HMS Illustrious will sail into the River Forth on Wednesday (July 2) in support of the naming ceremony for the new carrier.
HMS Queen Elizabeth will be named by Her Majesty The Queen on July 4 at Rosyth Dockyard where she is currently in build.
Helicopter carrier Illustrious – or Lusty as she is affectionately known within the Royal UK Navy – will sail beneath the famous Forth bridges at approximately 11:45am before turning towards the dockyard.
During the next two days HMS Illustrious will play her own integral role both in the build up to and on the day of the naming ceremony, hosting a number of visiting dignitaries and providing a suitable naval backdrop for proceedings.
She will remain at Rosyth until Saturday (July 5).
HMS Illustrious is the UK’s high readiness helicopter and commando carrier. This means that she can fulfill a variety of tasks anywhere around the world.
HMS Illustrious is the second of three Invincible-class light aircraft carriers built for the Royal Navy in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She is the fifth warship and second aircraft carrier to bear the name Illustrious.
[mappress] Press Release, July 01, 2014; Image: UK Navy