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And as
the 750 tonne section settled on the flightdeck it sealed into place
a plaque, embedding the emblems of the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force
and the British Army into the very fabric of the ship for its entire
lifespan. Handing the plaque over to the Aircraft Carrier Alliance were
Capt Dickie Payne of the Royal Navy, Colonel Stuart Barnard of the Army
Air Corp and Group Captain David Bradshaw of the RAF.
Programme Director Ian Booth said: “Moving this section move place
is a momentous occasion for the programme. HMS Queen Elizabeth now has
a completely unique and distinctive profile and thanks to the dedication
of thousands of workers just a few sections remain to be assembled.
She will be structurally complete by the end of this year.”
The aft island was the final section of HMS Queen Elizabeth to arrive
at the Rosyth assembly site. It was constructed in 90 weeks by workers
at BAE Systems’ yard in Scotstoun and will house the ship’s
air traffic control equipment, making it the centre of all on-board
flight operations.
Apprentice Gordon Currie (19) said: “It is a huge honour to sound
the horn and signal the final stage in the lift. I am just one of hundreds
of workers working on this incredible ship, and it is something I will
always be really proud of.”
Weighing in at more than 750 tonnes, and standing more than 30 metres
tall, the aft island is the second ‘island’ on HMS Queen
Elizabeth. The forward island houses the ship’s main bridge. The
aft island provides air traffic control.
Rear Admiral Steve Brunton said: “HMS Queen Elizabeth will be
at the centre of the UKs defence capability for the fifty years she
is expected to be in service. She will be absolutely unique and, combined
with assets across the rest of the UK’s armed forces, will provide
this country with an unprecedented level of capability, protecting UK
interests and providing humanitarian support across the globe.”
HMS Queen Elizabeth is the first aircraft carrier to use an innovative
design of two islands. The forward island, which has already been erected,
houses the ship’s bridge. The aft island will house the air traffic
control systems.
The aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales are
being delivered by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, a unique partnering
relationship between BAE Systems, Thales UK, Babcock and the UK Ministry
of Defence. |
