Britanicii au inceput sa-si laude cele doua noi portavioane (poze de pe santier), facand tot felul de comparatii! Astfel aflam ca HMS Queen Elizabeth si nava-sora HMS Prince of Wales vor fi de trei ori mai mari decat ultimul portavion britanic. La cele 65000 de tone deplasament navele vor avea un echipaj de 2300 de oameni si au o lungime egala cu 28 de autobuze cu punte dubla londoneze (290 metri in total), pentru costuri totale estimate – pentru ambele nave – de 6,2 miliarde de lire sterline.
Cele doua sunt cele mai mari nave de lupta care vor face parte din Royal Navy, in istoria Flotei de razboi britanice, nu mai putin de 22 de santiere navale fiind implicate in constructia lor, santierul care integreaza intregul proces de realizare a navelor fiind Rosyth Docks din Scotia.
Peste aproximativ 3 luni navele vor fi botezate in cadrul unei ceremonii festive. Constructia celor doua portavioane este realizata de un consortiut numit Aircraft Carrier Alliance, compus din BAE Systems, Thales UK, Babcock si Ministerul Apararii britanic. Navele vor avea un echipaj permanent format din 679 de oameni, putand primi la bord imediat inca 1600.
Prima nava – HMS Queen Elisabeth – va incepe sa-si primeasca echipajul in anul 2016, urmand ca in 2018 sa fie incepute zborurile de la bordul navei, mai intai cu elicoptere si mai apoi cu F-35B.
| 1 Aviation store | 31 Mass evacuation system | 61 Senior rates’ dining hall |
| 2 F-35 Lighting II | 32 RN police office and cells | 62 Officer’s and senior rates’ galley |
| 3 Phalanx automated close-in weapons system | 33 After engine down-takes | 63 Wardroom |
| 4 Forward island bridge | 34 After gas turbine space | 64 Wardroom annex |
| 5 Navigation radar | 35 After hangar doors | 65 Head of department cabins |
| 6 Long range radar | 36 Air filtration units | 66 Flag and commanding officers’ galley |
| 7 Forward engine and gas turbine uptakes | 37 Hangar mid bay | 67 Flag officer and commanding officers’ dining room |
| 8 Forward aircraft lift | 38 Hangar aft bay | 68 Commanding officer’s suite |
| 9 Merlin helicopter | 39 Aft mooring deck | 69 Flag officer’s suite |
| 10 After island emergency conning bridge | 40 Starboard mooring deck | 70 Rudder (port and starboard) |
| 11 Mainmast | 41 Port Mooring deck | 71 Bulbous bow |
| 12 Medium range radar | 42 Anchor (port and starboard) | 72 Auxiliary machinery space |
| 13 Communication outfit | 43 Water ballast compartment | 73 Naval stores complex |
| 14 After engine room and gas turbine uptakes | 44 Chain locker trunk | 74 Avcat tank |
| 15 Flying control position | 45 Gym | 75 Forward engine room |
| 16 After aircraft lift | 46 Junior rates’ recreational space | 76 Fresh water tanks |
| 17 Chinook helicopter | 47 Mission Systems office | 77 Stabiliser compartment (port and starboard) |
| 18 Automatic small calibre gun | 48 Mission systems complex | 78 Stabiliser (port and starboard) |
| 19 Inflatable life-raft stowage | 49 Forward engine room uptakes | 79 Heel correction tank (port and starboard) |
| 20 Forward mooring deck | 50 Bakery | 80 Bilge keel |
| 21 Junior rates’ six-berth cabins | 51 Pipe passage | 81 Void |
| 22 Junior rates’ showers and toilets | 52 Junior rates’ galley | 82 After engine room |
| 23 Ships office complex | 53 Junior rates’ dining hall | 83 Officers’ baggage store |
| 24 Pyrolysis compartment | 54 NAAFI canteen spaces | 84 Propeller (port and starboard) |
| 25 Forward gas turbine | 55 Low voltage distribution compartment | |
| 26 Forward engine down-takes | 56 After engine room uptakes | |
| 27 Fire protection system | 57 Hospital area | |
| 28 Hangar forward bay | 58 Ward area | |
| 29 Forward hangar doors | 59 General medical area | |
| 30 Air squadron complex | 60 HQ1 and ship control centre |
Razvan Mihaeanu
GeorgeGMT