Minister of State for Defence Procurement Philip Dunne visited Rosyth last week to power up the first of the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier’s four diesel generators. Here he talks about what the milestone means for the largest warship ever built in the UK:
Minister of State for Defence Procurement Philip Dunne MP.
I was very interested to return to Rosyth, a hub of UK shipbuilding, to mark this important moment when the first of HMS Queen Elizabeth’s diesel generators created power on board for the first time.
This 200-tonne generator will enable the Queen Elizabeth to produce electrical power for propulsion and the ship’s services on board. It is a major nautical-milestone on her journey to becoming an operational warship, ready for duty: a journey that will see her deploy in every ocean around the world over the next five decades.
There are thousands of people who, through the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, are playing a vital role in bringing these mighty ships to life, with some 4,000 jobs and hundreds of apprentices supported in both Scottish shipyards at Rosyth and on the Clyde,, along with thousands more throughout the supply chain across the UK. Every single person involved should be immensely proud of their impressive work, and I would like to thank them for their on-going commitment to this momentous programme.
Philip Dunne about to start the diesel generator onboard the Carrier. The first of HMS Queen Elizabeths mighty diesel generators was powered-up marking a major milestone on the way to her becoming an operational warship ready to go to sea.
The Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales carriers are the largest, most powerful warships that have ever been built in the United Kingdom. They also represent a huge investment in UK industry, and by the end of May 2015, the MOD has paid around £3.12 billion to Babcock at Rosyth and to BAE Systems on the Clyde – an immense boost to jobs and local economies, with far-reaching, positive ripples felt right across the UK.
It isn’t until you see the Queen Elizabeth close up that you realise just what 65,000 tonnes actually looks like. When she enters service, with all her capability on board, she will be even more impressive still.
Minister of State for Defence Procurement, Philip Dunne, officially started the first of the ships four diesel generators at the home of the UKs aircraft carrier programme in Rosyth, Scotland today bringing the ship to life for the first time.
With each ship effectively a four acre floating sovereign base, our carriers are an essential part of this government’s commitment to maintaining the UK’s global reach. The QE Class will also be versatile enough to be deployed across the full spectrum of military activity, from war fighting to providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
For the Queen Elizabeth, the next milestone will be when she starts her sea trials in 2017. By 2020, she will have the capacity to embark up to four helicopters and our new F35B Lightning II aircraft, currently undergoing testing in the US.
For Scotland, it is no secret that there is a proud heritage of shipbuilding, and with the construction of carriers such as these, one of the largest engineering projects in the UK, as well as the building Offshore Patrol Vessels in Govan and later, the Type 26 Global Combat ships, there is no doubt an iron clad future too.
