jha
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Indian Navy News & Discussions
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angeldemon_007
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Any body has any update on P17a frigates and P28A corvettes ???
Work on P17a was supposed to start this year, has it started or is there any delays ??
Work on P17a was supposed to start this year, has it started or is there any delays ??
Any progress on the above article ??? Are we really going for composite superstructures from 3rd ASW corvette of P28 project ?
Abingdonboy
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Hey I was wondering about the possibility/ feasibility of the GoI/MoD acquiring large numbers (150+) of the Protecter USV (unmanned surface vehicle)
I don't need to go on about its capabilities and uses as they are quite obvious from below links and what common sense ( i.e UCAV for sea):
SNAFU!: The Protector USV...more formidable than thought??
Protector USV - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[video]http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=GB#/watch?xl=xl_blazer&v=BZiBvG2z2d8[/video]
The reason such a large number is needed is because India has such a HUGE coastline (7000+ km) and secondly the adaptability and range of uses this systems brings to the table.
Below is a list of potential users I think could use and deploy the USV very effectively:
-ICG ( a bit obvious) patrolling, interdiction etc
-IN/SPB : Sagar Prahari Bal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It seems this boat would fit right into the SPBs mandate and be very useful. Also for use in protecting naval bases where high-value assets are kept (i.e ACC, nuclear subs etc).
-BSF: I am aware the BSF patrols a number of lakes and rivers in the J&K region to stop infiltration ( I think they are called "crocodile commandos"?) obviously this asset would be very useful especially given its thermal/ night sighting capability- a chronic issue in that region.
-CISF: The CISF is in charge of all nuclear power plants in India. As nuclear power plants are usually located on the coast for obvious cooling and dumping reasons they present a very obvious and potentially catastrophic target to any potential terrorist. I'm sure a few of these at all nuclear power plants in India in addition to current boats and assets used by the CISF at these locations would be very effective. Additionally I'm sure there are other locations under CISF cover ( ISRO etc) that could benefit from this asset.
- All Marine Police forces in the country: with such a huge coastline these vessels would be invaluable to EVERY SINGLE ( nationwide) Marine Police force in India ( not just Mumbai post-26/11) with the range and effectiveness it is a good buy.
Given the lapses in Coastal defences in recent years ( I don't wanna say it but yes, 26/11) and with pirates getting closer and closer to Indian shores I think it is time that the GoI/ MoD actually took action BEFORE a calamity instead of being constantly retaliatory in nature.
For the following reasons I think the relitvley high initial price can be overcome and not an issue:
-For such high numbers, production in India could be agreed.
-Israel is a good friend of India and as such they will be inclined to help her out ( I'm not being naive, Israel won't GIVE them to India, but it won't jack up the prices at the last minutete either or demand end-user certificates).
-Given they are armed and are Unmanned the costs of operating them will be balanced by the fact they are more cost effective and doing the work of 8-10 ( 1 patrol boat with men) work by only 2 operators.
-Inherent economies of scale associated with bulk buying.
-As the order would be for central and state forces, mechanical infrastructure could be centralised but provide infrastructure and mechanical assistance to states when needed, instead of duplication of services that could/do exist on stat/central level leading to price escalations and inefficiency.
-In the case of the IN and protecting assets like ACC it is relatively cost effective ( a ACC/nuke sub costs BILLIONS of $$$) they are also national assets that should be protected at ALL costs- and this is one way to add further security to them.
So what do you think??
I don't need to go on about its capabilities and uses as they are quite obvious from below links and what common sense ( i.e UCAV for sea):
SNAFU!: The Protector USV...more formidable than thought??
Protector USV - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[video]http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=GB#/watch?xl=xl_blazer&v=BZiBvG2z2d8[/video]
The reason such a large number is needed is because India has such a HUGE coastline (7000+ km) and secondly the adaptability and range of uses this systems brings to the table.
Below is a list of potential users I think could use and deploy the USV very effectively:
-ICG ( a bit obvious) patrolling, interdiction etc
-IN/SPB : Sagar Prahari Bal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It seems this boat would fit right into the SPBs mandate and be very useful. Also for use in protecting naval bases where high-value assets are kept (i.e ACC, nuclear subs etc).
