Sailing in along the Firth of Clyde, the 65,000 tonne
aircraft carrier has spent the last two weeks at sea
testing and trialling her latest equipment, before berthing
at the new Northern Ammunition Jetty for a routine onload
of operational stores.
HMS Queen Elizabeth is the first of the Royal Navy’s fleet
to visit the new £64 million facility, built by the Defence
Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).
Operated by Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S)
through Defence Munitions, the Northern Ammunition Jetty is
specifically designed to support the surface fleet,
allowing them to continue entering and berthing at Glen
Mallan.
Defence Secretary said:
HMS Queen Elizabeth has a very proud affiliation to
Scotland and it is only fitting she returns before her
first operational deployment later this year.
The £64m investment into the new Northern Ammunition
Jetty reaffirms our commitment to supporting our core
capabilities and defence estate across all corners of the
UK.
Captain Angus Essenhigh, HMS Queen Elizabeth Commanding
Officer, said:
We are very proud of the close connection our ship has
with Scotland, especially with our affiliated city of
Edinburgh.
HMS Queen Elizabeth embodies the best of British
engineering and craftsmanship, including Scottish
shipbuilding, and it is a privilege to return to her
birthplace of Scotland.
DIO project works undertaken include: the installation of
four new navigational aids to ensure safe passage through
the confined waterway in Loch Long, two new modular fender
spacer units that move with the tide to prevent the
aircraft carrier flight deck from coming in to contact with
the jetty and the installation of dolphin mooring points to
ensure the aircraft can be securely berthed.
Craig MacDonald, DIO’s Project Manager, said:
It is fantastic to have HMS Queen Elizabeth berthed at
Glen Mallan for the first time.
DIO previously worked closely with contractors and local
partners to ensure vital infrastructure upgrades were
completed in time to prepare for the visit and I would
like to thank everyone involved.
This is the first time HMS Queen Elizabeth has visited
Western Scotland, after she initially became a familiar
sight on the River Forth where she was assembled.
HMS Queen Elizabeth is due to sail for Portsmouth at the
end of the month, and will deploy to the Mediterranean,
Indian Ocean and East Asia later this year, as part of the
UK’s Carrier Strike Group.
