Skills and expertise: Focus Support: Teams working on world-class supply together to keep build chain Pages 4-5 on track Page 6 News from the Aircraft Carrier Alliance Issue 7 May 2012 Superblock revealed CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS programme on plan and, thanks Completion of dock cycle A is to the skilled and hard work from everyone involved, we remain The fi rst major stage in the assembly major step in build programme right on track.” of HMS Queen Elizabeth is complete. Superblock 03 is made up Sections of the ship, which deliver the nation’s fl agships has Royal Navy. It’s still some way off of Lower Block 03, the fl ight are being crafted at yards across taken a huge step forward. from being a complete aircraft deck sections and the fl ight deck the country, have been arriving Programme Director Geoff Searle carrier, but already weighs almost as extensions, called sponsons. It at Rosyth Dockyard on the explained: “Superblock 03 is the much as one and a half Type 45 brings together parts constructed Firth of Forth, where assembly mid-section of HMS Queen Destroyers! on the Clyde, the Tyne, at Appledore is taking place. Elizabeth. Getting to this stage, “It’s a critical achievement and in Devon and in Rosyth. Since last summer, several major where the fi rst major section is means we can now prepare to enter To create the structure, the sections of HMS Queen Elizabeth, now fully assembled, marks a big the next stage of integrating the Babcock heavy lift team used the weighing thousands of tonnes, moment for the programme. blocks that make up the forward have been assembled. “To put it in perspective, if it section of the ship. Continued on page 02 Now the fi rst ‘superblock’ is were a complete vessel, superblock “Completing the fi rst super- complete, and the programme to 03 would be one of the largest in the block is necessary to keep the CONSISTING OF CVF Carrier Waves book 1 11/05/2012 16:04 02 News from the Aircraft Carrier Alliance NEWS Contents [MAY 2012] F-35B for Queen Pages 04 and 05 The supply chain is the key link to a successful construction programme Elizabeth Class Pages 06 Update on support ANNOUNCEMENT work taking place F-35B testing across the project at sea The Government has announced Page 07 the selection of the F-35B Joint Shore Integration Strike Fighter as the fast jet that will Facility in Bristol testing operate from the Queen Elizabeth crucial systems Class aircraft carriers. The F-35B is a Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) capable aircraft. This means the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft Contact carriers will be built to support [FOR MORE INFORMATION] them. Programme Director, Geoff Searle, explained: “The STOVL To request further copies capabilities of this aircraft call for or to submit a story for some specific designs. HMS Queen the next edition, please Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales contact John Fyall, will be built with a ramp at the bow the aircraft safely back down. action. We will now work ACA Communications and we’ll be developing the flight “We have plans to develop with the Ministry of Defence to Manager at john.fyall@ deck with visual landing aids de- the ships to support this aircraft, ensure both ships meet their baesystems.com signed specifically to help pilots guide and we are now putting them into requirements.” Carrier Waves is now being made available online as an interactive Moving 4,000 tonnes Superblock revealed PDF. The link to access FROM PAGE 01 the latest version will be distributed via email. is a delicate business... If you would like more giant Goliath crane to move more information on the new than 5,000 tonnes of sections into format, or would like to place with pinpoint accuracy. request Carrier Waves Sean Donaldson, Babcock QEC as a standard PDF, director, said: “The heavy lift team please contact John Fyall, has the operation of Goliath and ACA Communications the meticulous planning required Manager, at john.fyall@ for these complex operations baesystems.com down to a fine art. It’s a precision job, with no margin for error.” © 2012 Aircraft Carrier While the heavy lifts have Alliance. The publishers, been developing the structure of authors and printers cannot the superblock, hundreds of accept liability for any errors skilled workers have been busy or omissions. Articles or inside the block, doing every- opinions expressed in this SECTION MOVE move, the section was carefully publication may not reflect thing from fitting beds to company policy. All rights lined up with the rest of the block, installing hundreds of kilometres reserved. On no account which will collectively form the aft of cables and pipes. may any part of this Two giant sections