ACA Monthly News. Final piece of HMS Prince of Wales arrives in Rosyth

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1 December 2015 ACA Monthly News Final piece of HMS Prince of Wales arrives in Rosyth The Aircraft Carrier Alliance welcomed the final section of the second Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier to the Babcock Rosyth Facilities on Sunday 20th December following its voyage from Glasgow, ten weeks ahead of schedule. The final section being delivered, known as the Aft Island, weighs 750 tonnes and will control aircraft operations aboard HMS PRINCE OF WALES. The journey took it 1,335 miles around the south coast of England in order to reach its destination in Fife. Angus Holt, HMS PRINCE OF WALES Delivery Not only is it completed Director, said: This ahead of schedule but it s is a momentous also been finished to an day for incredibly high standard. everyone This is testament to the working for dedication, skill and the Alliance ingenuity of all those across the UK working on the programme. and there s a Angus Holt, Delivery real sense of Director, HMS PRINCE OF excitement to see WALES. the final section arrive under the iconic Forth Bridge. Not only is it completed ahead of schedule but it s also been finished to an incredibly high standard. This is testament to the dedication, skill and ingenuity of all those working on the programme. Rear Admiral Henry Parker, Defence Equipment & We are delighted to have Support Director of all of the blocks finally in Ship Acquisition, Rosyth and are looking said: "Today is a forward to the Aft Island significant step I being lowered onto the flight n the aircraft deck forming the iconic carrier shape of the ship. Rear programme. Admiral Henry Parker, This is the final Defence Equipment & piece in the jigsaw Support Director of Ship for HMS PRINCE Acquisition. OF WALES and the culmination of a lot of hard work on the Clyde. We are delighted to have all of the blocks finally in Rosyth and are looking forward to the Aft Island being lowered onto the flight deck forming the iconic shape of the ship." 144 wheels, 16 axles and a single remote control will be used to drive the Aft Island from seagoing barge onto the dockside. It will then be lifted onto the HMS PRINCE OF WALES flight deck by the Goliath Crane, which can lift a maximum of 1,000 tonnes. The Queen Elizabeth Class are the first aircraft carriers in the world to use an innovative twin-island design. The Aft Island is responsible for the ship s mission systems and act as an aircraft control tower. And the Forward Island contains the bridge and is primarily responsible for the command of the ship. While each island has a primary role, both are able to incorporate the other s role in an emergency, increasing the survivability of the ship. View more images of the Aft Island arriving on the Aircraft Carrier Alliance Flickr page.

2 HMS Queen Elizabeth achieves successful start up of Gas Turbines Both Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines on HMS Queen Elizabeth were successfully started in the presence of Michael Fallon, Secretary of State for Defence during a visit to the Rosyth Dockyard in Scotland. The MT30 is the world s most powerful marine gas turbine in service today, each delivering around 50,000 horse power to propel the 65,000-tonne ship. The startup of the gas turbines, also known as the light-off, marks a significant part of the commissioning programme for the ship. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: Scotland is a vital part of the UK s defence and will benefit from the 178 billion this government is investing in new ships, more planes, By putting national security first we are securing thousands of highly skilled jobs across Scotland while keeping Britain safe. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon. and new submarines. By putting national security first we are securing thousands of highly skilled jobs across Scotland while keeping Britain safe. Jon Pearson, HMS Queen Elizabeth Delivery Director, said: The commissioning of both gas turbines mark an important milestone in the commissioning phase of HMS Queen Elizabeth. Everyone is incredibly proud to be delivering the nation's flagship and we re delighted to have the opportunity to show the Defence Secretary the progress we're making as we look towards handing the ship over to the Royal Navy in I would like to congratulate the ACA team on reaching this significant milestone and look forward to seeing our gas turbines power this magnificent ship to sea in around a year from now. HMS Queen Elizabeth has two Rolls-Royce 36MW MT30 Gas I would like to congratulate the ACA team on reaching this significant milestone and look forward to seeing our gas turbines power this magnificent ship to sea in around a year from now. Don Roussinos, Rolls-Royce, President. Turbine Alternators (GTA) weighing a total of 120 tonnes. These supply high-voltage power to the four propulsion motors which provide the power needed to turn the propellers and drive the 65,000 tonne ship through the water at speeds of up to 25 knots. They also power 13 ship service transformers. These distribute low-voltage power to the weapons systems, mission systems equipment and navigation systems, as well as power to the hotel services required to run the ships. The combination of Gas Turbine and Diesel driven generators will produce 109 megawatts enough to power a town of 200,000 people. Rolls-Royce is also providing adjustable bolted propellers and shaftlines, steering gear and rudders, retractable stabilisers, thrust blocks and bearings and the vessel s low voltage electrical distribution system. The MT30 has been selected to power the most modern and advanced vessels in the Royal Navy including the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers as well as future Type 26 Global Combat Ship. The MT30 has also been chosen by the US Navy, to power the Freedom Class Littoral Combat Ship and the Zummwalt class multi-mission destroyers as well as the Republic of Korea Navy s FFX Batch II frigate. Don Roussinos, Rolls-Royce, President - Naval said: "Rolls-Royce is extremely proud of the successful lightoff of the MT30 Main Turbine Generator Sets aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth. The MT30 is the most powerful in-service marine gas turbine, and together with the Type 26, it will power the Royal Navy s future fleet for decades to come.

