UK gives go-ahead for aircraft carriers
Britain is set to sign a long-awaited $7.8 billion deal to build two aircraft carriers, which will be the Royal Navy's largest-ever ships and are set for 50 years of service.
"Today's confirmation that we are proceeding with the two aircraft carriers underlines our commitment to both the Royal Navy and the UK shipbuilding industry," Minister for Defense Equipment and Support Ann Taylor said yesterday.
The 65,000-ton carriers, due to be called Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales and enter service in 2014 and 2016, are expected to each carry 36 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter combat jets as well as four early warning aircraft.
The manufacturing contract is going to a consortium that includes a shipbuilding joint venture being set up between two British companies, BAE Systems and VT Group. Other members include Britain's Babcock International Group and France's Thales, which designed the ships.
Final signing of the contract had been expected earlier this year but was delayed as Britain's Ministry of Defense struggled to line up its spending plans with its budget.
Signs the logjam had been broken came with the ministry's May 8 announcement that US defense contractor General Dynamics Corp's Piranha 5 was the preferred design for the army's next generation of medium-weight armored utility vehicles.
BAE, Europe's largest defense contractor, and support services company VT have long been ready to finalize their joint venture, but said they would not do so until the government was ready to put pen to paper on the carrier contract.
The MoD said yesterday it had "completed all the necessary financial, commercial, and management arrangements, and has provided written assurances to industry that we are ready to sign contracts as soon as the new shipbuilding joint venture that will be part of the alliance of companies constructing the vessels has been formed."
The new carriers will be much smaller than their US counterparts, whose next generation, also due to start in service in the middle of the next decade, will displace 100,000 tons and carry upwards of 75 aircraft.
Agencies
(China Daily 05/21/2008 page24)
