ACA Monthly NewsJune 2016

Spotlight on…

Nick Fox

Technical Issues Manager

What are you most proud/enjoy most about your

role?

I’ve not been with the

alliance long, but the

change in the state of

Ship 01 even in that

short amount of time

has been really

impressive. I’ve

worked on some pretty

exciting projects before, but

I certainly take a lot more pride

in telling people what I do now I’m in this role. Knowing

I’m playing a part in delivering the two flagship vessels for

the Royal Navy, as part of a joint UK industry effort is

pretty motivating.

What has been the

highlight of working

on the QEC

programme for

you/highlight of

your career?

It sounds daft, but the

first time I went up and

stood by the ramp on the

flight deck of HMS QUEEN

ELIZABETH will stick with me for a long time. I remember

seeing videos of Harriers operating from the Invincible

Class Carriers as a child, so being part of building my

generation’s version is pretty special.

Finally, what do you do in your spare time?

My biggest passion is playing the drums. I’ve been in

bands all my life. Although I’m away a lot at the moment

and can’t be in a band full time, I still find time to do the

odd gig or recording for people. Other than that, I like to

go the gym and cook.

What were you doing before you joined the

Aircraft Carrier Alliance?

I was overseas supporting a bid for a new aircraft

programme and setting up a new company. Before

this I worked in a number of different engineering

roles across BAE Systems.

What is your current role?

I am the Technical Issues Manager within the

Engineering team.

What does that involve?

My job is to work with the Delegated Design

Authorities to make sure that all the technical issues

have robust plans in place to close them out, and that

things are progressing at a pace that supports the two

ships getting to sea on time.

What are the key challenges in your role?

I’ve worked on urgent operational requirements in

previous roles, and this feels like one massive UOR!

Given the sheer volume of stuff going on at any one

time, I see a big part of my job as helping the

Engineering teams to break down problems into

manageable chunks and finding routes through

problems that in this stage of the programme,

perhaps need a different way of thinking.

“The first time I went up

and stood by the ramp

on the flight deck of

HMS QUEEN

ELIZABETH will stick

with me for a long time.”

Neil Fox, Technical

Issues Manager.

“I’ve worked on some

pretty exciting projects

before, but I certainly

take a lot more pride in

telling people what I do

now I’m in this role.” Neil

Fox, Technical Issues

Manager.

Issued by ACA Communications. To submit an item for inclusion in please email : aircraftcarrieralliance@baesystems.com

HRH Prince Charles pays tribute to skills of

workforce during visit to HMS PRINCE OF WALES “Nothing could have given me greater pleasure than to

have been with you on this occasion and look forward

enormously to this ship being completed and finally at sea,

where it will be a great testament to everything that you

have put into the building.”

Ian Booth, Managing Director of the Aircraft Carrier

Alliance, said: “By the end of July we will have finished

welding the final section together and the ship will be

structurally complete, thanks to the commitment, skills and

experience of the Alliance workforce. The team will now

embark on the next phase of the ship’s construction. This

involves extensive outfitting, testing and commissioning of

her propulsion and mission systems, as the ship is brought

to life. The ship will then start her harbour trials here in

Rosyth before setting off for sea trials in 2019.”

John Howie, Chief Executive – Marine & Technology

Division, Babcock International, and a member of the

Aircraft Carrier Alliance’s Management Board, said: “This

moment marks the end of eight years of manufacturing for

the Queen Elizabeth Class programme at our six shipyards

across the UK. I know I speak on behalf of more than

10,000 workers who have contributed to the design and

build of the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers when I say we

are honoured to have HRH Duke of Rothesay here

to mark this important occasion.”

“Nothing could have

given me greater

pleasure than to have

been with you on this

occasion and look

forward enormously to

this ship being

completed and finally

at sea.”

HRH Prince Charles.

HMS PRINCE OF WALES, was given the royal seal

of approval when HRH The Prince of Wales, (or

Duke of Rothesay as he is referred to in Scotland),

visited Babcock’s Rosyth Facilities and signaled for

the final section to be lowered into place.

The 570-tonne block – known as Sponson 11 – was

the final section of the 280-metre-long warship to be

manufactured. In an historic moment, HRH Duke of

Rothesay gave the order for the massive section,

which includes part of the flight deck, to be lowered

into place by the Goliath crane. This allows the final

welding to start in order to make the carrier

structurally complete.

