Queen Elizabeth Class - The Block due into Rosyth Saturday
Discussion
Not sure if anybody is keeping an eye on this, but perhaps of interest to the locals as the first huge section, dubbed 'The Block' is due into Rosyth Dockyard on Saturday at noon (so in the Forth from around 9am)
Full story here: http://royalnavy.mod.uk/operations-and-support/sur...
And you can track the progress here: http://www.shipais.com/showship.php?mmsi=247278500
Going to take a pop down to the bridges tomorrow for a look.
Cheers
Full story here: http://royalnavy.mod.uk/operations-and-support/sur...
And you can track the progress here: http://www.shipais.com/showship.php?mmsi=247278500
Going to take a pop down to the bridges tomorrow for a look.
Cheers
doogz said:
Simpo Two said:
Is it normal to cart chunks of military hardware around in full gaze of the world, so they can see the cross section and figure out how best to sink it one day? It even has 'aircraft carier' written on the side so even the dumbest spy can get his report right.
It actually has "Aircraft Carrier" written on the side.Randomly, the guy that sits next to me drew up those signs.
Letting anyone that fancies having a look see her isn't ideal, but she's not really designed to withstand much in the way of shock, and will always always be escorted by at least a couple of T45's, so the theory is that nothing should ever be able to get close enough to hit her.
We wandered down from the office last week to watch her sail by, the barge is a bucket!
But who thought 'I know, let's put a sign saying 'aircraft carrier' on the side, just in case somebody thinks it's something else.'
How about 'Big secret project'? Really, why waste the vinyl and ink?
Simpo Two said:
doogz said:
Simpo Two said:
Is it normal to cart chunks of military hardware around in full gaze of the world, so they can see the cross section and figure out how best to sink it one day? It even has 'aircraft carier' written on the side so even the dumbest spy can get his report right.
It actually has "Aircraft Carrier" written on the side.Randomly, the guy that sits next to me drew up those signs.
Letting anyone that fancies having a look see her isn't ideal, but she's not really designed to withstand much in the way of shock, and will always always be escorted by at least a couple of T45's, so the theory is that nothing should ever be able to get close enough to hit her.
We wandered down from the office last week to watch her sail by, the barge is a bucket!
But who thought 'I know, let's put a sign saying 'aircraft carrier' on the side, just in case somebody thinks it's something else.'
How about 'Big secret project'? Really, why waste the vinyl and ink?
Simpo Two said:
Is it normal to cart chunks of military hardware around in full gaze of the world, so they can see the cross section and figure out how best to sink it one day? It even has 'aircraft carier' written on the side so even the dumbest spy can get his report right.
With the size of warhead that most of the anti-ship missiles have it doesnt really matter what you do, they are still going to make a mess. The best option is not to get hit, and how they intend to make something 900 foot long and made of metal stealthy I have no idea. I dont even know why they bother painting it grey, get some sponsorship up on it, wont affect the missiles but will save some costs.
Oily Nails said:
Simpo Two said:
Now that's a novel idea. HMS Tesco.
And just like a Tesco "buy one get one 1/2 price" deal, we find out at the till we can only afford the one....... 
McFsC said:
Did anyone get down for pictures or anything? Would be good to see a few shots of it.
Not the greatest, but the best I could muster from a vantage point several hundred feet away and armed with a lowly Nokia camera phone... 
The tug-boat 'Eraclea' towed the barge from the Clyde but then transferred towed the towing duties to a dockyard tug (or three) on the west side of the Forth Bridge and then headed into port herself ahead of the barge.
We'd watched the progress via the marine tracker site and it reported the barge was due into Rosyth at noon, however it was nearer 5pm before it arrived. Fair play to those who were on the Forth road bridge for hours, my mother included!
Quite a nice sight, politics aside... a much needed boost for the local economy. Should be impressive watching the finished article leaving, especially if somebody got their sums wrong and forgot about the bridges...
doogz said:
I'm really not sure how you expect them to hide it.
Well I suppose I was naively thinking you'd get a big dockyard, build it there, then launch it - not cart bits of it about all over the place. But I suppose we no longer have the facilities to do this. Harland & Wolff are busy making wind turbines...I believe that making sections in different parts of the country makes it more secure as the designs are at seperate locations. Seeing seperate parts of the vessel is a lot more secure than seeing the full design drawings.
EDIT: Cheers for the pictures, BTW. Nice to see it in some form, wish I could have been there.
EDIT: Cheers for the pictures, BTW. Nice to see it in some form, wish I could have been there.
Edited by McFsC on Tuesday 23 August 14:05
I don't expect them to hide it, but carting handily-named bits about in public massively increases the exposure. But if that's the only way it can be done, so be it.
I would love GB to have a state of the art aircraft carrier or three, but given the current state of play wouldn't be surprised if it was cancelled/sold before it saw service, so it doesn't matter
I would love GB to have a state of the art aircraft carrier or three, but given the current state of play wouldn't be surprised if it was cancelled/sold before it saw service, so it doesn't matter
Simpo Two said:
I don't expect them to hide it, but carting handily-named bits about in public massively increases the exposure. But if that's the only way it can be done, so be it.
I would love GB to have a state of the art aircraft carrier or three, but given the current state of play wouldn't be surprised if it was cancelled/sold before it saw service, so it doesn't matter
Why would you want to hide it anyway? The whole point is to let everyone know you have aircraft carriers!I would love GB to have a state of the art aircraft carrier or three, but given the current state of play wouldn't be surprised if it was cancelled/sold before it saw service, so it doesn't matter
Besides its not like we'll ever be fighting the Russians or Chinese but bombing men in huts and caves in countries people can't spell who've only go sharpened fruit to hurl back at us! (given our recent "victories")
But FWIW, anything secret is invariably too small and interesting to be floated past on a barge but will be assembled inside (stuff like radar, computers and missiles etc)
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