August 2016 ACA Monthly News The Not your average laundry day The art of constructing an aircraft carrier Artist Lachlan Goudie visited Rosyth to paint the aircraft carriers for an exhibition due to be held at the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine. As our resident artist Lachlan has been documenting the construction of the carriers in paintings for a number of years. The exhibition will be displaying all the paintings and drawings of the aircraft carriers Lachlan has completed over the last five years. Below are just some of the masterpieces Lachlan created during his latest visit. Just as our military men and women on land need clean clothes, so do those who serve on the high seas. After a combined delivery team effort, HMS Queen Elizabeth s Platform Commissioning Team carried out the first wash in the ship s laundry facilities. Following some remaining insulation and paint work, the compartment will be ready to hand over to the Royal Navy in the next few weeks. So just what will it take to keep the crew of 600 looking prim and proper while they are out at sea on HMS Queen Elizabeth? 13 washing machines, seven tumble dryers, three hydro extractors, three ironing tables and two general purpose pressers. When the ship is fully operational the facilities can be expected to process 3.3 tonnes of laundry a day, or 23 tonnes a week. Within the laundry and dry cleaning facilities, eight civilian contractors will work as a team to process the thousands and thousands of pieces of laundry that must be done every day with a 24 hour turnaround that s everything from uniforms to bedding and linen. The discharge will go through the grey water system making the facilities environmentally friendly. The ship also has a self-service laundry facility and smaller hydro extractors throughout the accommodation which the sailors will be able to use for their off-duty garments, personal laundry and hand washed items. These will be particularly useful during long deployments at sea. For more images of the facilities have a look on the ACA flickr site.
Minister for the armed forces visits aircraft carriers The Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Mike Penning MP, was welcomed on board the aircraft carriers currently being built in Rosyth. Looking around the carriers for the first time since he took up his role, the Minister met the men and women of the Royal Navy who will be responsible for operating HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales from their future base port of Portsmouth Naval Base. These carriers will spearhead Britain s sea power for the next 50 years, keeping our nation safe at home and protecting our interests abroad. Minister for the Armed Forces, Mike Penning Minister for the Armed Forces, Mike Penning MP, said: These magnificent ships have created thousands of jobs in Rosyth and across the UK, and I am MP proud to meet the men and women who are bringing them into service. Symbolising our nation in both steel and spirit, the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers will be powerful ambassadors for Britain on the global stage, in both peace time and times of conflict. These ships truly will be at the forefront of British military power projection for decades for generations to come. Jon Pearson, Delivery Director for the Aircraft Carrier Alliance said: The scale and complexity of the QE Class programme demonstrates the ability of British Industry to deliver world-class products and capability to our Armed Forces. Both ships are at a The scale and complexity of the QE Class programme demonstrates the ability of British Industry to deliver world-class products and capability to our Armed Forces. Jon Pearson, Delivery Director, Aircraft Carrier Alliance. highly advanced state, and it was a pleasure to host the Minister on HMS Queen Elizabeth as the Aircraft Carrier Alliance prepares her for the Ship s Company living on board early next year. The carriers will provide over four acres of sovereign territory which can be deployed around the world, capable of travelling at upwards of 500nm a day. Both ships are capable of carrying up to 36 F-35B Lightning II fifth generation jets, capable of sharing vast amounts of information and landing vertically on the flight deck. At 65,000 tonnes, the aircraft carriers are the largest and most powerful class of warships ever built for the Royal Navy. These carriers will spearhead Britain s sea power for the next 50 years, keeping our nation safe at home and protecting our interests abroad. They are part of our investment in a growing Royal Navy, backed by a defence budget that will rise every year for the rest of the decade. Commanding Officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth, Captain Jerry Kyd said: The Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers are the product of a pioneering partnership between UK industry and the Ministry of Symbolising our nation in both steel and spirit, the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers will be powerful ambassadors for Britain on the global stage. Captain Jerry Kyd, Commanding Officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth. Defence. As the Royal Navy s flagships for the next 50 years, these ships will employ cutting edge technology to deliver fighting power at sea and over land.