-BSF: I am aware the BSF patrols a number of lakes and rivers in the J&K region to stop infiltration ( I think they are called "crocodile commandos"?) obviously this asset would be very useful especially given its thermal/ night sighting capability- a chronic issue in that region.
-CISF: The CISF is in charge of all nuclear power plants in India. As nuclear power plants are usually located on the coast for obvious cooling and dumping reasons they present a very obvious and potentially catastrophic target to any potential terrorist. I'm sure a few of these at all nuclear power plants in India in addition to current boats and assets used by the CISF at these locations would be very effective. Additionally I'm sure there are other locations under CISF cover ( ISRO etc) that could benefit from this asset.
- All Marine Police forces in the country: with such a huge coastline these vessels would be invaluable to EVERY SINGLE ( nationwide) Marine Police force in India ( not just Mumbai post-26/11) with the range and effectiveness it is a good buy.
Given the lapses in Coastal defences in recent years ( I don't wanna say it but yes, 26/11) and with pirates getting closer and closer to Indian shores I think it is time that the GoI/ MoD actually took action BEFORE a calamity instead of being constantly retaliatory in nature.
For the following reasons I think the relitvley high initial price can be overcome and not an issue:
-For such high numbers, production in India could be agreed.
-Israel is a good friend of India and as such they will be inclined to help her out ( I'm not being naive, Israel won't GIVE them to India, but it won't jack up the prices at the last minutete either or demand end-user certificates).
-Given they are armed and are Unmanned the costs of operating them will be balanced by the fact they are more cost effective and doing the work of 8-10 ( 1 patrol boat with men) work by only 2 operators.
-Inherent economies of scale associated with bulk buying.
-As the order would be for central and state forces, mechanical infrastructure could be centralised but provide infrastructure and mechanical assistance to states when needed, instead of duplication of services that could/do exist on stat/central level leading to price escalations and inefficiency.
-In the case of the IN and protecting assets like ACC it is relatively cost effective ( a ACC/nuke sub costs BILLIONS of $$$) they are also national assets that should be protected at ALL costs- and this is one way to add further security to them.
So what do you think??
Archie
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INS Satpura Induction delayed to End of may 2011
The Ship will be commissioned along with INS Sahyadri by end of may 2011
The reason for this delay is placed mainly on delay in supply of 300 Km range Klub S anti ship cruise missiles from Russia
34 of these missiles ( 30 Weaponised + 4 Trainer version ) were ordered for 3 Shivalik class Frigates , out of which Russians have delivered 10 of them (6 weaponised + 4 Trainer)
This was the also the apparent reason behind delay in commissioning of INS Shivalik to the eastern fleet
Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport has promised to deliver 8 units of these missiles to IN by june 2011 in time of commissioning of 2 Shivalik class frigates , while remaining missiles will be delivered by may 2012
The reason for this delay sited by the Russian firm is that India is the only major buyer for this missile with Russian Navy only Interested in the 550 Km range version of this missile which is not available for sale
And they feel that there is no need to have an expansive productioin line if the production would end in 3 yrs at current rate
The Ship will be commissioned along with INS Sahyadri by end of may 2011
The reason for this delay is placed mainly on delay in supply of 300 Km range Klub S anti ship cruise missiles from Russia
34 of these missiles ( 30 Weaponised + 4 Trainer version ) were ordered for 3 Shivalik class Frigates , out of which Russians have delivered 10 of them (6 weaponised + 4 Trainer)
This was the also the apparent reason behind delay in commissioning of INS Shivalik to the eastern fleet
Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport has promised to deliver 8 units of these missiles to IN by june 2011 in time of commissioning of 2 Shivalik class frigates , while remaining missiles will be delivered by may 2012
The reason for this delay sited by the Russian firm is that India is the only major buyer for this missile with Russian Navy only Interested in the 550 Km range version of this missile which is not available for sale
And they feel that there is no need to have an expansive productioin line if the production would end in 3 yrs at current rate
sancho
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They are meant for protecting a ports, naval vessels, or a specific location with a small area, not large costlines. The range will be the main issue here, but there is also the problem that it is unmanned, if it finds a boat that is suspicious, there is nobody that can enter and check it.
