Shipyard Photo of The Day – Rolling Out 11,300 Tons of Aircraft Carrier

Nation’s flagship is on the move – Lower Block 04, the biggest hull section of HMS Queen Elizabeth at 11,300 tonnes, is rolled out of the shipbuild halls at BAE Systems’ Govan yard on the Clyde ahead of her journey to Rosyth. Photo (c) BAE Systems

Workers at BAE Systems on Sunday moved the biggest section of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, the first of two new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy, out of the company’s shipbuilding hall at Govan for the first time.

A team of 40 moved the 11,300 ton aft section, known as Lower Block 04, across the specially reinforced tarmac at the yard in less than three hours using 450 remote controlled transporters.

Today the block will be loaded onto one of the two biggest sea-going barges in the world in preparation for her journey to Rosyth where the aircraft carriers are being assembled. Departing from Govan on Saturday 3 November, the 600 mile journey will take Lower Block 04 around the north coast of Scotland.

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The load out of Lower Block 04 comes only 34 months after the first steel was cut on the section in January 2010. Since then, employees at the company’s Govan yard have worked steadily to construct the block which stands over 20 meters high and 80 meters long. It is the largest hull section equating to around 20% of the overall weight of the ship, and the final hull section of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH to arrive in Rosyth. This will mark a significant phase in the program with all major hull sections of the ship delivered and ready for integration. Approximately 250 employees from the Clyde will follow the block to Rosyth where they will work in partnership with employees at Babcock to complete the assembly phase of this section of the carrier.

Meanwhile, production on both Lower Block 03 and 04 of HMS PRINCE OF WALES continues to progress at Govan, while the aft island for the first ship is underway at the company’s Scotstoun yard. BAE Systems is also manufacturing sections of hull at its Portsmouth facility. Additionally, the company is responsible for the design integration and testing of the ships’ complex mission and advanced communications systems.

The aircraft carriers HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and HMS PRINCE OF WALES are being delivered by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, a unique partnering relationship between BAE Systems, Thales UK, Babcock and the UK Ministry of Defence. BAE Systems has an overarching role in managing the QE Class program, as well as playing a central role in the design and build of the ships.

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