The final sections of the second Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier produced by Cammell Laird arrived at Babcock Rosyth Facilities in Fife on Thursday, September 3, following their voyage from Birkenhead.
Centre Block 4 is the longest of the upper sections of hull of HMS PRINCE OF WALES, the second of two new aircraft carriers being constructed by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance. Comprised in two parts (rings C and D), it contains a mixture of aviation workshops, mission system compartments and training rooms. The top deck of the block will make up the single biggest part of the flight deck, situated behind the aft island.
The block will be fitted onto the top of Lower Block 4 in four sections by Goliath, the largest lift capacity crane in the UK. The 1,600 tonne sections of the carrier was transported by a sea-going barge and travelled around the north coast to reach the assembly site, a journey of 680 miles over five days.
The aircraft carriers HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and HMS PRINCE OF WALES are being delivered by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, a partnering relationship between BAE Systems, Thales UK, Babcock and the Ministry of Defence.
Image: Aircraft Carrier Alliance