To counter the threats to our costlines, we need UAV aircrafts in numbers with high endurance on the one hand and IN + ICG patrol vessels in high numbers.
Archie
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UK to sell HMS Ark Royal and 3 Type 42 Destroyers in mega garage sale
HMS Ark Royal for sale online
28 March 2011
HMS Ark Royal is being sold online via the MoD website which disposed of sister ship HMS invincible earlier this year.
Defence Equipment and Support's eDisposals site lists the former Royal Navy flagship for sale alongside Type 42 Destroyers HMS Exeter, HMS Southampton and HMS Nottingham.
HMS Invincible was sold to Turkish firm Leyal Ship Recycling in February following a similar advertisement, and has already been towed to Turkey to be dismantled.
Ark Royal was decommissioned earlier this month following 25 years in service.
Prior to the listing there were rumours that the aircraft carrier could be used to provide a base for emergency services and Special Forces during the 2012 Olympic Games.
Other options reportedly discussed include bids to turn the carrier into a conference centre, but any option must now be formalised and processed through the eDisposals website.
Bidding ends at 10am on 13 June, and the ship will be available for viewing by potential buyers in Portsmouth on 3 and 4 May, provided they let the MoD know their "intentions regarding the vessel" in advance.
HMS Ark Royal for sale online - Defence Management
HMS Ark Royal for sale online
28 March 2011
HMS Ark Royal is being sold online via the MoD website which disposed of sister ship HMS invincible earlier this year.
Defence Equipment and Support's eDisposals site lists the former Royal Navy flagship for sale alongside Type 42 Destroyers HMS Exeter, HMS Southampton and HMS Nottingham.
HMS Invincible was sold to Turkish firm Leyal Ship Recycling in February following a similar advertisement, and has already been towed to Turkey to be dismantled.
Ark Royal was decommissioned earlier this month following 25 years in service.
Prior to the listing there were rumours that the aircraft carrier could be used to provide a base for emergency services and Special Forces during the 2012 Olympic Games.
Other options reportedly discussed include bids to turn the carrier into a conference centre, but any option must now be formalised and processed through the eDisposals website.
Bidding ends at 10am on 13 June, and the ship will be available for viewing by potential buyers in Portsmouth on 3 and 4 May, provided they let the MoD know their "intentions regarding the vessel" in advance.
HMS Ark Royal for sale online - Defence Management
Archie
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What do u think guys
Should Indian Navy be looking at this ship
Not as an aircraft carrier but as a LHD , i mean as u guys know GOI has announced a tender for purchase of 4 LHD to be inducted by 2022 , and Navy had earliar shown interest in purchase of another second hand LPD to complement INS Jalashwa till our new LHD enter service in 2020-22
HMS Ark Royal was heavily upgraded between 2003-05 becoz it was expected to remain in service till 2016-18 , before it had to be decommissioned due to Strategic defence review undertaken by UK
Looking at the fact that we are operating INS Viraat which is 51 yrs old and which will serve till it is 55 yrs old
Then we can easily get 20-25 yrs service from Ark Royal
The fact that this ship was active till about a month ago , then we dont reallu have to spend a lot of money on its upgrade at all ,
UK is willing to sell it for 150 Million Pounds ie 250 Million USD , thats less than the cost of a modern frigate
We can purchase it and retire Viraat from service , we can operate our Sea Harriers from it till 2016 , and there after go in for F35B or othervise use it as a Helicopter carrier there after
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ark_Royal_(R07)
Should Indian Navy be looking at this ship
Not as an aircraft carrier but as a LHD , i mean as u guys know GOI has announced a tender for purchase of 4 LHD to be inducted by 2022 , and Navy had earliar shown interest in purchase of another second hand LPD to complement INS Jalashwa till our new LHD enter service in 2020-22
HMS Ark Royal was heavily upgraded between 2003-05 becoz it was expected to remain in service till 2016-18 , before it had to be decommissioned due to Strategic defence review undertaken by UK
Looking at the fact that we are operating INS Viraat which is 51 yrs old and which will serve till it is 55 yrs old
Then we can easily get 20-25 yrs service from Ark Royal
The fact that this ship was active till about a month ago , then we dont reallu have to spend a lot of money on its upgrade at all ,
UK is willing to sell it for 150 Million Pounds ie 250 Million USD , thats less than the cost of a modern frigate
We can purchase it and retire Viraat from service , we can operate our Sea Harriers from it till 2016 , and there after go in for F35B or othervise use it as a Helicopter carrier there after
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ark_Royal_(R07)
satishkumarcsc
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India is interested in LPDs not LHDs as of now. Even if the HMS Ark Royal is converted into a LHD it is envisaged as an AC and hence it would be hard to accomodate troops and vehicles inside. It will just be a floating behemoth..it can be used just as a stop gap....but we ont have enough hariers to fill in it. Albeit..it can be converted into an hospital ship and used for a humanitarian purposes.
