By KUNA,
London : Contracts to build two new giant aircraft carriers for the British Royal Navy were signed Thursday, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
“HMS Queen Elizabeth” and “HMS Prince of Wales” will be the biggest and most powerful surface warships ever made in Britain.
Their construction and assembly at shipyards in England and Scotland will create or sustain 10,000 jobs across the UK, the MoD said.
The 65,000-ton carriers, which will carry a crew of about 1,500 and up to 40 aircraft, will enter service in 2014 and 2016.
The contracts for the project, which is worth a total of four billion pounds, were signed in a ceremony today on board the Royal Navy’s flagship “HMS Ark Royal”, in Portsmouth, southern England.
Britain’s Defence Secretary Des Browne hailed today’s project milestone as a “historic day for everyone in defence”.
He said “The two aircraft carriers will provide our forces with the world-class capabilities they will need over the coming decades.” “They will support peace-keeping and conflict prevention, as well as our strategic operational priorities.
“Today’s contract signing seals the future for thousands of jobs, and ensures that we will have a Royal Navy fit for the 21st century,” the Defence Secretary added.