HRH Prince Charles said:

“It is an enormous

tribute to your skills

and ingenuity, and all

the dedication and

effort that so many of

you have put not only

into this ship but her

sister ship HMS

QUEEN ELIZABETH,

moored next door.

Issued by ACA Communications. To submit an item for inclusion in please email : aircraftcarrieralliance@baesystems.com

The final sponson of HMS PRINCE OF WALES today

left its Build Hall in Rosyth.

The block, also known as SP11,weighing 570 tonnes,

was moved out of the hall at 11am on a self-propelled

modularised transporter. Standing over 18 metres

high, 30 metres long and 15 metres wide. The block

construction started in September 2015.

Workers looked on as the section of aircraft carrier

was carefully loaded out of the hall in which it was

constructed, in an operation which took about 30

minutes, with a single remote control. The block

exited the build hall and is now being prepared for

lifting and integration onto HMS PRINCE OF WALES

on 21 June.

The celebrations to mark the event were ‘piped-in’ by

Babcock employee Paul Hendry. This was followed

by a short video highlighting the achievements of the

manufacturing programme, a presentation by Joe

Doogan, QEC Manufacturing Director and thank you

speech from Ian Booth, ACA Managing Director.

Workers then watched on as the block was ‘piped-out’

by Paul.

Final aircraft carrier block leaves shipyard hallThis achievement marks the end of eight years of build and

manufacture for the QE Class programme within the

dockyard. Joe Doogan explained to the assembled team

that in order for the manufacturing to take place, major

infrastructure improvements were made across the site to

undertake the project. This included renovating the bays,

installing new overhead cranes and the manufacture of

bespoke build supports and an increase of power capacity.

Along with the additional infrastructure in Rosyth, Joe

added that employees have also had the opportunity to

develop. “We have employed 116 apprentices and trained

many more, providing more than 3,500 QEC welder

qualification tests. At the start of the programme we had 26

welders and around 30 platers split between the QE Class

programme and ship refitting and repair. This has

ballooned to the 400 workers currently doing

manufacturing. Over 4 million man hours have been

completed as part of the QEC manufacturing phase in

Rosyth and a professional engineering department, heavy

handling team and apprentice programme were also

brought in to support the programme under the umbrella of

manufacturing.”

While SP11 is the last block of HMS PRINCE OF WALES

to be manufactured in Rosyth, it was the first block of HMS

QUEEN ELIZABETH to be manufactured six years ago.

Just over a year ago Tony Graham, Former Director Ships

Ministry of Defence (MoD), formally marked the

construction of this final section of HMS PRINCE OF

WALES by operating the plasma steel cutting machine that

shaped the steel.

Ian Booth, Managing

Director, said: “This is a

significant

milestone for the

Queen Elizabeth

Class aircraft carrier

programme and a

particularly proud one

for the team in Rosyth

whose contribution to

delivering the nation’s flagships

continues to be outstanding. The work

the teams have done in building key sections of the aircraft

carriers, the parts which will be most visible and critical

throughout the life of the ships, is greatly appreciated. The

team should be proud of the journey they have been on

and the work they have carried out. They have been

focused and disciplined to produce a very high quality

delivery which is an excellent achievement. It is also

extremely significant that as the assembly yard, Rosyth

has built the last block to go on the ship.”

More on page 4.

“This is a significant

milestone for the Queen

Elizabeth Class aircraft

carrier programme and a

particularly proud one for

the team in Rosyth whose

contribution to delivering

the nation’s flagships

continues to be

outstanding.” Ian Booth,

Managing Director.

Issued by ACA Communications. To submit an item for inclusion in please email : aircraftcarrieralliance@baesystems.com

Final aircraft carrier block leaves shipyard hall

Keith Baxter, QEC Manufacturing

Project Manager, paid tribute

to workers who completed

the sponsons of the

ship on time. He

said: “There have

been a lot of teams

working on this from

the Aircraft Carrier

Alliance. It has been a

true team effort to build

these sections of the carriers

and get them completed and

delivered to the right quality and to schedule. It has

been fantastic that we have been able to finish with

pride and make such an important contribution to the

QE Class programme.”

