Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin Harriet Baldwin has announced that HMS Queen Elizabeth will arrive in Portsmouth in the coming weeks.

We asked a contact what they were told would be the most likely date:

“17th-19th of this month with Friday 18th being most likely. Obviously subject to change, weather, breakdowns, tides etc, but the tidal conditions and time frame is when best suits the RN/BAE best… currently”

Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin said:

“The route is clear for the Navy’s largest and most powerful ship to dock at its home in Portsmouth, but even ships as impressive as our magnificent new aircraft carriers need nuts and bolts to keep them running smoothly. This new contract will provide all the supplies our ships and personnel require to be effective on operations.

This also brings the previous contract under one deal, delivering improved efficiencies and highlighting how we are being smarter about support. These efficiencies are ensuring that our £178 million Defence equipment plan is going towards the state-of-the-art kit our Armed Forces deserve.”

 

The minister is referring to a new contract announced yesterday at the same time as the news of HMS Queen Elizabeth arriving in Portsmouth. The contract is estimated to be worth around £107 million over the next seven years, during which time it is expected to deliver around a million individual items to all current and future Royal Navy vessels.

All items being supplied – including electrical cable, straps, small valves, bearings, gaskets, pipes, pistons, pumps, motors and electrical components – are ‘consumable’ in that they are impractical or impossible to repair.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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16 COMMENTS

  2. Are they still anticipating returning to Rosyth for rectification of any defects found during trials, or has that now been made unnecessary ?

    • i thought she was going back into Rosyth first or is this part of the trials to make sure she does actually fit into the harbour..

    • AFAIK the plan was always to call at Invergordon, and never at Rosyth because getting the tidal conditions right for the bridges and lock would cause huge delays.

      • The next good tides for entry to Rosyth occur around 10th August. These tides occur fortnightly, so the next opportunity to leave Rosyth would be around the 24th August.

    • Will Prince of Wales remain in Dock until QE completes trials or will she wait for QE to be accepted?
      Can both CVFs berth at the same time afloat in the Basin at Rosyth?

      • PoW will stay on dry dock for at least another 8/10 weeks.
        It is impossible for both to be at the basin at the same time, never the less QEC is not going back to Rosyth.
        The basin is a square: One side are the dry docks (north), one side are the locks (east), west side was the place occupied by QEC (empty now) and on the south side you have the redundant submarines (6 of them) lying in waiting to be fully decommissioned aka scrapped.

  5. Did she actually say £178 MILLION ? At least she is more realistic that to claim it is £178 BILLION !
    🙂

  6. Going back to Invergordon on Wednesday 09/08 for 3 days and after that all the way south.
    Not going back to Rosyth. Portsmouth get ready.

  7. The ships DGs had a noise abatement order against them in Rosyth. They could not run them in the evening as the noise was disturbing the locals. I wonder if that will be an issue in Pompie?

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