Queen Elizabeth to Launch UK’s Biggest Warship
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth will launch the Royal Navy’s USD 5.1 billion (£3.1billion) aircraft carrier, named after her, during her visit to Scotland in summer this year, the Daily Record reported.
HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest ship ever built for the Navy, will be launched in Fife-based dockyard, Rosyth in July. She will be the lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth-class of aircraft carriers.
The sponsor of the giant ship was not named, but the ship is set to take to the water in July.
Construction of the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier began in 2009 and her assembly is taking place in the Firth of Forth at Rosyth Royal Dockyard from nine blocks built in six UK shipyards, which are: BAE Systems Surface Ships in Glasgow, Babcock at Appledore, Babcock at Rosyth, A&P Tyne in Hebburn, BAE at Portsmouth and Cammell Laird (flight decks) at Birkenhead.
| HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH (R08) SPECIFICATIONS | |
|---|---|
| Length | 280 m (920 ft) |
| Beam | 39 m (waterline) 73 m overall |
| Draught | 11 m |
| Displacement | 70,600 tonnes (69,500 long tons) |
| Speed | 25 knots (46 km/h) |
| Complement | 679 |
| Range | 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km) |
| Status | Under construction |
[mappress]
Naval Today Staff, February 12, 2014; Image: Wikimedia
