Quote:
Originally Posted by .45cultist
I just read a story saying the Queen Elizabeth is expected to launch in 2015. Could they be prioritizing her build?
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I'm no expert but I think we're both right. The shell of the ship (ie something that wont sink if put in water) will be ready either later this year or next year at the latest. However there is still then several years of work to be done before it begins to resemble a completed ready for service warship. According to wiki timeline is likely to be something like this:
2009 - construction began
July 2014 - ship launched
July 2014 - May 2016 - internal construction completed, with crew ready to come aboard May 2016 (at which point they might need their smartphone app!)
Oct 2016 - sea trials begin
2018 - F35 operations begin
2020 - ship attains "operational military capability"
Construction on the Prince of Wales began in 2011 so logically she should be two years behind the Queen Elizabeth. There was an article in one newspaper that usually knows what it's talking about (not the Daily Mail) a while ago though that said the Navy were informally referring to Prince of Wales as HMS Portsmouth Pier because she would never leave dock.