£52m equipment contracts placed for new U.K. Royal Navy carriers

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£52m equipment contracts placed for new carriers
UNITED KINGDOM - 7 SEPTEMBER 2009

As the first sections of the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers arrive at the Rosyth dockyard where they will be assembled, work is continuing apace to deliver the machinery, fixtures and fittings that will equip the ships.

The Ministry of Defence has announced that sub-contracts for the new Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers worth over £52m for a wide range of equipment have been placed, helping to secure jobs and sustain work for industry across the UK.

Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies, said:

"As well as the everyday essentials such as washing machines and TVs that will make the ship’s company comfortable onboard, the contracts announced today provide for some of the highly sophisticated equipment that will make these ships fit for the Royal Navy of the 21st century.

"With construction well underway and the first units of the pre-fabricated units having arrived at the dockyard in Rosyth where they will be assembled, the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers are beginning to take shape.

The UK is procuring two new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy - HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. The carriers will be the biggest and most powerful surface warships ever constructed for the Royal Navy and will deliver an increased strategic effect and influence around the world.

The ships will be delivered by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance - an innovative alliance comprising industry participants and MOD in which MOD acts as both client and participant. For the manufacture phase the industrial participants will be the BAES/VT planned Joint Venture, Thales, Babcock and BAES (Surface Ships & Insyte).

Tony Graham, Head of Capital Ships within MOD’s Defence Equipment & Support, said:

"The vast majority of Queen Elizabeth Class supply contracts have now been placed. These latest orders begin to close out the few remaining supply agreements needed to finish HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.

"Our supply chain stretches the length and breadth of the UK and as such we recognise that the build of these two important warships is a national endeavour of great consequence for jobs, skills and local pride."

The sub-contracts include: £16m for 12,000 valves by Score Marine Ltd, based in Peterhead, who employ 675 people at the site; £15m for an integrated waste management system managed by Babcock Strachan & Henshaw in Bristol, helping to sustain employment for their suppliers for the next six to eight years; and £3m for ship lighting and lighting distribution panels by McGeoch Technology Ltd, based in Birmingham, as well as several other smaller contracts.

The Queen Elizabeth Class carriers together with the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft and the brand new Type 45 destroyers will form the cornerstone of Britain's future ability to jointly project airpower world-wide from land or sea at a time and place of the UK's choosing.


Artist's impression of the two Future U.K. Royal Navy Carriers



Artist's impression of the Future Carrier showing a Joint Strike Fighter aircraft



Source: U.K. Ministry Of Defence

 

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Key milestone for Queen Elizabeth class waste management system
UNITED KINGDOM - 27 NOVEMBER 2009

The first major component of the Integrated Waste Management System (IWMS) from Babcock for the new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers – the Waste Water Treatment Plant – has been delivered ready for installation in the first carrier, marking an important milestone.

Designed by Babcock under contract to the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, the IWMS addresses the collection, transfer, treatment, stowage and disembarkation of the various fluid and solid waste streams generated onboard the carriers.

The Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) is a key component of the system, and will process the black (sewage) and grey water (from showers, sinks, galleys and laundries) generated onboard, and discharge permeate compliant with MARPOL 73/78, Annex IV (the international standard for control of marine pollution). The plant comprises a membrane bioreactor (including cross-flow, aeration, feed and bleed systems) and black water collection system, and each carrier will have three identical, autonomous WWTPs located forward, amidships and aft.

Black water from the heads and medical centre will be vacuum transported to a black water vacuum transfer tank adjacent to each WWTP, while grey water will be predominantly gravity collected to the double bottom grey water tanks (with water from galleys and food processing passing through grease separators). Subsequent inter-block transfer of black or grey water is an autonomous process controlled by the Integrated Platform Management System. Bio-sludge generated by the membrane bioreactor units may be periodically pumped either to shore, overboard, or to the Solid Waste and Final Treatment System for drying and thermal destruction (pyrolysis) onboard. The dry solids content of the bio-sludge will be 2-3%.

Factory acceptance testing of the WWTP was successfully completed at Babcock’s Bristol premises last month, prior to despatch.

To facilitate ship installation, Babcock has grouped and mounted the WWTP equipment and all ancillary items, with interconnecting pipework and cabling, on purpose-manufactured rafts for optimum efficiency, reducing the resources required at the build yards.

Babcock project manager Paul Moxham commented: “Delivery of the WWTP (the first major component of the system), is a key milestone in delivering the first coherent integrated waste management system on a warship, designed to meet current and projected future environmental standards.”

David Goodfellow, Aircraft Carrier Alliance Ship Build Director, said: “The WWTP is a vital component of both ships, and its delivery signals the achievement of an important milestone in the programme. Build progress on the Queen Elizabeth Class continues to progress at a pace across the whole programme, but it is great to see real tangible delivery of items such as the WWTP.”