3 2015 overview of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance It s only right that we also take this opportunity to mention the fantastic work undertaken by the teams in Appledore and Merseyside. Appledore completed the bow section of the ships while Merseyside delivered rings F & G of CB02 and completed Centre Block 04 in an excellent level of fitout. This was only possible through the excellent teamwork between the build yards and the onsite ACA management & liaison teams and was testament to the skills and professionalism of the workforce. They definitely left the programme on a high! A lot has happened within the programme over the past twelve months. We now have both gas turbines and diesel generators up and running on HMS Queen Elizabeth and much of the mission system in commissioning. HMS Prince of Wales is also still on schedule and looking like a proper ship in the dry dock. In January 2015 various blocks of HMS Prince of Wales (PWLS) were under construction across our build yards. Move forward less than a year and we now have the gas turbines installed with all the block congregated in Rosyth with the last block, the Forward Island, en route from Glasgow as we speak. It s been a huge team effort across some 10,000 people within the Alliance and the wider supply chain something everyone should be proud of. And that doesn t include the rapid progress of PWLS, which already looks identical to her sister ship and achieved a UK record when she was skidded to meet LB04. CB04 departed Merseyside in July The various high profile VIP visitors we had the opportunity to welcome to Rosyth, including Secretory of State Michael Fallon and Minister Philip Dunne, witnessed the progress of the programme first hand and were suitably impressed. HMS Prince of Wales was skidded together in October Changes in Rosyth have been matched by those in the shipyards around the country responsible for building the ship s various parts. All the blocks and sponsons for HMS Prince of Wales arrived with far higher levels of outfit completed in the build yards than for the first ship. This was achieved following lessons that have been learned from QNLZ to ensure we maximised the level of outfit in the build yards, before transporting to Rosyth for assembly. A big part of the progress in 2015 is that all the Alliance partners have a 'one team' philosophy with each placing the needs of the programme first and recognising we need to operate an every day counts mentality. A big part of the progress in 2015 is that all the Alliance partners have a 'one team' philosophy with each placing the needs of the programme first and recognising we need to operate an every day counts mentality. Coming to the end of the year, following the Prime Minister s announcement regarding the outcome of the Strategic Defence and Security Review, it would be fair to say that the profile and certainty of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA) is higher, and with that comes an expectation to keep delivering. Our MD, Ian Booth, articulates this in his blog. The SDSR reaffirms how strategically important HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales are to the defence of the country. The government is increasing the procurement of F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the UK in the early 2020s and has confirmed that it will enhance one of the QE Class carriers to support the amphibious capabilities of the Royal Marines 3 Commando Brigade. It is up to all of us within the Alliance and the supply chain to ensure we continue to make every day count and deliver the programme to schedule and target cost. The Royal Navy and the nation expect F35 Lightning IIs to be flying from HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2018 and with initial operating capability by This will only happen if we deliver.

