Aircraft carriers get green light

Updated 15.38 Tue May 20 2008

The Ministry of Defence has given the go-ahead to build two new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales will be the biggest and most powerful surface warships ever constructed in the UK, and will enter service in 2014 and 2016 respectively.

The 280m-long 65,000-tonne carriers will be capable of carrying up to 40 aircraft

The MoD said they will be built at shipyards in Portsmouth, Barrow-in-Furness, Glasgow and Rosyth, and will create or sustain 10,000 jobs across the UK.

Defence Secretary Des Browne told MPs that the MoD had now completed the financial, commercial and management arrangements necessary for the £4 billion project to go ahead.

Contracts will be signed once industry has finalised a new shipbuilding joint venture being set up by BAE Systems and VT Group which will help build the carriers.

"The two aircraft carriers will provide our front line forces with the modern, world-class capabilities they will need over the coming decades," Mr Browne said.

"They will support peace-keeping and conflict prevention as well as our strategic operational priorities.

"This is an important day for the project and I am delighted that we are moving closer to signing the contracts for the manufacture of the carriers."

Defence Equipment Minister Baroness Taylor added: "Today's confirmation that we are proceeding with the two aircraft carriers underlines our commitment to both the Royal Navy and to the UK shipbuilding industry.

"We are investing about £14 billion in the Navy and in the maritime industry over the next 10 to 15 years. The future carriers will provide an important military capability and will sustain many jobs - around 10,000 at the peak of production."

The 280m-long 65,000-tonne carriers will be capable of carrying up to 40 aircraft.