Babcock will be supplying all the IWMS equipment over the next 12 months. Installation at the shipyards will be undertaken with support from Babcock, who will also undertake commissioning of the system and harbour and service acceptance trials, for final acceptance on the ships by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance.


Source: Babcock

 

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UK's new aircraft carriers nose ahead
UNITED KINGDOM - 16 DECEMBER 2009

Strong progress is being made by Babcock in the manufacture of one of the key elements of the new aircraft carriers. The huge ‘bulbous bow’ is similar in size and appearance to a conventional submarine, and measures a substantial 27 metres long and 9.5 metres maximum height, weighing some 315 tonnes.

The bulbous bow is a protruding ‘bulb’ at the bow of the ship just below the waterline. By altering the bow wave generation and water flow around the hull it will reduce drag, increasing the carrier’s speed, fuel efficiency and stability.

In a visit to Babcock’s Appledore shipyard in Devon earlier this month the MoD’s Director Ships, Rear Admiral Bob Love, witnessed the progress being made on this substantial and critical module, forming part of the first lower block (LB01). The bulbous bow, which is being manufactured by joining massive steel plates to produce the complex curvature required, will be completed and shipped with the other LB01 components in spring 2010 to Babcock’s Rosyth facility, where the carrier sections will be combined and assembled in No.1 Dock.

Following his visit to Appledore, Rear Admiral Bob Love said: “I was delighted to see lower block 1 coming together at Appledore. This work is proof that the project is progressing well, milestones are being met and momentum is growing. The next year will see the carrier programme make a significant step forward as this block, the first of the four large lower blocks to be constructed for HMS Queen Elizabeth, is delivered to Rosyth.”

Babcock’s Marine Division Warships Managing Director Mike Pettigrew commented: “It is only when you witness the structure first hand that you can get an idea of the sheer scale of this vessel. I am sure that Rear Admiral Love will be full of confidence following his visit. In terms of schedule and cost, the progress at Appledore has more than fulfilled everyone’s expectations. It is also good to be able to remind people exactly how far on this project is.”

Background information:

The 65,000 tonne Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers will measure over 280 metres in length, 74 metres wide and 56 metres high, with a flight deck areas of about 1.6 hectares, and is some three times larger than the UK Invincible class carriers.

In addition to LB01, the sponson units for the aircraft carriers are also being manufactured at Appledore, the first of which has already been delivered to Rosyth. Some 20 shipments will take place from Appledore to Rosyth between August 2009 and January 2012 for the first vessel, including two shipments for the LB01 sub blocks, 12 shipments for sponson units, and four shipments for centre block units.

A member of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA), Babcock’s role includes a significant proportion (nearly 50%) of the Foran/Tribon-based modelling design and development work, manufacture of the bow section and a number of upper blocks, and final ship assembly at Rosyth. The company will be drawing on its extensive skills in ship design, modern modular construction techniques and through-life support.


Source: Babcock International

 

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Equipment contracts for U.K. Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers
UNITED KINGDOM - 14 JANUARY 2010

Contracts worth £333m have been awarded by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA) to companies across the United Kingdom to help 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.

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.

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 underway. The first units have already been delivered to Rosyth where these ships - the cornerstone of the Royal Navy of the future - will be assembled."

Sub-contracts have been awarded by the ACA to:

• Imtech Marine and 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, County Durham, for much of the 2,500km of cabling to be installed, worth £8m.

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."

The contract to build the two new aircraft carriers was signed on 3 July 2008. Funding for these new equipment contracts forms part of the existing financial commitment by the MOD announced under this original contract.

Key facts about the carriers

• Displacement: 65,000 tonnes - over three times the size of the existing U.K. Royal Navy aircraft carriers

• Length: 280m - 90m longer than the existing U.K. Royal Navy aircraft carriers

• Width: 70m - twice the width of the existing U.K. Royal Navy aircraft carriers

• Range: 8,000 to 10,000 nautical miles (15,000 to 18,500 kilometres)

• 56m from keel to masthead - 6m taller than Nelson's Column

• Four acres (16,000 square metres) of sovereign territory provided by each ship

• Capacity for 40 aircraft - double that of the existing U.K. Royal Navy aircraft carriers

• 110MW power station on board each ship - enough to provide all of Portsea Island with power

• 1.5 million square metres of paintwork, which is 370 acres or slightly more than the acreage of Hyde Park in London

• 80,000 tonnes of steel is on order for the two ships - three times that used in Wembley Stadium.

The Aircraft Carrier Alliance

The innovative Aircraft Carrier Alliance is a single integrated team formed from BVT Surface Fleet (which became BAE Systems Surface Ships on 30 October 2009), Babcock, 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.