Joe Doogan, Manufacturing

Director, said “This is a

monumental

achievement for

the team at Rosyth

who have worked on

the manufacturing of

the QE Class Carriers

and it highlights the

capabilities and abilities of the

workforce. Despite the workload of the programme

increasing from 30 to 300 compartments the team

were able to deliver a quality product and to schedule,

which puts us in good stead to take on other

commercial opportunities in the future. We have

played an historic part in building these ships and that

is something to be proud of.”

“It has been fantastic that

we have been able to

finish with pride and make

such an important

contribution to the QE

Class programme.” Keith

Baxter, QEC

Manufacturing Project

Manager.

“We have played an

historic part in building

these ships and that is

something to be proud

of.” Joe Doogan,

Manufacturing Director.

Did you know…

• 100 years ago HMS WARSPITE, a Queen Elizabeth

Class ship, underwent two months of repairs in Rosyth

highlighting the proud tradition the yard has with the

Royal Navy

• 26 welders and around 30 platers split between the

QE Class programme and ship refitting and repair

ballooned to the current 400 workers currently doing

manufacturing.

• Over 4 million man hours have been completed as

part of the manufacturing phase in Rosyth

• A professional engineering department, heavy

handling team and apprentice programme have been

developed as a result of the programme.

• While SP11 is the last block of HMS PRINCE OF

WALES to be manufactured in Rosyth, it was the first

block of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH to be

manufactured six years ago.

• Just over a year ago Tony Graham, Former Director

Ships Ministry of Defence (MoD), formally marked the

construction of this final section of HMS PRINCE OF

WALES by operating the plasma steel cutting machine

that shaped the steel.

Issued by ACA Communications. To submit an item for inclusion in please email : aircraftcarrieralliance@baesystems.com

The formal handover for the final sponsons, SP11

and SP12, took place with Angus Holt, PWLS

Delivery Director and Joe Doogan, Director of

Nuclear Energy and Marine presiding. This brings to

an end the build aspect of the QEC programme which

now moves into the outfitting evolution of the

programme as all the block and Sponson parts of

HMS PRINCE OF WALES have been“signed sealed

and delivered.”

Angus Holt, PWLS Delivery Director, paid tribute to

the Manufacturing team congratulating them for their

timely delivery of these sponsons and the increased

outfitting scope supplied on these blocks. Angus said:

“I am delighted to see the final sponsons supplied to

Assembly, bringing a successful conclusion to the

manufacturing phase. With the level of outfitting

carried out it will make the assembly cycle tasks

easier. The erect fair and weld evolution is in hand,

and we will soon have a ship with all the parts in

place for the outfitting phase to continue. The ship

now has a visible profile which all involved can see

and take pride in. Now we need to crack on in

delivering a quality product for the Royal Navy.”

Stuart Munn, ACA Block Completion Manager, stated

“I am proud to have been part of the handover

process, and what has been achieved at Rosyth. My

gratitude and thanks go to all involved in ensuring a

quality product has been delivered on time, within

budget, and with a higher than expected level of

outfitting. There was a tremendous push towards the

end to ensure manufacturing supplied their final

sponsons to such an excellent level at completion,

which has clearly paid off.

“I can’t believe that the final blocks have been handed

over and the documentation has all been signed and

work complete.”

Final Sponsons Formally Handed Over

Sonia Graham Senior Project Engineer for

Manufacturing, said: “I have been fortunate to have

been a part of this project, and have enjoyed the

experience immensely. There have been a lot of

highs and even some lows, but thankfully we have

been able to learn from the lows and turn them in to

positives. This can clearly be seen from the maturity

of last two blocks that have been handed over.

“I was given the opportunity to work alongside and

develop good working relationships with people from

different backgrounds including different departments

within Babcock, the ACA, BAE Systems and some

subcontractors. Throughout this I have been

supported by a great team and would like to thank

them for all their hard work.”

Keith Baxter, QEC Manufacturing Project Manager,

paid tribute to workers who completed the sponsons

of the ship on time and within budget. He said: “There

have been a multitude of teams from all disciplines

integrated on the programme from day one, creating

a one team ethos. This has included Apprentices,

Welders, Platers, Pipe Fitters, Project Engineers,

Planners, Quality Inspectors, Material Handlers,

Supervisors and Site Support provided from our MSC

partners and the Aircraft Carrier Alliance.

