DEFENCE MP TO MAKE FIRST CUT AT A&P TYNE

A DEFENCE boss will tomorrow cut the first piece of steel on a flagship double aircraft carrier contract at South Tyneside yard, writes The Shields Gazette.

Quentin Davies MP, the Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, will officially launch the build of the largest section of HMS Queen Elizabeth, the first of the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers, at A&P Tyne, Hebburn.

The £55m contract will safeguard more than 200 jobs at the Hebburn facility for the next four years.

Mr Davies will cut the first piece of steel which, when complete, will cover four acres.

Workers at the Hebburn yard will create a block which will eventually weigh around 3,000 tonnes.

The minister will be joined by senior members of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA), plus Captain John Clink, Commanding Officer of HMS Ark Royal, which is currently visiting the Tyne, along with junior crew members.

A&P Tyne, which boasts the largest dock on the east coast of England, including two deep water berths, is part of the ACA, a project team formed by Babcock, BAE Systems, Thales UK and the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The alliance is responsible for delivering the two aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, on time and to budget.

Five UK yards, including A&P Tyne, are involved in the landmark £4bn defence contract.

The Hebburn facility can handle work from simple ship repairs to highly complex ship conversions, including cruise ships and floating production storage and offloading vessels.

Staff at Imtech Marine & Offshore Ltd, based at Monkton Business Park, Hebburn, are sharing in the defence contract bonanza by supplying climate control technology for the carriers.

Earlier this month, Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth pledged continued Government support for the dual carrier contract, after fears the project could be hit by an MoD cash squeeze.

This article is reproduced from www.shieldsgazette.com. Click here to read the original article published on 24th February 2010.