.

Incorrect. Angled decks were being used by the Royal Navy when Phantoms, Sea Vixens and Buccaneers were the aircraft of choice.


39 posted on 02/11/2008 5:04:32 PM PST by A.A. Cunningham
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Rikstir

40 posted on 02/11/2008 5:43:51 PM PST by ARE SOLE (Agents Ramos and Campean are in prison at this very moment.. (A "Concerned Citizen".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-51 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson