UK Navy’s Aircraft Carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth Commissioned

The UK royal navy has formally commissioned its new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth.

HMS Queen Elizabeth has been commissioned by Her Majesty the Queen at its home base of Portsmouth Thursday.

The 65,000 tonne carrier is the biggest and most advanced warship to have ever been built by the Royal Navy and can accommodate up to 1,600 personnel, which would include a full air crew, but also provides space for embarked personnel such as Royal Marines.

The warship’s construction began in 2004 along with its sister ship HMS Prince of Wales costing £6billion. Shipyards in six cities across the UK have constructed sections of the aircraft carriers and while many parts of the carrier arrived in Rosyth by road, the major sections needed to be transported by barge around the coast of the UK.

HMS Prince of Wales, is in the final phases of construction in Rosyth Dockyard and is expected to be floated out of its giant dock next spring.