£35m contract allows assembly of Navy Super Carriers

uk MoD ^ | 11 feb 08 | uk MoD

[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.

[Ronin]

Someone needs to tell the Brits that their cute little mini-flattop does NOT meet the definition of “Super Carrier”.

[thundrey]

A supercarrier is defined as a carrier of 75,000 tons displacement or more. It is possible that fully loaded, this new class will meet that definition.
However, advances in technology mean that a lot of weight will be saved, and these carriers will have the capabilities, though not the actual displacement of a supercarrier....

[Rikstir]

You wont want it in your battlegroups then will you?????

Thats fine by us, we can save the expenditure and have them patrol around Gib, or the Falklands, instead of acting as your right hand.

[Non-Sequitur]

About 2/3rds the size.

[Non-Sequitur]

Have the Brits ever had an angled deck?

They invented the angle deck.

[Non-Sequitur]

Victoria got two

The second one was rammed and sunk by HMS Camperdown off Lebanon in 1893.

[Oztrich Boy]

The second one was rammed and sunk by HMS Camperdown off Lebanon in 1893.

I thought it was Tunisia

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Nice.

[Oztrich Boy]

And I was wrong, There are two Tripolis, and my brain confabulated the wrong one. Stupid Brain!

[DesScorp]

I like the dual-islands concept. I think separating duties makes a lot of sense. Our Navy, on the other hand, is trying to get rid of islands altogether. Eventually, our carriers will end up looking like the abandoned U.S.S United States, which was completely devoid of any island at all.

[Rikstir]

looks cool. this must be an old design, they don’t look much like F35’s to me!

I ‘spose getting rid of an island or two will increase deck space, but there must be a reason for employing them at present.