A Lockheed Martin F35 Joint Strike Fighter streaks away from the aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales in this computer generated image



A computer generated image of one of the two new Royal Navy aircraft carriers soon to be built passing the Round Tower and leaving the Naval Dockyard in Portsmouth, Hampshire



Source: U.K. Ministry of Defence

 

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'Tugs of the future' will support U.K. Royal Navy's new carriers
UNITED KINGDOM - 8 MARCH 2010

As part of the £1bn Future Provision Marine Services contract, a brand new range of Marine Service vessels will be completed by the end of the year to support the Navy's newest ships.

Labelled the 'tugs of the future', the new fleet of 29 vessels is set to keep pace with the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers and eventually the two new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers - which will be the largest the Service has ever built.

Half of the new service vessels will be based at Portsmouth where they will also replace the port's ageing fleet of support vessels.

Pat McFayden, Marine Services Superintendent at Portsmouth Naval Base, said:

"In Portsmouth we are changing the whole fleet. There will be six new tugs in total, of which we already have three, as well as two pilot boats and a small work boat with a further three tugs and a 1,500-tonne fuel lighter still to arrive, so we are well on target.

"We will eventually have four 40-tonne and two 20-tonne Twin Azimuth tugs, which is a significant increase in capability, so we can now look forward to easily coping with the size of the new capital ships."

However, with the new fleet also comes a new set of instructions for the masters, mates and engineers, who are being trained up on how to pilot them.

The new set of tugs have several small changes compared to the old fleet, but the main difference is the switch from twin-unit tractor tugs (TUTTs) to Azimuth stern-drive (ASDs) and Azimuth forward-drive (AFDs) tugs, which give the operators a completely different piloting perspective.

Powered by propellers at the front or the stern as opposed to the cycloidal drive in the middle, as with the TUTTs, this fleet is much quicker and can pull heavier weights:

"It is a learning curve, but it's one that we are enjoying," said Pat McFayden.

"It is a large, very comprehensive training package that has seen more than half the masters in Portsmouth trained up so far.

"It will probably then take a further six months before everyone has completed the training."

The intensive training sees the operators take part in simulator training, go on a tug-handling course, and undergo command and control training with the Admiralty Pilots.

As well as being taught in the classroom, the masters and mates also get plenty of practical lessons in the water - spending hours in the harbour manoeuvring against ships to ensure they will be completely ready to take control once the tugs are fully introduced.


Photo: Two of the new Serco Denholm Twin Azimuth tugs alongside a UK Royal Navy warship at Portsmouth Naval Base



Source: U.K. Ministry of Defence

 

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Milestone for new carrier as bow ready to set sail
UNITED KINGDOM - 31 MARCH 2010

There were celebrations today in Devon as the programme to build Britain’s two largest and most powerful Royal Navy warships passed an important milestone.

The bow sections of one of the UK’s two new aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth, are now completed and ready to set sail from Babcock’s Appledore shipyard in Devon. They will make a six day journey by barge to Rosyth in Scotland, where the ships will be assembled.

Shipyards throughout the UK are contributing their skills to the project – Glasgow, Rosyth, Newcastle, Portsmouth, Devon and Birkenhead – as well as a further 100 contracts throughout the supply chain.

Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies, said:

“The progress we are making with the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers is not only good news for the Royal Navy – it is good news for defence and the UK defence industry. This national project will sustain thousands of jobs in shipyards and in the wider supply chain. The carriers will be a cornerstone of future defence policy and a key asset for our Armed Forces as a whole, providing four acres of sovereign territory which can be deployed to support operations anywhere in the world.”

The two sections will make up the bow of the ship, and together weigh about 400 tonnes. The larger of the two sections - called the bulbous bow - is similar in size and shape to a conventional submarine, yet only a tenth of the full length of the ship. It is designed to increase speed, fuel efficiency and stability - sitting just below the waterline to help the ship to cut cleanly through the water, reducing drag. The second section sits above, making up decks seven to five below the aircraft hangar.

Chief of Material Fleet Vice Admiral Andrew Mathews said:

“Seeing these sections, which are only a small part of the ship, makes the overall scale of the carriers clear. The transportation of the bow sections to Rosyth will be a key step in the construction of these hugely important ships. The two Aircraft Carriers of QE Class will provide the UK with a large, deployable airfield capable of projecting airpower globally - including fast jets, helicopters and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles – to support Joint Operations for up to 50 years.

“It was important from the start of the project to achieve maximum efficiency using new construction techniques. For example, the ‘block integration’ method has allowed us to build the ship in many locations simultaneously, reducing the time it takes to construct. It has the added advantage of spreading the economic benefits widely across the country.”

Babcock’s role in the Carrier build programme is worth around £1 BN, currently employing 292 at the Appledore shipyard and another 432 at Rosyth, including around 140 apprentices.