sancho
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The around 200 million pounds for procurement + redesigning it with a well deck... would be nearly as costly as procuring an completely new LHD. Also as satishkumarcsc said IN sadly is interested in LDPs and not LHDs, so they want to use the vessel only if needed (in war, or disaster missions), not in frequent patrol missions. If the INS Viraat instead really will remain in service beyond 2015, the british Sea Harriers could be interesting, because our numbers are down to not even a dozen as it seems.
angeldemon_007
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I don't think this number will be enough either. I also don't think purchasing this will help us and thats why i think IN never showed interest in this. 5 HALE or MALE UAV can cover the same area as 150 USV, so why buy these ???
Its a waste of money. Its better these forces go for various kinds of UAVs per their requirements.
Also what is the progress of satellite dedicated for IN ??/
angeldemon_007
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I am happy....but i have a question for you...According to reports 12 frigates were supposed to be built under P17 and P17A but as far as i know there are only 3 frigates under Shivalik Class (P17), so is there a Project 17B also to build 2 frigates ??/
Also i think by now the design of P17a should be finalized, i mean there were reports that Italian/French FREMM was leading but nothing concrete. Does anyone has any pic for P17A model or any other news ??
angeldemon_007
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Isn't this a old news ??? Also there were reports that this sale went online only because countries like India and Brazil never showed any interest. As far as my opinion is concerned, we have already spend money on upgrading our present AC which will work till the end of this decade and and its fleet also (Sea King and Harriers which can now work till 2023-25) and not to mention even if this second hand AC is coming cheap it is expensive to operate a second hand AC.
Also converting it into LHD will be expensive and a stupid decision. Instead i think we should go for 4 LHD instead of LPD and go for second hand LPD from US as US navy is also decommissioning LPDs (they are also cheap) just like Jalashwa. Why convert an AC into LHD ??? And if you think AC can do a job of LHD then its not true because AC are meant for deep sea and LHD are meant to operate on shore (correct me if i am wrong).
angeldemon_007
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Can anyone answer my questions.... ??
angeldemon_007
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India in talks with Germany to upgrade HDW vessel capabilities
New Delhi: With the Scorpene submarine project getting delayed, India is holding talks with Germany to upgrade the capabilities of its HDW underwater vessels.
Discussions in this regard are being held between the two countries at the ongoing fifth Indo-German Defence Committee meeting here, Navy sources told agency.
"Our submarine fleet is depleting and numbers are expected to go down with the delay in the Scorpene project.
The talks are on with German officials to upgrade the existing fleet of four HDW submarines," they said.
The HDW submarines, also known as Shishumar class in the Indian Navy, were procured from Germany in the mid 80s and the last of it was inducted in 1990-91.
Under its Project-75, Navy was planning to induct the first Scorpene submarine by 2011 but due to delays on part of MDL and the Navy, the first induction is expected to take place only by late 2015.
