Contracts worth
£333M have been awarded by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA) to
companies across the country to help to build the Royal
Navy's new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.
Five sub-contracts have been awarded to suppliers from Glasgow to
Portsmouth for equipment to be installed on the ships and services
for their assembly, bringing the total value of sub-contracts
awarded so far on the programme to almost £1.1bn. These contracts
and sub-contracts represent the vast majority of the equipment
orders for the Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers and demonstrate the
progress made on the programme to date.
The two future aircraft carriers will form the cornerstone of the
UK's Naval capability and will be the largest, most
capable and powerful warships ever constructed in the UK. They
will be a highly versatile and potent joint defence asset, able to
meet the widest range of tasks around the world throughout their
expected service life of around 50 years.
Sub-contracts
have been awarded by the ACA to:
* Imtech Marine & Offshore Ltd in Billingham, Teesside
and Portsmouth for heating, ventilation and air conditioning,
worth £120M;
* Ship Support Services Ltd based near Rosyth for paint and
scaffolding for the build process, worth £105M (SSS Ltd is a joint
venture formed between Pyeroy in Gateshead and Cape in Wakefield);
* Henry Abrams in Glasgow for transport of sections of the ship
from the yards across the UK to Rosyth for final assembly, worth £85M;
* Tyco in Manchester for fixed fire fighting systems, worth £15M;
and
* AEI Cables in Birtley, Co Durham for much of the 2,500 km of
cabling to be installed, worth £8M.
Minister for Defence Equipment and Support Quentin Davies
said:
"This news should reassure those who
doubt this Government's commitment to the programme.
These sub-contracts will contribute thousands of jobs throughout
the supply chain in addition to the thousands of jobs at the main
shipyards which are building the ships.
"The build phase of the Carrier programme is now well
under way. The first units have already been delivered to Rosyth
where these ships - the cornerstone of the Royal Navy of the
future - will be assembled."
Head of Capital Ships at the MoD's Defence Equipment and
Support Tony Graham said:
"The award of these contracts is evidence that the
project is progressing well and momentum continues to grow. The
project is successfully hitting its construction milestones and
these contracts will help us meet our overall delivery plan. This
work is particularly important for sustaining jobs and growing skills."
ACA Programme Director Geoff Searle said:
"I am delighted to announce these substantial contracts
for work on the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carrier programme,
covering the vital services that run throughout the ships, as well
as essential elements of the actual shipbuild process itself. Most
of these contracts, placed for the Aircraft Carrier Alliance will
support local economies and jobs throughout the UK regions.
"The ACA has achieved many substantial milestones in the
last 12 months, including commencing work on the build of HMS
Queen Elizabeth in four UK shipyards and completing work on the
huge Number One Dock in Rosyth where the ships will finally be
assembled. Continuing this level of momentum is essential and the
signing of these contracts is testimony that it will continue
through 2010 and beyond."
Notes to editors
1. The contract to build the two new Aircraft Carriers was signed
on 3rd July 2008. Funding for these new equipment contracts form
part of the existing financial commitment by the MOD announced
under this original contract.
2. Key facts:
Displacement: 65,000 tonnes - over three times
the size of the existing aircraft carriers
Length: 280m - 90m
longer than the existing aircraft carriers
Width: 70m - twice
the width of the existing aircraft carriers
Range: 8,000 to
10,000 nautical miles
56m from keel to masthead - 6m taller
than Nelson's Column
Four acres of sovereign
territory provided by each ship
Capacity for 40 aircraft -
double that of the existing aircraft carrier
110MW power
station on board each ship - enough to provide all of Portsea
Island with power
1.5 million metres squared of paintwork,
which is 370 acres or slightly more than acreage of Hyde
Park
80,000 tonnes of steel is on order for the two ships;
three times that used in Wembley Stadium
3. For further information please contact Sally May, DE&S
Press Office on 011791 30638 or David Hunter in the MoD Press
Office on 0207 218 3256.
007 / 2010
Contacts:
Ministry of Defence
NDS.MOD@coi.gsi.gov.uk