4 2015 our achievements in pictures Tony Graham marked the first steel cut of the last block of HMS Prince of Wales in April UB07 was lifted on to HMS Prince of Wales in May SPO06 was lifted in to position in May The lower bow was lifted on to HMS Prince of Wales in June HMS Queen Elizabeth diesel generators switched on in June HMS Prince of Wales LB04 arrived in Rosyth in August Artisan radar was installed on HMS Queen Elizabeth in September Second gas turbine was installed into HMS Prince of Wales in October For more pictures of our highlights visit

5 Mince Pies and festive cheer HMS Prince of Wales gets her plaque Helen Adamson, Visits and Events Lead ACA, feeds Jon Pearson his Christmas mince pie onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth Christmas came early for the workforce onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth when Santa and his helpers delivered 2,400 mince pies as a thank you for their hard work in Jon Pearson, Delivery Director for HMS Queen Elizabeth, thanked everyone for their efforts in 2015 and the superb safety record enjoyed on the ship over the previous six months. The Royal Navy tradition of laying a dedication plaque under the islands of their aircraft carriers continued when Rear Admiral Henry Parker, Captain Simon Petitt and Angus Holt, HMS Prince of Wales Delivery Director, positioned the engraved steel plate, which will sit under the aft island of HMS Prince of Wales for her operational life of 50 years. Jon Pearson, Delivery Director, thanks employees for their hard work throughout 2015 The mince pies and soft drinks were distributed over Thursday 17th and Friday 18th December in the hangar deck of the ship ensuring that every employee working on HMS Queen Elizabeth had the opportunity to have a taste of Christmas before they finished up for a well earned break. They were joined by Tom MacInnes, Fabrication Welder and Daniel Grieve, Design Apprentice. The plaque, which features the three emblems of the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and British Army, will be welded into place prior to the island being lifted onto the vessel s flight deck at Rosyth Dockyard before Christmas. Alan MacAskill, Communications and Engagement, ACA, is Santa for the day, serving mince pies to the workforce

6 Spotlight on Craig Morrison QNLZ - Detailed Planning Manager How did your career bring you to where you are today? I joined Babcock in 1998 as a Mechanical Fitter apprentice. My apprenticeship lasted four years during which time I got exposure to major work packages within the ship refit environment. Post apprenticeship I worked in the Refrigeration and Commissioning areas of the business. It was 2008 I was introduced to QEC taking up a roll in the Planning function. Over the next few years, as QEC evolved, I was fortunate enough to move up in the organisation and am currently Programme Planning Manager on HMS Prince of Wales. What does your current role involve? My main responsibility is to deliver the following: Block Handovers Programme Planning Process EBoM Governance/Controls The successful delivery of the aforementioned is hinged on stakeholder engagement and ensuring all areas of the business are integrated within the processes with the primary objective being to support the creation of a fully enabled assembly production plan. What are you most proud of about your role? I ll apologise in advance for coming across as cheesy I m really lucky to have a strong team of good people. A lot of the processes we deliver are relatively new and not so long ago were nothing I m really lucky to have a strong team of good people In short I take most satisfaction from working with the team to deliver against programme demands. Craig Morrison, Detailed Planning Manager. more than a concept. My team have been integral in shaping and delivering these process outputs and as much as it can be really demanding at times, we always have a laugh and joke along the way. In short I take most satisfaction from working with the team to deliver against programme demands. What has been the highlight of working on the QEC programme for you? HMS Queen Elizabeth naming ceremony was a major milestone and to stand back knowing I d had an input was massively rewarding. However, I ve been fortunate enough to have worked with our industrial partners across the UK and one of the main highlights for me has been meeting some great people and working together to deliver against programme demands. What are the key challenges of your role? Keeping it brief, our key challenges are ensuring we continue to deliver against programme demands and to integrate key stakeholders into the process so all programme knowledge and experiences are shared providing the best opportunity of delivering a value adding output. Lastly it would be to ensure we keep one eye on continuous improvement of which LFE (learning from experience) plays a major part. What do you do in your spare time? I have four kids ranging from 2 to 10 years old so a lot of my spare time is spent with them whether it be football, gymnastics, dancing, drama, karate or just general family days out. I m also the manager of a semi-professional football team named Dundonald Bluebell. Great bunch of lads but if the truth be told, they re more demanding than my kids!