£3 billion contracts signed for largest ever UK warships
Contracts to build two Royal Navy aircraft carriers, the largest and most potent warships to be designed and built in the UK, have been signed by the MOD and industry today, Thursday 3 July 2008. The contracts, worth in the region of £3 billion, were signed with a new UK maritime joint venture, formed by BAE Systems and VT Group, called BVT Surface Fleet, and the Aircraft Carrier Alliance onboard existing aircraft carrier and Fleet Flagship HMS Ark Royal at Portsmouth today, Thursday 3 July 2008.
The future aircraft carriers, to be named HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, will dramatically improve the UK’s ability to project expeditionary air power over the coming decades and will be a highly versatile and potent joint defence asset, able to meet the widest range of tasks.
The carriers are expected to enter service in 2014 and 2016 respectively; once they enter service they are expected to remain in the fleet for at least thirty years.
Contracts authorised today encompass work worth:
* £1,325m for the construction of giant sections of both ships by BVT Surface Fleet at Govan on the Clyde and Portsmouth;
* £300m for the construction of giant sections of the ships at the BAE Systems yard at Barrow-in-Furness;
* £675m for the bow section and final assembly and completion of the ships by Babcock Marine, with assembly taking place at Rosyth;
* £425m for design and engineering for Thales UK;
* £275m for design and supply of Mission Systems for BAE Systems Integrated Systems Technologies (Insyte).
The carriers will displace 65,000 tonnes at deep load, be around 280m long and 70m wide on the flight deck, accommodate around 1,500 personnel and operate a mix of up to 40 aircraft.
BVT Surface Fleet, the joint venture formed by BAE Systems and VT Group on 1 July 2008 will be a key member of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance of companies which will construct and assemble the new carriers.
Other members of the Alliance include Babcock, Thales UK, BAE Systems Submarine Solutions at Barrow and BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies (Insyte).
All parties have signed a legally binding Alliance Agreement, including an Alliance Charter, committing them to work together in a collaborative manner.