Control tower lowered on to UK's biggest aircraft carrier

The UK's biggest aircraft carrier has moved a step closer to completion after its 750-tonne control tower was lowered on to the deck.

The aft island of HMS Queen Elizabeth was built in a yard on the River Clyde in Glasgow and sailed on a barge to Rosyth, Fife, last week to join the other parts of the ship.

It took workers in Scotstoun nearly two years to build the section which will serve as the centre of on-board flight operations.

A huge crane lifted it into place, and it was then lowered on to the deck yesterday in a ceremony with representatives from the armed forces in attendance.

A plaque with the badges of the Royal Navy, the Army and the RAF was placed under the aft island before it was lowered the final few feet into position.

Part of the plaque will remain visible and reads: "Embedded within are the emblems of the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force and the British Army, the three services which together protect the United Kingdom, her overseas territories and crown dependencies across the globe."

Two apprentices, Gordon Currie and Chris McArthur, sounded airhorns to signal the start of the lowering.

HMS Queen Elizabeth and another aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, are the largest warships ever constructed for the Royal Navy. The first is due to be launched in 2016. They are being built by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, a partnership of BAE Systems, Babcock, Thales and the Ministry of Defence.

Captain Simon Petitt, senior naval officer, HMS Queen Elizabeth, said: "This is a very significant moment in the making of the ship, particularly as it's an aircraft carrier, because the guys working in the aft island will be operating and controlling all of the aviation activity on this flight deck.

"It's a massive UK project, it's going to be the most automated and advanced aircraft carrier in the world and it's being built in this country and all of those involved should be rightly proud."

Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier section completed

The final section of the Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier was completed at BAE Systems in Scotstoun in Glasgow yesterday. 

The Aft Island section of the carrier will be loaded onto a barge before being transported to Rosyth where the rest of the ship is being constructed. 

Six UK shipyards are involved in building various parts of the ship. The vessel will not be finished until 2016 at the earliest, and may not be ready for active service until 2020, when it will be based in Portsmouth.

The navy is expected to have no aircraft carriers between 2014, when HMS Illustrious is taken out of service, and 2016, when HMS Queen Elizabeth is completed. The government decided to retire the HMS Ark Royal and its fleet of Harrier jump jets in 2011, five years early.

Constructed by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, the Queen Elizabeth will be the Royal Navy’s largest ever warship.

Abandoned plans to switch the type of fighter aircraft used on the Royal Navy’s new carriers will cost taxpayers £74m, according to the National Audit Office.

Defence secretary Philip Hammond last year decided to revert to plans by the former Labour government to acquire the jump jet version of the US-built F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Under proposals set out in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the coalition had intended to switch to the F-35C carrier variant of the aircraft, even though it meant mothballing one of the two carriers on grounds of affordability.

But the costs of fitting the necessary catapults and arrester gear to the carriers had more than doubled to £2bn.

The National Audit Office (NAO) said although the department acted quickly once it had realised the problems with switching, the decision made in the defence review was based on ‘immature date and flawed assumptions’, and the subsequent work cost about £74m.

Amyas Morse, the head of the NAO, said: ‘It is good that the Ministry of Defence acted promptly, once it became clear that pursuing the option to buy the carrier variant aircraft would cost a lot more money and add another three years to the whole programme.

‘But to achieve value for money in this project, the department will have to manage significant technical and affordability risks, and be consistent in sticking to the present plan.’

HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier's first crew named

Leading Hand Claire Butler Claire Butler said her appointment was a "fantastic honour"

A Middlesbrough woman has become the first crew member of the Royal Navy's largest ever warship eight years before it comes into service.

Aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is the first of two 65,000-tonne ships under construction in Scotland.

Rear Adm Steve Brunton presented Leading Hand Claire Butler with the first "cap tally" band for her hat with the carrier's name on it.

The carrier is not expected to be ready to deploy until at least 2020.

Ms Butler said: "Becoming the first member of the Royal Navy to wear this cap tally is a fantastic honour.

"My main task will be to set up the routines and procedures that will allow the rest of the crew to do their jobs.

Flying trials

"We are all well trained and, as a team, will make sure this warship becomes operational and helps to safeguard the world's oceans."

Six shipyards around the UK are involved in building various parts of the ship, which are ultimately being assembled in Fife.

The ship, which will have 1,600 crew members when fully operational, is expected to head to Portsmouth in 2017, with flying trials beginning in 2018 and deployment possible two years later.

"This isn't just a naval asset, this is a joint asset for the country and the government to use," Rear Adm Brunton said.

"We've already started to build HMS Prince of Wales and many of the ship's systems are being tested ashore ready to be brought on board."

The ships are being delivered by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, a partnership between BAE Systems, Thales UK, Babcock and the MoD.