Due to the delays in the project, the Government has decided to upgrade the existing fleet of Russian origin Kilo class and the German vessels.
A few of the Kilo class submarines have already undergone upgrades in Russia and have been fitted with new weaponry and other superior sensors and systems.
During the meeting, the two sides will also hold talks to enhance cooperation in anti-piracy operations and patrolling of important sea routes in the pirate-infested areas, sources said.
The two countries have so far held discussions on enhancing military to military cooperation through joint exercises and training drills.
India in talks with Germany to upgrade HDW vessel capabilities
New Delhi: With the Scorpene submarine project getting delayed, India is holding talks with Germany to upgrade the capabilities of its HDW underwater vessels.
Discussions in this regard are being held between the two countries at the ongoing fifth Indo-German Defence Committee meeting here, Navy sources told agency.
"Our submarine fleet is depleting and numbers are expected to go down with the delay in the Scorpene project.
The talks are on with German officials to upgrade the existing fleet of four HDW submarines," they said.
The HDW submarines, also known as Shishumar class in the Indian Navy, were procured from Germany in the mid 80s and the last of it was inducted in 1990-91.
Under its Project-75, Navy was planning to induct the first Scorpene submarine by 2011 but due to delays on part of MDL and the Navy, the first induction is expected to take place only by late 2015.
Due to the delays in the project, the Government has decided to upgrade the existing fleet of Russian origin Kilo class and the German vessels.
A few of the Kilo class submarines have already undergone upgrades in Russia and have been fitted with new weaponry and other superior sensors and systems.
During the meeting, the two sides will also hold talks to enhance cooperation in anti-piracy operations and patrolling of important sea routes in the pirate-infested areas, sources said.
The two countries have so far held discussions on enhancing military to military cooperation through joint exercises and training drills.
India in talks with Germany to upgrade HDW vessel capabilities
angeldemon_007
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Aircraft carrier: A mind-boggling building job (was once offered to India)
In a shipyard in Scotland the future of the Royal Navy is slowly taking shape. But the construction of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is a mammoth task.
Imagine an aircraft carrier as a 65,000-tonne jigsaw puzzle and you have got a good idea of the scale of the building of HMS Queen Elizabeth.
The pieces are being built at six shipyards around the UK and will be slotted together at Rosyth in Fife using an enormous crane which was transported by sea from China.
Around 10,000 workers across Britain are employed on the £5bn project with up to 25,000 engaged in building components for the Lockheed Martin F-35 aircraft.
The carrier will have 12 F-35s, or Joint Strike Fighters, costing around £65m each.
"It's the biggest shipbuilding project for the Royal Navy ever and is second only in engineering terms to the Olympics," says the man in charge of the whole project, David Downs, engineering director with the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA) consortium.
"All my nights are sleepless, worrying about it," he jokes.
The Queen Elizabeth and sister ship Prince of Wales will be far bigger than the Ark Royal but still significantly smaller than US equivalents.
Downs and his team designed the ships using computer software - every inch mapped out electronically with laser-guided measurements which ensure each part fits together.
Uniquely, a team of assessors from Lloyd's Register are on hand at all the yards to check the work as it proceeds.
BAE Systems is part of ACA and at its Govan yard in Glasgow, integrated work teams manager David Thomas gives a tour around one huge segment of the ship.
Clambering under the hulk, wearing only a hard hat for protection, it's hard not to think of what would happen if the frame holding up 14,000 tons of steel gave way. But Thomas is reassuring on the yard's safety record.
He has been supervising the insertion of some of the 450 prefabricated cabins and 150 shower rooms - made by a firm on Teesside - in the ship's innards. He carries with him a small manual showing where everything fitted.
Anyone who finds the instructions to flatpack furniture a challenge would find it mind-boggling.
The whole process starts with the arrival of huge sheets of steel. They are "burned" into various shapes and sizes - some of them quite small - which are welded into position.
Gradually the sections become bigger as deck after deck is welded together.
One of the Govan team is Lyn Gordon, 23, an apprentice fabricator and one of a number of women working on the project.
