THE Ministry of Defence has given the green light for the construction of two new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy, which will be partially built in Hampshire.
The HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales will be the biggest and most powerful surface warships ever constructed in the UK, and will enter service in 2014 and 2016 respectively.
Their construction and assembly, which will take place at shipyards in Portsmouth, Barrow-in-Furness, Glasgow and Rosyth, will create or sustain 10,000 jobs across the UK.
Defence Secretary Des Browne told MPs in a written statement that the MoD has now completed the financial, commercial and management arrangements necessary for the project to go ahead.
Contracts will be signed once industry has finalised a new shipbuilding joint venture being set up by BAE Systems and VT Group which will help build the carriers.
For full details see Wednesday's Daily Echo.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article