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.
Full story at the MoD.
Now all we need are some F-35Bs to run off it though personally I'd rather we bought back some Seafires.
My wings are like a shield of steel.