Significant progress has been made since manufacture began at Appledore shipyard in December 2008, and with major sections of the bow completed the Queen Elizabeth is visibly taking shape. Work now continues on the forward section of the ship, from the keel up to the flight deck.

Notes to editors:

1. The ceremony to mark completion of the bow sections ran from 1800 – 1900, Wednesday 31 March at Babcock’s Appledore shipyard, Devon. There were speeches and media interviews, including by the Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies.

2. Bulbous bow:
30.3 metres long (equal to 3.5 double decker buses)
10.8 metres wide
9.6 metres high (taller than five average men)
293 tonnes
Upper section of bow:
21.6 metres long
17.4 metres wide
6.2 metres high
141 tonnes

3. Six shipyards will construct the blocks that make up the hull:
i. BAE Systems, Glasgow
ii. Babcock, Appledore
iii. Babcock, Rosyth
iv. A&P, Newcastle
v. BAE Systems, Portsmouth
vi. Cammell Laird, Birkenhead

4. The Aircraft Carrier Alliance is a single integrated team in which MOD acts as both partner and client. Formed from MOD, BAE Systems, Babcock and Thales UK, it is responsible for delivering the Queen Elizabeth Class ships on time and to cost.


Source: U.K. Ministry of Defence

 

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£20m Worth of New Contracts Awarded for New U.K. Royal Navy Aircraft Carriers
UNITED KINGDOM - 6 APRIL 2010

The Aircraft Carrier Alliance has awarded a further £20m worth of new contracts to UK companies for work on the new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, which are currently under construction at five shipyards across the country.

Tactical communications systems, which will provide short-range radio links for each ship to ‘talk’ to other UK, international military and commercial ships, aircraft, or land-based forces, will be supplied under a £6m contract with Thales UK, securing approximately 30 jobs at the firm’s Crawley site.

The other contracts announced today are;

-- Cullum Detuners Ltd in Derby has won a £5m contract for designing and manufacturing the enclosure that the Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine engines will be fitted into as well as integration work for the overall gas turbine alternator. The housing will be acoustically designed to lessen engine noise. The work is expected to sustain 40-50 jobs in the first year and 20-30 from 2012-2014.

-- Aker Qserv in Aberdeen has won a £5m contract to provide preservation and flushing services which will protect all the pipe work on the ships, from the lifts hydraulics to the fuel system, from rusting which reduces maintenance. Between 20 and 30 staff will work on the contract.

-- Darchem in Stockton on Tees has won a £2.6m contract for folding fire barriers on both ships, which can be deployed quickly in an emergency to prevent the spread of fire.

-- BAE Systems has been awarded a £1.2m contract to design and build the ships’ Pole Masts. Sensors and other equipment to enable Air Traffic Control and tactical operations will be mounted to the Pole Masts, which will be 17m high and located on top of the aft (rear) island of the ships.

-- Cablofil in Sutton Weaver has won an £800,000 contract for a system to organise cables throughout the ships. The system will use 120,000 metres of steel wire tray that will contain the many kilometres of cabling running through the ships.

Announcing the contract awards, ACA Programme Director Geoff Searle said: “This is another major step forward on the programme to build these two new aircraft carriers for the UK armed forces. The ACA has awarded contracts to suppliers in almost every region of the UK, which will have a positive impact on local economies up and down the country.

“The contractors working on the Queen Elizabeth Class play a vital role in the build and integration of both ships and collectively we will strive to ensure that the both ships will be of the highest possible standard.”

Minister for Defence, Equipment and Support Quentin Davies said: “These contracts make up some £1.2bn worth of sub-contracts placed for equipment onboard the new aircraft carriers which are securing thousands jobs throughout the supply chain across the length and breadth of the UK. Placing these contracts now ensures that equipment is ready in plenty of time to be delivered when it is required in the build programme, keeping the build programme on schedule and ensuring best value for money.

“Construction of the first ship, which will be the biggest and most powerful ever built for the Royal Navy, is well under way and the first complete section of hull was shipped earlier this week from Appledore in Devon to Rosyth in Scotland where the ship will be assembled.”

BACKGROUND NOTES:

-- 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.

-- The contract with Cullum Detuners is the last major contract to be placed by the Power and Propulsion sub-alliance. Led by Thales UK, the sub-alliance manages all the contracts for the power and propulsion systems that power the ships’ systems and propulsion, from the engines to the propellers.

-- The Queen Elizabeth class will be the cornerstone of the future Royal Navy. Each ship provides of four acres of sovereign territory from which to project airpower anywhere in the world. Other 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
* 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 or 370 acres of paintwork (more than size of Hyde Park)
* 80,000 tonnes of steel on order; three times that used in Wembley Stadium

-- The innovative Aircraft Carrier Alliance is a single integrated team formed from Babcock, 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.


Source: Thales