"My fascination with shipbuilding came from living on the Clyde," she says. "I realise that it will eventually be an aircraft carrier and I will get to see it turning from a sheet of a metal, to a component, to HMS Queen Elizabeth."
The first segment from Govan should be ready this summer and will be towed by barge, around the northern tip of Scotland, to Rosyth.
At Rosyth the dry dock is ready for the assembly process. Last month the crane arrived from Shanghai, having squeezed under the Forth Bridge at low tide.
Rosyth has List X status, meaning everyone working there has to be security cleared, including the 50 Chinese workers who are helping to erect the 93m crane.
The first piece of steel was cut in 2009 but HMS Queen Elizabeth will not be finished until 2016 at the earliest, and may not be ready for action until 2020.
The construction of her sister ship, the HMS Prince of Wales, will overlap and the current plan is for one of them to be operational while the other would be kept in "extended readiness".
With the Ark Royal's fleet of Harrier jump jets being decommissioned the Navy will be without carrier-based planes for almost a decade.
Recent events in Libya have showed the importance of mobile air power.
The MoD complicated matters in October when it decided, in the Strategic Defence Review, to fit the carriers with catapults and arrester wires.
The "cats and traps" will enable them to fly the carrier variant F-35 and will also enable US and French jets to land on the deck. But it will also delay the completion of the carriers.
"If they get the two ships in the form they are expected they will be enormously capable ships. It's like having a piece of Britain you can place anywhere in the world," says naval historian Nick Hewitt.
Aircraft carriers are arguably the ultimate symbol of military prestige, a mobile projection of military might.
The Royal Navy pioneered carriers, explains Hewitt, head of attractions and collections at the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust. The first carriers were converted battlecruisers like the 7,500 ton Ark Royal, whose biplanes first saw action in February 1915 against the Turks in the Dardanelles.
Since the 1930s, US carriers have dwarfed their British allies, Hewitt notes.
"The US carriers were designed for the Pacific and to be away from base indefinitely. The British carriers were designed to operate in the North Sea, the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic or from bases in Singapore or India."
HMS Invincible, which fought in the Falklands, and HMS Ark Royal, which was recently pensioned off, weighed in at a puny 22,000 tons compared to the American carriers such as the USS George H W Bush, at 101,000 tons. The QE Class weighs in in between - at 65,000 tonnes full displacement.
When it is finally ready the Queen Elizabeth will only be able to navigate the Forth Bridge and reach the open sea by waiting for low tide, and even then they will have to retract the radar masts.
The project has had its critics.
The former deputy chairman of Babcock - which is part of the ACA - Lord Hesketh resigned in November after describing the project as a "disaster".
He told the BBC the carriers could have been built for a fraction of the cost at a shipyard in South Korea and claims the project only went ahead in its present form because of the number of jobs it preserved.
But whatever the controversy over the carriers and the cost, the effort involved will be phenomenal.
BBC News - Aircraft carrier: A mind-boggling building job
In a shipyard in Scotland the future of the Royal Navy is slowly taking shape. But the construction of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is a mammoth task.
Imagine an aircraft carrier as a 65,000-tonne jigsaw puzzle and you have got a good idea of the scale of the building of HMS Queen Elizabeth.
The pieces are being built at six shipyards around the UK and will be slotted together at Rosyth in Fife using an enormous crane which was transported by sea from China.
Around 10,000 workers across Britain are employed on the £5bn project with up to 25,000 engaged in building components for the Lockheed Martin F-35 aircraft.
The carrier will have 12 F-35s, or Joint Strike Fighters, costing around £65m each.
"It's the biggest shipbuilding project for the Royal Navy ever and is second only in engineering terms to the Olympics," says the man in charge of the whole project, David Downs, engineering director with the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA) consortium.
"All my nights are sleepless, worrying about it," he jokes.
The Queen Elizabeth and sister ship Prince of Wales will be far bigger than the Ark Royal but still significantly smaller than US equivalents.
