New carrier commissioned

– Queen Elizabeth II, pictured, formally commissioned into the Royal Navy the UK’s newest and biggest aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, at a ceremony yesterday.

The warship, which cost £3 billion (about R54 billion) to build, was hailed as “a true flagship for the 21st century”.

“HMS Queen Elizabeth embodies the best of British technology and innovation,” the queen said at the ceremony on board the ship in Portsmouth on England’s south coast.

“She will in the years and decades ahead represent the country’s resolve on the global stage,” she said.

The mighty ship can operate with a crew of 1 000 and 40 aircraft on deck, and measures 280 metres in length and weighs 65 000 tons.

Britain has been without any aircraft carrier strike capability since the government scrapped previous vessels in 2010 as part of austerity measures to curb a huge deficit.

The queen named the ship in 2014, smashing a bottle of whisky on its side, but it is not expected to be fully operational for another four years.

The project had been dogged by questions about the US-built F-35 jets, due to be deployed on the aircraft carrier, and about the need for mammoth aircraft carriers when Britain’s military role in the world has diminished.

The F-35 stealth fighter, which is being built by the US in conjunction with Britain and other countries, has been heavily criticised for its high price tag and a series of delays over air safety concerns. – AFP