of Lower Block section of the hull. Geoff Searle said: “The publication be reproduced 04 (LB04) were brought together Almost the full length of a successful construction and in any form without the for the first time in a precision move football pitch, the structure, which assembly of the Queen Elizabeth written permission of the at BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard. is the largest section of hull under Class depends on a combination copyright holder, application for which should be made to Using a fleet of 132 remote construction, is so large that it of skill, timing and teamwork. [email protected] controlled transporters, a huge stretches beyond the doors of the The Aircraft Carrier Alliance is Designed by Connect section, weighing more than 4,000 ship build hall in which it sits. The bringing all the right elements Communications Ltd. tonnes, was carefully manoeu- complete section will weigh more together and is proudly delivering www.connect vred 100 metres across specially than 11,000 tonnes and is expected the nation’s flagships.” communications.co.uk reinforced concrete. In a two-hour to move to Rosyth in November. CVF Carrier Waves_p1-3.indd 2 14/05/2012 14:20 NEWS News from the Aircraft Carrier Alliance 03 News in brief Programme Director Geoff Searle Power up watches as Commander-in-Chief In a major milestone for the Fleet Admiral George Zambellas construction of HMS Queen cuts the fi rst steel Elizabeth, workers in Portsmouth completed all the wiring and powered up the ship’s fi rst installed switchboard on LB02. Paul Bowsher, Project Leader in New milestone in HMS Portsmouth, said: “This is a massive result for our teams.” Prince of Wales build Best in UK Two Aircraft Carrier Alliance HMS PRINCE OF WALES Next stage begins by Babcock at its Appledore facility, apprentices have been named as made the 780-nautical mile journey among the best in the UK. on construction around the south and east coast Mechanical Fitter Claire Grant, A new chapter in the construction to Rosyth. 22, who works for Babcock at of the second of class, HMS Prince of forward section Sean Donaldson, Babcock QEC Rosyth, took fi rst place in a national of Wales, opened in Portsmouth Project Director, said: “Less than competition to fi nd the best trainees recently as Commander-in-Chief Admiral Zambellas said: “These two years after completing the bow of 2011. Fleet Admiral George Zambellas two ships – each of which will be sections for the fi rst carrier, we are And David Crawford, 20, who cut the fi rst steel for Lower Block 02. in service for more than 50 years – again celebrating an important works for BAE Systems Naval Ships The forward section of the lie at the heart of our national step in the carrier programme with at Govan, won the Craft Fabrica- hull will weigh about 6,000 tonnes security posture. With the the arrival of this section for HMS tion Achievement at the company’s upon completion and will house equipment that will operate from Prince of Wales.” apprentice of the the ship’s machinery spaces, them, they will be pivotal to the In Govan, work on HMS Prince year awards. stores and switchboards, as well UK’s ability to project power at of Wales has been forging ahead for Claire and David as some of the accommodation, range for decades to come.” the last year. Now the ship’s mid are two of including 85 cabins. Meanwhile, the bulbous bow for section – LB03 – is already weighing more than 700 Commander-in-Chief Fleet HMS Prince of Wales, constructed in at more than 2,500 tonnes. apprentices cur- rently playing a part in the con- Heavy Lift team said: “Sponsons are struction of the Claire Grant very large and complex shapes, so to aircraft carriers. Jack be help us work with them, we devel- oped the Synchronous Lift System. This is a really clever piece of kit which nimble gathers information from lots of sen- sors to accurately calculate just how Jacks are used to each sponson needs to be supported. ASSEMBLY place the sponsons “It uses 48 individual jacks, Follow us operated by a touch-screen controller. Almost 1,000 people regularly Once a sponson has been moved into receive news, the latest pictures Sponsons, the extensions to sections of the fl ight deck, it’s position by Goliath, the Synchronous and build updates about the the Queen Elizabeth Class fl ight deck, crucial they are aligned with Lift System keeps it supported and programme through Twitter. are notoriously tricky to work with. absolute precision while they can make minute adjustments to its To join them, search for They weigh about 800 tonnes, are integrated into the build. position, ensuring it’s in exactly the @QEClassCarriers and you’ll get all they’re irregularly shaped, and But now, engineers at Rosyth right place.