“It has been a true team effort to build these sections

of the carriers, outfit them with services and

equipment and have them delivered to the correct

standards of quality and to schedule. It has been

fantastic that we have been able to finish with pride

and make such an important contribution to the QE

Class programme.”

Issued by ACA Communications. To submit an item for inclusion in please email : aircraftcarrieralliance@baesystems.com

PWLS gets her long

range radar

Under an unusually bright blue sky and with HMS

Queen Elizabeth in the background, the Long Range

Radar (LRR) was successfully lifted onto Prince Of

Wales earlier this month. This powerful radar with a

range of 400km now tops out the forward island,

marking the completion of a significant event in build

of the ship.

The long range radar is one of only a few Mission

Systems equipment large enough to warrant the use

of the Goliath crane. Therefor close cooperation was

required and achieved between heavy lift, the UB07

production team, mission systems and the long range

radar supplier team from BAE Systems (Chelmsford)

and Thales Netherlands.

The Royal Navy’s future flagship aircraft carriers,

HMS QUEEN ELIZAEBTH and HMS PRINCE OF

WALES, will welcome the F35B Lightening II fast jets

on Friday 1 July. The jets will conduct the first flypast

over Rosyth Dockyard at 1400.

The F35B, a fifth generation stealth jet, will form the

teeth of the UK’s carrier strike force for decades to

come. These are the first aircraft in aviation history to

be supersonic, have radar-evading stealth

characteristics and to operate as a Short Take Off

Vertical Landing (STOVL) airframe.

The jets will conduct two flights past the aircraft

carriers in quick succession. These are planned to

take place at 1400 on Friday 1 July so make sure you

keep a look out.

Keep your eye on the

sky and spot the F35

Issued by ACA Communications. To submit an item for inclusion in please email : aircraftcarrieralliance@baesystems.com

HMS PRINCE OF WALES has reached a major

milestone in her programme with the arrival of her

first dedicated Senior Naval Officer, Captain Ian

Groom MBE, on 23 May 2016.

On joining the ship, and taking over the reins from

Captain Simon Petitt, Captain Groom said: “It is a true

honour to have been selected for this role. Today

marks a proud moment in my naval career as I

assume responsibility for the rapidly growing Ship’s

Company of HMS PRINCE OF WALES. I am

delighted to join at such an exciting time and be part

of such a professional and dedicated team.”

As the title of Senior Naval Officer suggests, Captain

Groom is the Royal Navy’s man in charge of the

construction phase for HMS Prince of Wales. In a

role akin to that of ‘commanding officer’ of the ship as

she develops through her build in Rosyth, Captain

Groom is responsible for leading the Ship’s Company

as they learn about the ship and understand how they

will operate her in the not too distant future.

Talking about his Ship’s Company, Captain Groom

said: “My team’s role is to work alongside the Aircraft

Carrier Alliance to help commission the ship and, just

as importantly, work closely with the Ship’s Company

of HMS Queen Elizabeth to draw on their experience

and learn from them first hand; together we will

develop and hone the capability of these great ships.”

First Captain Joins HMS PRINCE OF WAES

A Mariner Engineer by trade, Captain Groom joined the

Royal Navy in 1986. He has enjoyed a prestigious and

varied career thus far encompassing both Sea and Shore

appointments, which began with initial training at Britannia

Royal Naval College and includes HMS Birmingham, HMS

Nottingham and HMS Bulwark. Prior to being selected to

join HMS Prince of Wales, Captain Groom served as the

lead Marine Engineering Officer for policy in the Royal

Navy in his role as Fleet Marine Engineer Officer in Navy

Command Headquarters.

With his vast experience from almost three decades in the

Royal Navy, and as a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of

the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and

Technology, he is looking forward to the taking on the

challenge, whilst reaping the rewards, of generating HMS

Prince of Wales Ship’s Company through the build stage.

Issued by ACA Communications. To submit an item for inclusion in please email : aircraftcarrieralliance@baesystems.com

HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH moved one step closer to

entering service as the largest warship ever built for

the Royal Navy when the Power & Propulsion Sub-

Alliance and Aircraft Carrier Alliance Commissioning

Team, successfully completed an important test as

part of the Power & Propulsion Integration Trials.

