Ian Booth News

The second of the largest warships ever built for the U.K. Royal Navy, the Queen Elizabeth Class carrier HMS Prince of Wales, was given the royal seal of approval when HRH The Prince of Wales, (or Duke of Rothesay, as he is referred to in Scotland), visited Babcock’s Rosyth Facilities and signaled for the final section to be lowered into place, shipbuilder BAE Systems announced. The 570-metric-ton block – known as Sponson 11 – was the final section of the 280-meter-long warship to be manufactured.

The Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA), which is building HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales in shipyards across the U.K., has opened a visitor center in Rosyth Dockyard. The facility, which has a view of both HMS Queen Elizabeth across the non-tidal basin and the Forth bridges behind it, has been created to allow small groups of visitors to learn more about the Alliance and the construction of the two largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy. Featuring an upstairs…

Construction of HMS Prince of Wales, the second of two new aircraft carriers for the U.K. Royal Navy, has moved forward with the docking of two of the ship’s largest hull sections – Lower Block 02 and Lower Block 03. The movement of the blocks into the dock at Rosyth marks the beginning of the ship’s assembly phase and comes only days after Prime Minister David Cameron announced that HMS Prince of Wales will enter into service, ensuring that the U.K. will always have one aircraft carrier available.

The countdown to the naming of the U.K. Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier has begun today, marking 100 days until the major milestone in the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier program. HMS Queen Elizabeth will be officially named by Her Majesty The Queen in a ceremony at Rosyth on Friday, July 4. The naming of the first of class comes five years after first steel was cut on the ship in July 2009 at BAE Systems in Glasgow and only 33 months since the first section entered the dry dock at Rosyth marking the start of her assembly.

The aft island of the double island 'HMS Queen Elizabeth' has been lowered into place by Aircraft Carrier Alliance workers at Rosyth Dockyard in Fife. After an air horn sounded, a huge Goliath crane was used to lower the 750-tonne section of the aircraft carrier, known as Upper Block 14, into place. HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales promise to be the biggest and most powerful surface warships ever constructed for the Royal Navy. "Moving this section into place is a momentous occasion for the programme.

British Secretary of State for Defense, Philip Hammond, signaled a key moment in the creation of aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth during his visit to the assembly site, Babcock’s Rosyth Dockyard. While Aircraft Carrier Alliance workers looked on, Mr. Hammond started the final stage of the operation to lower the ship’s iconic bridge section—also known as the forward island—into place, completing the bow end of the 65,000-ton aircraft carrier. The Defense Secretary said, "The addition of the forward island is a significant milestone for HMS Queen Elizabeth…

The Final hull section of aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has arrived at Babcock’s Rosyth dockyard. The 11,300 tonne aft section of hull, known as Lower Block 04 (LB04), made its way under the Forth Bridges shortly before 11am on Remembrance Sunday. It left BAE Systems’ yard on the Clyde last Sunday (November 4). The section has travelled all the way around the south coast to reach the Fife assembly site, a journey of more than 1,200 miles. The block is the largest section of HMS Queen Elizabeth, the first of two new aircraft carriers being constructed by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance.

BAE Systems won a five year contract to provide information services vital to the successful operation of the entire surface fleet for the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary in Portsmouth. The Configuration Accounting Service involves the management of a huge central information system, known as the Surface Ship Definition Database, which contains over five million records relating to Royal Navy ships. The company’s engineers work to ensure all data, including technical documents, design change guidance and spares lists for each ship, are accurate, up to date and easily accessible. Crucially, this information is required to coordinate all maintenance, repairs and upgrades to the fleet effectively.

Naval support company Fleet Support Limited (FSL) celebrates its tenth anniversary at the end of February with the satisfaction of having played a key role in the renaissance of Portsmouth Naval Base. The Joint Venture between BAE Systems and VT Group was established originally to manage the former Fleet Maintenance and Repair Organization (FMRO). Some 1,000 employees, primarily involved in ship repair, transferred to the new company as the private sector became tasked with improving efficiency and reducing costs in the Base.