Downs and his team designed the ships using computer software - every inch mapped out electronically with laser-guided measurements which ensure each part fits together.
Uniquely, a team of assessors from Lloyd's Register are on hand at all the yards to check the work as it proceeds.
BAE Systems is part of ACA and at its Govan yard in Glasgow, integrated work teams manager David Thomas gives a tour around one huge segment of the ship.
Clambering under the hulk, wearing only a hard hat for protection, it's hard not to think of what would happen if the frame holding up 14,000 tons of steel gave way. But Thomas is reassuring on the yard's safety record.
He has been supervising the insertion of some of the 450 prefabricated cabins and 150 shower rooms - made by a firm on Teesside - in the ship's innards. He carries with him a small manual showing where everything fitted.
Anyone who finds the instructions to flatpack furniture a challenge would find it mind-boggling.
The whole process starts with the arrival of huge sheets of steel. They are "burned" into various shapes and sizes - some of them quite small - which are welded into position.
Gradually the sections become bigger as deck after deck is welded together.
One of the Govan team is Lyn Gordon, 23, an apprentice fabricator and one of a number of women working on the project.
"My fascination with shipbuilding came from living on the Clyde," she says. "I realise that it will eventually be an aircraft carrier and I will get to see it turning from a sheet of a metal, to a component, to HMS Queen Elizabeth."
The first segment from Govan should be ready this summer and will be towed by barge, around the northern tip of Scotland, to Rosyth.
At Rosyth the dry dock is ready for the assembly process. Last month the crane arrived from Shanghai, having squeezed under the Forth Bridge at low tide.
Rosyth has List X status, meaning everyone working there has to be security cleared, including the 50 Chinese workers who are helping to erect the 93m crane.
The first piece of steel was cut in 2009 but HMS Queen Elizabeth will not be finished until 2016 at the earliest, and may not be ready for action until 2020.
The construction of her sister ship, the HMS Prince of Wales, will overlap and the current plan is for one of them to be operational while the other would be kept in "extended readiness".
With the Ark Royal's fleet of Harrier jump jets being decommissioned the Navy will be without carrier-based planes for almost a decade.
Recent events in Libya have showed the importance of mobile air power.
The MoD complicated matters in October when it decided, in the Strategic Defence Review, to fit the carriers with catapults and arrester wires.
The "cats and traps" will enable them to fly the carrier variant F-35 and will also enable US and French jets to land on the deck. But it will also delay the completion of the carriers.
"If they get the two ships in the form they are expected they will be enormously capable ships. It's like having a piece of Britain you can place anywhere in the world," says naval historian Nick Hewitt.
Aircraft carriers are arguably the ultimate symbol of military prestige, a mobile projection of military might.
The Royal Navy pioneered carriers, explains Hewitt, head of attractions and collections at the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust. The first carriers were converted battlecruisers like the 7,500 ton Ark Royal, whose biplanes first saw action in February 1915 against the Turks in the Dardanelles.
Since the 1930s, US carriers have dwarfed their British allies, Hewitt notes.
"The US carriers were designed for the Pacific and to be away from base indefinitely. The British carriers were designed to operate in the North Sea, the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic or from bases in Singapore or India."
HMS Invincible, which fought in the Falklands, and HMS Ark Royal, which was recently pensioned off, weighed in at a puny 22,000 tons compared to the American carriers such as the USS George H W Bush, at 101,000 tons. The QE Class weighs in in between - at 65,000 tonnes full displacement.
When it is finally ready the Queen Elizabeth will only be able to navigate the Forth Bridge and reach the open sea by waiting for low tide, and even then they will have to retract the radar masts.
The project has had its critics.
The former deputy chairman of Babcock - which is part of the ACA - Lord Hesketh resigned in November after describing the project as a "disaster".
He told the BBC the carriers could have been built for a fraction of the cost at a shipyard in South Korea and claims the project only went ahead in its present form because of the number of jobs it preserved.
But whatever the controversy over the carriers and the cost, the effort involved will be phenomenal.
BBC News - Aircraft carrier: A mind-boggling building job
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