Tyneside
shipbuilders A&P are celebrating the return of Naval
shipbuilding to the North East today with the award of a £55M
contract to construct a section of the Royal Navy’s giant new
aircraft carriers.
The massive construction project, which will provide around five
years’ work for A&P and support the 210-strong workforce,
will see A&P construct a 1,000 tonne section that will
form part of the first of the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers. At
65,000 tonnes, these will be the largest warships ever constructed
in the UK.
Minister for Defence Equipment and Support Quentin Davies said:
“Companies right across the UK are involved in delivering this
project which represents a step change in defence’s capability,
enabling Britain to deliver airpower from the sea wherever and
whenever it is required. The excellent progress being made by
A&P here on the Tyne is evidence of the absolute
commitment to delivering this vital capability.”
Head of Capital Ships at the MOD Tony Graham said:
“This is an historic day for shipbuilding in the North East,
marking its involvement in the biggest shipbuilding programme the
Navy has seen. It is fantastic that the young apprentices who have
been taken on by A&P are learning their trade on these
Carriers, which will be the cornerstone of the future Navy.
“The Aircraft Carrier Alliance has been impressed by the
commitment of A&P management to upgrading their facilities
and providing confidence in their ability to meet important
delivery milestones. We know and trust that A&P management
and workforce will deliver their promises.”
Investment has been made in new equipment including a
state-of-the art plasma cutter and new panel line at the Hebburn
site which will equip A&P Tyne with the facilities to
deliver their parts of the aircraft carriers.
The aircraft carriers are being constructed in sections at
locations around the country and will be shipped to Rosyth in
Scotland where they will be fitted together. Contracts for the
equipment that will furnish the ships worth over £1Bn to date have
also been placed around the UK.
Aircraft Carrier Alliance Programme Director Geoff Searle said:
“This is a fantastic day for A&P Tyne and the Aircraft
Carrier Alliance. These carriers will be this country’s future
flagships so our primary focus and that of our contractors is
ensuring we deliver the best vessels possible to the Royal Navy.
“The commitment of the Tyneside workforce to building these ships
for the UK Armed Forces is very evident and I am delighted that
A&P Tyne is now officially on contract and has started to
make great progress on the first ship.”
A&P Group Managing Director David Skentelbery said:
“Our Hebburn workforce has a proud tradition of delivering a
first rate job and I have no doubt that they will continue to do
so on this hugely prestigious project.
“At A&P Tyne, we are set to deliver a substantial part of
these ships and I am delighted that we can represent the North
East on the project.”
Notes to editors
1. For further information, facts and figures please contact
Sally May, DE&S Press Office, on 07775 551281 or David
Hunter in the MoD Press Office on 0207 218 3256.
2. Stills and video are available from the DNI website: www.dni.mod.uk including CGI of
the Carrier Strike force in operation. Login with username:
GuestUser; password: Golden Medal
3. The ships will be the largest warships ever built in the UK.
Dimensions:
Weight: 65000 tonnes
Length: 280m
Width: 70m
Aircraft: 40 (including Short Take-Off Vertical Landing strike
aircraft and helicopters)
Complement: 1,450 (including embarked aircrew and support staff).
Power generation : 109MW
Range : 8,000 to 10,000 nautical miles
4. Prime contractors BAE Systems Surface Ships have recruited 78
new apprentices on the Clyde and 42 in Portsmouth in 2009, taking
the total number of apprentices in the business to 504. In Rosyth,
Babcock recruited a further 52 apprentices in 2009, which boosted
the company’s total number of apprentices to 157.
5. The innovative Aircraft Carrier Alliance is a single
integrated team formed from, BAE Systems, Thales UK and the MOD
(which acts as both partner and client.) It is responsible for
delivering the Queen Elizabeth Class ships to time and cost.
Alliancing allows for the collaborative delivery of the aircraft
carriers by bringing together all interested parties with a vested
financial interest to make decisions to achieve what is best for
the project, as well as providing the most effective way of
managing risk and reward.
Contacts:
Ministry of Defence
NDS.MOD@coi.gsi.gov.uk