HMS Queen Elizabeth has arrived in Rosyth, Scotland, for crucial repairs.
The 284-metre-long aircraft carrier journeyed under the iconic Forth Bridges, capturing the attention of local residents.
A spokesperson for the Royal Navy confirmed the purpose of this visit, stating that the HMS Queen Elizabeth requires repairs on her starboard propeller shaft coupling. This technical setback had previously forced the ship to withdraw from the NATO exercise Steadfast Defender last month.
Here are some great images via the excellent Dave Cullen.
www.davecullenphotography.co.uk
© Dave Cullen Photography 2024
www.davecullenphotography.co.uk
© Dave Cullen Photography 2024
www.davecullenphotography.co.uk
© Dave Cullen Photography 2024
www.davecullenphotography.co.uk
© Dave Cullen Photography 2024
I’m no expert but she seems to have taken a long time to get to this point. I’m hoping it’s because the planned maintenance she had booked for later this year has been brought forward🤞
Plan journey based on one shaft.
Plan discrete presence of tugs so we don’t get accused of being a Russian carrier.
Then timings:-
Tide window at Portsmouth
Sail to Glenmallon
Destore at the ammunition jetty
Sail to Rosyth
Tide window to Rosyth
Quite a bit of choreography even in the headline list.
The main issue is lining it all up around the tides that allow Rosyth access.
During or after completion of FSS program, will H&W drydock(s?) in NI become available as alternate/emergency repair facilities for QE class? Other facilities w/in UK? Europe? 🤔
If it was available I guess they could contract it out, but currently it’s not on contract like Rosyth to be used specifically for the carrier.
At the time the contract was let H&W were looking quite shaky.
I do t know if FSS are being built in the dry dock or not? No reason to use theory dick as there is plenty of hard stand there.
But it is all outdoor build there and that comes down to super block construction elsewhere.
Auto correct can be hilarious at times!!!
I see the person who invented predictive text died recently. May he rust in piss!
Thanks for the reply. Very informative 👍
Apart from the obvious typos
Theory dick sounds quite intriguing or wasn’t that one of them 😇.
How do you know so much about this stuff, please mate?
Sailing around the UK coast is no short ferry crossing
Didn’t say it was – everything needs planning.
I fear the long and vexed question won’t go away, do we need two carriers? With a change of government due what are the chances POW will still be in RN service by the next election? In my mind we need at least two carriers to carry out the expanded global role of the RN and selling off one vessel would compromise operational flexibility.
I think the message that would send to Chine about NATO about UK naval power would be crazy.
Also the main cost moving foward is F35B which RAF needs anyway as it has so few fighters.
I don’t see them selling off the 2nd, unless they really are complete idiots, especially with Qnlz due for a long maintenance period next year, which will leave it unavailable for a while.
The plan was always to have ONE operational at any time, the time leading up to now has allowed both vessels to sort out many routines etc which are now established, QE goes into deep maintenance next year and soon after she comes out the POW will go in so maintaining the one available. Ideally we should have had 3 hulls so there would be one fully worked up, one on a longer notice and one in reserve to cover the 50+ years expected as we had with the Invincibles. Anyway we only have enough aircraft to fill one out anyway and that sadly will not change unless we double the dosh and perhaps also take out the National Deterrent from the budget as it was in the past.
Not quite there on the aircraft yet….only been 8 so far in 7 years, might get to 24 possibly next year… but that’s if all the eggs are placed in the one basket….
Bear in mind that the USN was so supportive in helping regenerating carrier strike in the expectation that the QE class ships would be able to augment their limited number of CVNs in various conflict scenarios. The carriers are now central to RN force projection, and abandoning that effort would not only shoot ourselves in the foot but thoroughly annoy the Americans. The only suggestions I’ve heard that anyone is planning to sell off one or other of the carriers come from tabloid newspapers and are quite obviously made up.
Consider all the warnings of a future war in Europe, conscription that’s all before we consider the current climate in the Middle East, China and calls to increase the defence budget. The peace dividend is over.
I think the very fact that the POW was able to stand in for QE underlines the need for at least two carriers in a fleet. Mothballing one now or in the near future sends a terrible message to anyone considering a career in the RN. They need to focus their efforts on recruitment, raising salaries and turning out hulls faster rather than continuing this trend of “just about enough”.
Are you ready to pony up £0.50p in the pound tax out of your salary to pay for it all? Asking for a friend!
Public services mean taxes! Tax cuts equals cuts in services.
Check out the Queensferry Bridge Webcam, you can just see some of her behind the south end of the roadway.
Not very considerate parking as all you can see is the water line and the tops of the islands. 🥴
Sorry but it’s Friday and tonight’s Beer Night 🥳🍻
Make sure it’s after Sunset when you start drinking or you’ll upset the first minister if your in Scotland
I wonder if Sir John Fowler designed the bridge knowing how big ships might get in the future…. either way that picture shows of two stunningly great designs.
“Off”…. 🙄
Maybe I’m a pedant, but use of the phrase ‘the HMS whatever’ bugs me. ‘The USS’ makes grammatical sense- ‘the United States Ship Enterprise’. ‘The His Majesty’s Ship Queen Elizabeth’ does not.
Grammatically you are right, the “The” is redundant!