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HMS Queen Elizabeth (CVF)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article or section contains information about scheduled or expected future events. It may contain tentative information; the content may change as the event approaches and more information becomes available. |
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| Career United Kingdom |  |
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| Builder: | BAE Systems Thales Group KBR VT Group Babcock International Group |
| Laid down: | |
| Launched: | |
| Status: | Planned |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 65,000 tons |
| Length: | 900 ft |
| Beam: | 39 metres (waterline) c.70 metres overall |
| Draught: | 9 metres |
| Speed: | |
| Range: | 10,000 nautical miles (18,520 km) |
| Capacity: | 1,400 |
| Complement: | 600 |
| Aircraft carried: | 48 aircraft, such as F-35 Lightning II & the EH101 Merlin helicopter |
HMS Queen Elizabeth will be the first of the Royal Navy's two new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers and is scheduled to enter service in 2014.[1]
Queen Elizabeth and her sister ship (Prince of Wales) will be the largest warships ever built in the United Kingdom. They are multi-purpose carriers that can adapt to complete multiple roles. It will be capable of carrying 40 aircraft (the F-35B Lightning II) or 25 Chinook helicopters, a major capability upgrade from the current Invincible class carriers.
The ships will be built in four sections, at Portsmouth, Rosyth, Barrow-in-Furness, and on the Clyde, by BAE Systems and VT Group before being assembled on the Clyde.[2]
The aircraft currently selected to be used on these carriers are the Short Take Off Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of the Lightning II. Originally the carrier will be fitted with a ski-jump ramp but in the future, the flight deck will have the provision to be converted to use a catapult launch and arrestor recovery system should the U.K. choose to operate the conventional F-35C or an Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) similar to the X-47 Pegasus.
Defence secretary Des Browne confirmed the £3.8bn order for the two carriers on 25 July 2007. The news was welcomed by politicians, trade unions and business. Both ships of the class will be based at Portsmouth Naval Dockyard.[citation needed]
- HMS Queen Elizabeth for other ships of this name.
- The Royal Navy in the 21st Century
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| Queen Elizabeth · Prince of Wales |
| Preceded by: Invincible class aircraft carrier List of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy |