Military Procurement International Vol. 19, No. 7, April 1, 2009
Copyright DAPSS S.A., 200
9, Switzerland. It is unlawful to reproduce any of this publication without written permission from the publisher.
UNITED KINGDOM
Revised CVF build strategy
On March 6, the Management Board of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA) approved a revision to the build strategy that will deliver the Royal Navy’s two Queen Elizabeth class 65,000t future aircraft carriers (CVFs). The ACA consists of BVT Surface Fleet, Babcock Marine, BAE Systems, Thales UK and the UK Ministry of Defence (which acts as both partner and client).
The ACA has approved the following decisions under the developing build strategy:
· Lower Block 1 (the bow section) will be built by Babcock’s yards at Appledore and Rosyth;
· Lower Block 2 will be built by BVT Surface Fleet in Portsmouth;
· Lower Blocks 3 and 4 (the stern section) will be built by BVT on the Clyde;
· The sponsons (the overhanging upper hull structure) will be manufactured by Babcock Marine;
· The two superstructure Islands will be built by BVT in Portsmouth; and
· Final assembly and integration of the two warships will be undertaken by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance partners at the Babcock yard in Rosyth.
In addition, the ACA has announced that A&P Tyne on Tyneside and Cammell Laird on Merseyside have been named as preferred bidders for the build of the CVFs’ large central Upper Blocks. These contracts are worth an estimated £150 million.