The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that alternative locations for the maintenance and repair of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers are available, should for whatever reason, the Babcock facilities at Rosyth become unavailable.
Please note, readers, that there is no suggestion at all they would be unavailable; I simply thought this was something many of you might be interested in earning.
The clarification came in response to a question raised during the King’s Speech debate on foreign affairs and defence.
In a letter addressed to Lord Empey, Lord Coaker outlined the various levels of maintenance involved in keeping the QEC aircraft carriers operational. The letter explained that “there are several levels of maintenance undertaken at different stages in the operational cycle for the QEC aircraft carriers.” These range from routine upkeep performed by the ship’s staff while at sea to more complex repairs, often requiring contractor support.
For intermediate maintenance that exceeds the capacity of the ship’s crew, contractors, including BAE Systems and their sub-contractors, play a key role. “An intermediate level of maintenance (beyond ship’s staff capacity or skills) is undertaken with Contractor support, normally alongside and afloat (not dry dock) in the ship’s base port, HMNB Portsmouth,” Lord Coaker explained. This maintenance ensures that essential tasks, which do not require dry-docking, can be performed without disrupting the ship’s operational schedule.
The most critical stage of maintenance is the routine dry-docking that the aircraft carriers undergo every six years to maintain their safety certification. This process, according to Lord Coaker, is vital for completing tasks that cannot be performed while the ships are afloat, such as repairs to underwater hull valves and shaft bearings. “During these periods, maintenance is focussed on elements that cannot be maintained whilst afloat and those which are mandated to achieve Lloyds Register Classification Society requirements such as underwater hull valves and shaft bearings,” he said.
Currently, Babcock’s Rosyth facility is contracted to handle dry-docking until 2030. However, Lord Coaker stressed that the Ministry of Defence has contingency plans in place. “I can assure you that if Babcock Rosyth facilities were unavailable for whatever reason, and an urgent requirement arose that required an alternative location for dry-docking the QEC aircraft carriers, Defence has the resilience to service carriers elsewhere.”
Potential alternatives include commercial dry-docking facilities within the UK and overseas, as well as sites provided by the UK’s allies and partners. This assurance provides flexibility for the Royal Navy and addresses concerns about the ability to maintain the QEC carriers in the event of disruptions at Rosyth.
BAE Systems, under the Future Management Support Programme (FMSP), is responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the carriers until 2028, ensuring that regular upkeep continues. However, Lord Coaker’s letter was clear that dry-docking is managed under a separate contract with Babcock, which was secured through open competition and remains in place until the end of the decade.
Sorry for the loaded response but it’s a good point George. The bean-counters seem to have a lot of clout these days, to the extent we are losing ‘system resilience’. Eggs in one basket is a cliche that comes to mind. Of course, is it wise to have 5 (arbitrary) different ship yards all capable of taking a carrier but not in use, maybe not, we’re not at war (yet) but you’d like to think plans were being put in place at least to allow for ‘heavy’ maintenance at different yards. Same argument for the SSNs/SSBNs. On the subject of… Read more »
If a major power is going to attack you with no warning you’re always going to have your eggs in one basket. Dispersal doesn’t work anymore for aircraft. Only keeping them in hardened shelters with an air defence and even this is limited in its effectiveness. No military any where on planet earth outside of maybe Israel has air defences switched on during peace time on an airfield as air defences have a nasty habit of shooting down friendly aircraft. You are much more likely to accidentally shoot down your own plane by than suffer a sneak attack. Lastly the… Read more »
Getting to sea from both Rosyth and Devonport for ships as big as those mentioned, is hampered by tides: Devonport’s Plymouth Sound negotiation and the Forth Bridge out of Rosyth. What the other RNB’s have, I am unsure. However, I doubt that the RN would be caught napping as the USN was at Pearl.
Clearly a smart thing to have available be there issues or both Carriers require work at same time.
is Gibraltar not an option the dry docks there are big one was able to fit battle ships in.
I remember looking up the sizes during a discussion on the refit of HMS Medway. And yes, the Gib drydocks are big, but not that big.