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| Portsmouth gains in naval carrier deals | Portsmouth gains in naval carrier deals |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| By Brian Milligan Business reporter, BBC News, Portsmouth | By Brian Milligan Business reporter, BBC News, Portsmouth |
| The shipyard is taking on extra staff to complete the work | The shipyard is taking on extra staff to complete the work |
| Putting together what is in effect the largest jig-saw puzzle ever made in Europe is not an easy task. | Putting together what is in effect the largest jig-saw puzzle ever made in Europe is not an easy task. |
| "Of course, the whole thing will shrink a bit when it goes to Scotland," grins a casual Phil Rood of VT ship-building, referring to the fact that average temperatures in Rosyth are a couple of degrees cooler than in Portsmouth. | "Of course, the whole thing will shrink a bit when it goes to Scotland," grins a casual Phil Rood of VT ship-building, referring to the fact that average temperatures in Rosyth are a couple of degrees cooler than in Portsmouth. |
| Four huge cross-sections of the UK's next generation aircraft carriers are to be built separately in Portsmouth, Barrow in Furness, Govan and Rosyth, before being assembled at Rosyth. | Four huge cross-sections of the UK's next generation aircraft carriers are to be built separately in Portsmouth, Barrow in Furness, Govan and Rosyth, before being assembled at Rosyth. |
| Every pipe, cable and steel section will need to match up perfectly. Mistakes will be costly. | Every pipe, cable and steel section will need to match up perfectly. Mistakes will be costly. |
| Shrinkage on the aircraft carriers is therefore a big issue. | Shrinkage on the aircraft carriers is therefore a big issue. |
| Portsmouth base | Portsmouth base |
| The two carriers, HMS Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, are already set to become the most expensive ships yet built for the Royal Navy. | The two carriers, HMS Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, are already set to become the most expensive ships yet built for the Royal Navy. |
| HMS Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales Displacement: 65,000 tonnesMax Speed: 25 knotsRange: 10,000 nautical milesLength: 285 metresRunways: 3Aircraft: 40 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters plus EH 101 Merlin HelicoptersCrew: 1,200, including 600 flight crewCost: £3.9bnDue dates: 2014/2016 Source:naval-technology.com/BVT | HMS Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales Displacement: 65,000 tonnesMax Speed: 25 knotsRange: 10,000 nautical milesLength: 285 metresRunways: 3Aircraft: 40 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters plus EH 101 Merlin HelicoptersCrew: 1,200, including 600 flight crewCost: £3.9bnDue dates: 2014/2016 Source:naval-technology.com/BVT |
| Every adult in Britain will be contributing about £85 each. Together the two ships are expected to cost a shade under £4bn, and that is even before a single piece of steel has been laid. | Every adult in Britain will be contributing about £85 each. Together the two ships are expected to cost a shade under £4bn, and that is even before a single piece of steel has been laid. |
| In the giant assembly hall, where the huge bow section of a Type 45 destroyer is nearly complete, they are preparing to do just that. | In the giant assembly hall, where the huge bow section of a Type 45 destroyer is nearly complete, they are preparing to do just that. |
| Hammers and cranes boom out like the bass section of an orchestra enjoying the lack of noise limits; the sparks from welders' torches fly through the gloom like coruscating tracers. | Hammers and cranes boom out like the bass section of an orchestra enjoying the lack of noise limits; the sparks from welders' torches fly through the gloom like coruscating tracers. |
| One belongs to welder Paul Comber, 37. | One belongs to welder Paul Comber, 37. |
| "The two aircraft carriers are going to be the pride of the Royal Navy fleet," he says. | "The two aircraft carriers are going to be the pride of the Royal Navy fleet," he says. |
| "So to have a hand in building them will be fantastic." | "So to have a hand in building them will be fantastic." |
| When finished, both ships will be based in Portsmouth, so workers will see the results of their labours first hand. | When finished, both ships will be based in Portsmouth, so workers will see the results of their labours first hand. |
| "The day you see them come in to Portsmouth; that will be a proud day," says Mr Comber. | "The day you see them come in to Portsmouth; that will be a proud day," says Mr Comber. |
| Pride and joy | Pride and joy |
| Across the yard, in the design section, work on the project first began several years ago. | Across the yard, in the design section, work on the project first began several years ago. |
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| Some of the people working on the new aircraft carrier parts | |
| Stuart Manvell joined VT (then Vosper Thorneycroft) as a young apprentice. | Stuart Manvell joined VT (then Vosper Thorneycroft) as a young apprentice. |
| He has now been designing ships for 26 years. | He has now been designing ships for 26 years. |
| On his computer he shows the section of the carriers that he has been working on. | On his computer he shows the section of the carriers that he has been working on. |
| Technically it is the "forward midship" section. To the casual observer, that is the bit just behind the bow, making up about a quarter of the ship's 285m length. | Technically it is the "forward midship" section. To the casual observer, that is the bit just behind the bow, making up about a quarter of the ship's 285m length. |
| While the statistics may be a little prosaic, the ships and their ultimate purpose inspire considerable passion. | While the statistics may be a little prosaic, the ships and their ultimate purpose inspire considerable passion. |
| "When you see it on the news, with all the sailors on the deck, it gives you a good feeling that you had something to do with that," says Mr Manvell. | "When you see it on the news, with all the sailors on the deck, it gives you a good feeling that you had something to do with that," says Mr Manvell. |
| Extra workers | Extra workers |
| So after 14 years of talking about the so-called CVF project, construction is set to begin in four months' time. | So after 14 years of talking about the so-called CVF project, construction is set to begin in four months' time. |
| When finished, both ships will be based in PortsmouthBut what does CVF stand for? | |
| "No one's ever quite got to the bottom of that," says Phil Rood. | "No one's ever quite got to the bottom of that," says Phil Rood. |
| "But I suppose it's something like Carrier Vessel Future." | "But I suppose it's something like Carrier Vessel Future." |
| In any case, the yard is more concerned with the imminent steel-laying than with fancy acronyms. | In any case, the yard is more concerned with the imminent steel-laying than with fancy acronyms. |
| And it has taking on 200 new workers to get the sections ready on time. | And it has taking on 200 new workers to get the sections ready on time. |
| On their lunch-break, existing staff look out at the grey hulk of HMS Invincible, one of the Navy's previous generations of carriers, that saw action in the Falklands, Bosnia and Iraq. | On their lunch-break, existing staff look out at the grey hulk of HMS Invincible, one of the Navy's previous generations of carriers, that saw action in the Falklands, Bosnia and Iraq. |
| Now decommissioned, it is both an inspiration and a warning to them: an inspiration, as it reminds the workforce that lives may well depend on the ships they are building. | Now decommissioned, it is both an inspiration and a warning to them: an inspiration, as it reminds the workforce that lives may well depend on the ships they are building. |
| But given the advances in the technology of unmanned aircraft, it is also a warning that these may be the latest, but also potentially the last aircraft carriers to be built in Britain. | But given the advances in the technology of unmanned aircraft, it is also a warning that these may be the latest, but also potentially the last aircraft carriers to be built in Britain. |
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