HMS Queen Elizabeth Sets Sail on Maiden Voyage

June 25, 2017

Britain's most advanced and biggest warship, 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, set out on its maiden voyage on Monday from the Rosyth dockyard in eastern Scotland.

 
The ship, which measures 280 metres and can move 500 miles a day, took 11 tugs to manoeuvre out into the River Forth and then must wait for low tide so as to pass under the Forth's famous bridges - weather and systems checks permitting.
 
It took eight years to build HMS Queen Elizabeth and along with its sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, it is part of a defence programme worth 6 billion pounds ($7.65 billion), with building and fitting spread over six different shipyards across Britain. It will now spend around two years in sea trials.
 
"Of course they are expensive, absolutely, it keeps us in the premier league among nations around the world," Commanding Officer Captain Jerry Kyd told Sky News.
 
"The fact is that they are not just ships, but sea bases able to do a whole range of functions and missions ... whether that's engaging with the enemy at long range or indeed supporting British industry abroad or perhaps even assisting with disaster relief or humanitarian aid."
 
The ship's navigator Jez Brettell compared handling the ship on its maiden voyage to taking out a brand new sports car before it had been road-tested.
 
"The first time we put those levers forward will be the first time that we will have been under our own power and moving," he told the BBC.
 
It was scheduled to be fully operational by 2020 but that date may now be as late as 2026, Britain's National Audit Office said earlier this year, because of technical difficulties.
 
 
($1 = 0.7853 pounds)

(Reporting by Russell Cheyne and Elisabeth O'Leary; Editing by Alison Williams)

Logistics News

DP World Begins $165 Million Expansion of Maputo Container Terminal Capacity

DP World Begins $165 Million Expansion of Maputo Container Terminal Capacity

Port Canaveral Invests $500 Million in Five-Year Port-Wide Improvement Plan

Port Canaveral Invests $500 Million in Five-Year Port-Wide Improvement Plan

Syria Signs New 30-Year Deal with CMA CGM

Syria Signs New 30-Year Deal with CMA CGM

Adani Ports Sees Higher FY26 Revenue Growth on Robust Volumes

Adani Ports Sees Higher FY26 Revenue Growth on Robust Volumes

Subscribe for Maritime Logistics Professional E‑News

South Korea's NOFI purchases about 65,000 T of feed wheat, traders claim
China's Zhejiang Jiaao receives export license for sustainable aviation fuel
South Korea's NOFI buys estimated 132,000 T corn, traders say