Today’s defence related news continues to focus on HMS Queen Elizabeth’s departure for sea trials.
HMS Queen Elizabeth sets sail from Scotland
The news that the Royal Navy’s largest and most powerful ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, has set sail from Rosyth yesterday was reported further by most major news outlets, including The Telegraph, Daily Mail, Daily Express, Daily Mirror and Financial Times. This coverage followed live broadcast coverage last night of the ship leaving her Scottish dockyard to embark on sea trials in the North Sea.
Read more about HMS Queen Elizabeth here.
Defence Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon, said:
This is a historic moment for the UK as our new aircraft carrier takes to sea for the very first time. This floating fortress is by far the most powerful ship ever built in Britain that will enable us to tackle multiple and changing threats across the globe.
HMS Queen Elizabeth is an enduring example of British imagination, ingenuity, invention that will help keep us safe for decades to come. She is built by the best, crewed by the best and will deliver for Britain.
For the next fifty years she will deploy around the world, demonstrating British power and our commitment to confronting the emerging challenges from a dangerous world. The whole country can be proud of this national achievement.
Admiral Sir Philip Jones, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff said:
This is a hugely significant moment for the Royal Navy, for all our Armed Forces and for our island nation. Once in service HMS Queen Elizabeth will be the largest aircraft carrier in the world outside the United States, and the first designed from the outset to operate a fifth generation aircraft.
Already this ship represents the best of the UK's industrial and engineering expertise, and once in service she will symbolise our military power and authority in the world for decades to come. There is still much work to do between now and then, but be in no doubt: a new era of British maritime power is about to begin.
The Times focused its coverage of the carrier on cyber security issues, claiming that the software used on the carrier was vulnerable to cyber attacks.
An MOD spokesperson said:
While we don’t comment on the specific systems used by our ships and submarines, we have absolute confidence in the security we have in place to keep the Royal Navy’s largest and most powerful ship safe and secure. We take cyber security extremely seriously and the UK has doubled its cyber investment to £1.9 billion.
Defence Medical Information Capability Programme
The Telegraph and The Sun report on the Defence Medical Information Capability Programme, the Ministry of Defence’s medical IT system, claiming that efforts are needed to improve it.
An MOD spokesperson said:
We're in the process of replacing our medical information system to better support the delivery of healthcare. In the meantime changes continue to be made to improve performance.
Armed Forces Covenant in Northern Ireland
The Daily Mail reports on the announcement that the Armed Forces Covenant will be implemented in full in Northern Ireland, meaning a greater focus on military veterans.
An MOD spokesperson said:
We are absolutely committed to the wellbeing of all of our Armed Forces – whether serving or former. The Covenant was set up and enshrined in law to make sure no one is disadvantaged by their service life.
Image of the day:
History was made today as HMS Queen Elizabeth, the first QE Class aircraft carrier, set sail from Rosyth to commence first stage sea trials off the north-east of Scotland.
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