THE bow sections of the UK’s project to build its two biggest Royal Navy warships are now complete.
This important milestone is good news for Cammell Laird shipyard, Birkenhead, which will start building the flight deck of aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, in July.
The two bow sections of HMS Queen Elizabeth, weighing 430 tonnes, are about to set sail from Babcock’s Appledore shipyard in Devon.
Measuring about 30m long and 16m high, they will make a six-day journey by barge to Rosyth in Scotland, where the ship will be assembled.
Laird’s flight deck, plus associated aircraft hangars and lifts will follow a similar route to the Firth of Forth shipyard.
Other shipyards throughout the UK are contributing their skills to the project, including Glasgow and Newcastle.
Laird’s hopes that if the project continues, it will receive the contract for identical work for sister ship HMS Prince of Wales (affiliated to Liverpool).
HMS Queen Elizabeth, 65,000 tons, will be commissioned in May, 2016.