Jim Bennett, Thales’s Power and Propulsion (P&P)

Sub-Alliance Director for the QE Class of aircraft

carriers, said: “I want to thank everyone in my team

and also the HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH Power &

Propulsion Commissioning Team for their hard work in

making this happen.”

In March, HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH achieved a

significant milestone when her two gas turbine

generators and four diesel generators were operated

together for the first time, generating up to 31

MegaWatts of electricity (MWe) – enough to run more

than 6,000 homes, using the power to drive both

propeller shafts.

Fortunately, the ship’s propellers aren’t fitted yet or

she would have left her basin in Rosyth dockyard and

been at sea without her Royal Navy crew. Instead,

brake blades were fitted to each propeller hub so that

the water in the basin, along with load banks on the

jetty, absorbed all the generated power without

producing any movement from the 65,000-tonne ship.

However, the amount of power that could be put

through each shaft in the basin had to be limited to

20MW, about 50% of their maximum. Once fully online

and at sea, HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH will be able to

generate a total of 109 MWe, enough electricity to

power a small town.

The electricity that the ship can generate will be used

to run two propulsion motors on each shaft at 11,000

Volts. Electricity will also be transformed down to

much lower, domestic, voltages to power the ship’s

mission systems, aircraft and hotel services.

Once the basin trials are completed, divers will work

underwater to replace the brake blades with the ship’s

propellers ready for the sea trials, due next spring and

then eventual handover to the Royal Navy.

Power & Propulsion

Integration Trials

drive programme

forward

It was a momentous occasion for the mission systems

team as the masthead of HMS Queen Elizabeth was

pivoted forward for the first time during its testing phase

last week.

The mast, 56m above the keel, is designed to pivot

forward in order for the ship to be able to travel under

bridges, such as the three Forth Estuary crossings. “The

mast is home to antennae for communications systems

which are a pivotal part of navigation and flight safety, so

a solution had to be engineered to raise the Mast once

the ship has transited safely underneath,” said Jon

Pearson, HMS Queen Elizabeth Delivery Director.

On its own, the pole mast is 19 metres (62ft) tall. The

lower half is home to navigational lighting, while the upper

part houses numerous radio and communications

antennae. The mast sits on a steel cartridge which

houses two hydraulic cylinders and a hydraulic system

which lower the structure to an angle of 77˚, before

raising it back in place once through.

Masthead on HMS

QUEEN ELIZABETH

tested

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Issued by ACA Communications. To submit an item for inclusion in please email : aircraftcarrieralliance@baesystems.com

Schoolchildren show off engineering talent

Young, budding engineers from across Fife showed

off their skills during a recent visit to the Rosyth site.

More than 70 pupils from 34 primary schools took part

in the Primary Engineer East Coast of Scotland

Regional Final.

It took place in Building 95 west on Tuesday (7 June)

and was the culmination of months of hard work by

the creative children in schools across Fife, Edinburgh

and Falkirk.

The competition was split into four categories, which

were determined by the pupils’ ages. The categories

had a common theme of designing and developing a

small vehicle, which was undertaken as part of the

school curriculum. Some of the requirements included

safety mechanisms, motors and the ability to travel in

a straight line.

On the day, the judging process was in two parts:

• A group of judges, including Babcock directors,

senior managers and graduates, had short

conversations with the teams to find out various

aspects of the design and build, and marked

accordingly

• All teams demonstrated their cars in a performance

test area, where the designated length of travel and

speed of the car was noted against criteria, and then

scored

The winners were presented with a trophy by Ian

Donnelly, Managing Director, Energy and Marine

Services, Babcock International.

Ian said: “It was

fantastic to see

the

enthusiasm

of the

children, who

had clearly

spent a lot of

time on their

colourful creations.

“I’m sure there are a few engineers of the future

amongst them, and I’d like to congratulate all the

pupils on their superb efforts.”

“It was fantastic to see the

enthusiasm of the children,

who had clearly spent a lot

of time on their colourful

creations.” Ian Donnelly,

Managing Director, Energy

and Marine Services,

Babcock International.