PWLS trials and commissioning charter Fixed fire fighting system tested The Trials and Commissioning Charter was formally agreed by the ACA Head of Wholeship Systems & Commissioning, Dougie Sharp, and the Senior Naval Officer, Captain Ian Groom MBE, symbolising a major milestone in support of the delivery of HMS Prince of Wales. Demonstrating a unique partnership between Industry and the Royal Navy, 74 of the Ship s Marine and Weapon engineers will be employed within the industry led commissioning teams as the ship s systems and equipment are brought to life. The men and women who make up the Royal Navy contingent will be fully embedded within test and commissioning activities in order to gain the knowledge and expertise required to operate the ship safely in the future, which is a fundamental element of their interim training package. Leading Engineer Technician, Thomas Handley who is the newest member of the test and commissioning team from HMS Prince of Wales said: I ve just recently joined the ship, having previously spent one year Being part of the test and commissioning team is a great way to continue to build my knowledge of the ship and really get the hands on training with the systems and kit on board. Thomas Hadley, Leading Engineer Technician. with HMS Queen Elizabeth. Being part of the test and commissioning team is a great way to continue to build my knowledge of the ship and really get the hands on training with the systems and kit on board. HMS Queen Elizabeth has completed the first discharge trial for the fixed firefighting systems, a critical milestone in the programme to prepare the carrier for ship staff move on board and sea trials. Gary Butterfield, Commissioning Manager, said: During the system trials, which took place on the forward mooring deck, we were able to demonstrate to the Naval Fire Authority, Lloyds Register and MCTA that the firefighting system meets the During the system trials, we were able to demonstrate to the Naval Fire Authority, Lloyds Register and MCTA that the firefighting system meets the design specification for the flow and pressure of the foam. Gary Butterfield, Commissioning Manager. design specification for the flow and pressure of the foam. This confirms that the system produces enough foam through the pipework and nozzles and that the system will produce the correct concentration of Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) and sea water. We will now progress the setting to work of the remainder of the fixed firefighting systems controlled by the fire protection network. In order to demonstrate this commissioning, engineering, production, Tyco and the Royal Navy worked together to discharge the forward RAS foam spray system using a local release panel. The foam was contained and fed into bins and the overspill was contained using a spill kit, helping avoid any potential environmental incident. The foam systems will help protect areas throughout the ship including the emergency generator room, steering gear rooms, aircraft lift machinery rooms and stabilisers. As it stands, the small, but rapidly growing, Ship s Company of 60 includes 22 test and commissioning engineers who are already learning on-the-job alongside their industry counterparts. This charter underpins the full commitment that will be given by the ACA and the Royal Navy over forthcoming months as they work together to prepare HMS Prince of Wales for sea trials in 2018.
New lights will guide the way for carriers A navigational aid in situ Work on new lights that will guide the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers safely into Portsmouth harbour is nearing completion as the top sections of the structures are put in place. The final construction stage involves lifting the superstructures onto the pile foundations driven earlier in the year. The 14 steel structures, which will rise 30 metres from the seabed, provide a platform for the lights that will be used to precisely position HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, the first of which will arrive at the city s naval base in spring next year. Each light weighs around 22 tonnes and is being lifted into place using a 350 tonne crane barge. The lights are powered by a combination of solar panels and batteries and will only be lit when the carriers are either approaching or leaving their berths at Portsmouth. The infographic HMNB Portsmouth Navigation Lights Arrangement shows where the light will be placed. The navigation light towers are being installed as part of a 34 million package of infrastructure work being delivered on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) by VolkerStevin to support the new carriers. Philip Wise, DIO s Principal Project Manager, said: The navigation lights are essential to ensure the safe passage of the carriers into the naval base at Portsmouth. The work to install The navigation lights are essential to ensure the safe passage of the carriers into the naval base at Portsmouth. Philip Wise, DIO s Principal Project Manager. them represents a significant step forward in our preparations for the arrival of the two new ships which will be the largest ever constructed for the Royal Navy. Gerrit Smit, Project Manager for VolkerStevin, added: The installation of the navigational aids is another key milestone in this exciting project. The works are associated with challenges The installation of the navigational aids is another key milestone in this exciting project. The works are associated with challenges such as working in a busy harbour environment. Gerrit Smit, Project Manager, VolkerStevin such as working in a busy harbour environment. Due to close collaboration with the Queens Harbour Master, the ferry operators and other stakeholders, we are ensuring safe passage as well as a safe delivery of the construction works. In total around 100 million is being spent by the Ministry of Defence to ready the base the carriers, the biggest and most powerful ships in the Royal Navy s history. At 280 metres, the HMS Queen Elizabeth is longer than the Houses of Parliament (265 metres). And its length is greater than the height of the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth (170 metres). Under its contract VolkerStevin is also working to rebuild the Middle Slip jetty to accommodate the ships and providing a dedicated high voltage electrical supply to power the carriers. DIO also awarded a contract to Boskalis Westminster Ltd to dredge the harbour to make it wide and deep enough for the ships. Find out more information about the project in Philip Wise s blog on the Defence Infrastructure Organisation website. A navigational aid prior to being installed
Queen Elizabeth Class Centre of Specialism John Newell, Head of QEC Support at BAE Systems, said: The whole point of the Queen Elizabeth Class Centre of Specialisation is to create an efficient centre of excellence to support the carriers when they are in port. This centre will be the home not just for the carriers; it will also be home for the military and civilian people who support them. With improvements to the jetty and construction of a high voltage power station already in its final stages, you can now see that we are well on the way to being ready for HMS Queen Elizabeth s arrival next year. Two buildings which have been constructed to support the new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers have been completed at Portsmouth Naval Base. Final touches were made to Ark Royal Building and a large part of the Illustrious Complex, as plans for the arrival of HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2017 continue to gather pace. The North Corner of Portsmouth Naval Base has been redesigned as the Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) Centre of Specialisation, comprising two berths for the aircraft carriers as well as supporting facilities when berthed in Portsmouth. The centre will house employees of Team Portsmouth, a partnership between the Ministry of Defence and BAE Systems, with engineers, logisticians and waterfront staff working alongside each other to plan and deliver the maintenance for these ships. The Illustrious Complex will be the home of the QEC Class Output Management, responsible for ensuring the Naval Base is ready to support HMS Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales when she arrives in Portsmouth. The complex, This centre will be the home not just for the carriers; it will also be home for the military and civilian people who support them. John Newell, Head of QEC Support, BAE Systems. once fully refurbished, will also act as an amenities centre for the BAE Systems and sub-contractor engineering workforce to provide domestic, catering and recreational facilities. Moreover, Ark Royal Building will include a holding area for up to 200 personnel awaiting transfer to the ship at anchor, conference and visitors centres as well as facilities to cater for VIP visitors for exhibitions and visits. In its entirety, The Queen Elizabeth Class Centre of Specialisation will cover an area of 70,000 square metres approximately the size of 10 football pitches. The creation of a dedicated area for the aircraft carriers forms part of the overall vision for Portsmouth Naval Base four dedicated areas to support the ships based in the city. Air Group Management Application trialled Air Group Management Application (AGMA), the software application which will help run air operations on HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, reached an important point in its development with the first large-scale user trial. Thirty HMS Queen Elizabeth ship s company from the Air Management Organisation were hosted by the BAE Systems AGMA development team at HMS Collingwood. AGMA is being developed to allow ship s staff to plan complex flying programmes, orchestrate intricate deck movements of mixed aircraft types, and track and programme the weapons, airframes and aircrew needed to meet a tempo of 24-hour air operations never before experienced by the Royal Navy. Following a short brief the users began exploring all of AGMA s functional areas getting familiar with the tools available to them. Due to the intuitive graphical user interface the audience quickly got to grips with the software and planning tools they will use on-board when AGMA is installed on HMS Queen Elizabeth. A fluid, real-time exercise then took place with teams acting out their real roles on the ship using AGMA to organise, arrange and co-ordinate a strike wave of Lightning II jets and Merlin helicopters before the aircraft were refueled, rearmed and launched.
Power facilities for carriers near completion Philip Wise, DIO Project Manager, said: I m delighted to see the delivery of the frequency converter, a clear sign of the progress we and VolkerStevin are making on these facilities. The substation is vital for HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales so we re pleased to be playing our part in supporting the country s new aircraft carriers. Gerrit Smit, VolkerStevin Project Manager, said: Achieving this key milestone is a fantastic step forward. It is such an important piece of infrastructure to be working on and we are delighted to be main contractor on a project which will have such a significant impact for the country. CHAS receives PWLS recognition donation Facilities to power the Royal Navy s new aircraft carriers have taken a major step forward with the delivery of a frequency converter, which will play a major part in providing the ships with enough electricity to power a small town. When at their home port, HMNB Portsmouth, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales will be supplied with electricity through a new substation which has been built at the naval base by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation. The frequency converter consists of two parts, the converter itself and the motor; each weighing 50 tonnes. The conversion is vital as ships all over the world operate on an electrical frequency of 60hz, but the National Grid is 50hz. The substation has been connected to the National Grid using about 2.6 miles of cable and supplies enough electricity to power a small town. The substation building has been complete for several months but fitting out continues. Electricity will be supplied to the vessels using a hydraulic boom, which plugs in to the side of the ship. The boom is being constructed in Italy and will be delivered in early 2017. The new aircraft carriers will be the biggest and most powerful ships in the history of the Royal Navy, projecting the UK s global influence wherever they sail. They will be supplied with F-35B stealth fighter aircraft. The work is being undertaken by VolkerStevin, who are also upgrading the jetty and installing navigational aids on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation. Since it was established in March this year the HMS Prince of Wales recognition scheme has allowed those working on the ship to recognise each other for going above and beyond the call of duty. As part of the recognition scheme, those awarded at the highest level are able to make a donation to any charity of their choice. Thanks to the nominations the scheme was able to invite CHAS to Rosyth and receive a cheque for 460. Criona Knight from CHAS kindly accepted the cheque from the Recognition Scheme Administrator, Michelle Logan.