HMS Queen Elizabeth - the latest

From the BBC Website.

Queen Elizabeth carrier section due to arrive at Rosyth

The largest section of the UK's first Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier will arrive at Rosyth later.

The 8,000-tonne mid-section of hull was lowered on to a sea-going barge at Govan two weeks ago.

It left the BAE Systems shipyard on the Clyde on Tuesday 16th August 2011 to make the 600-mile (965km) journey to Rosyth.

It will be manoeuvred into position like the first piece of a giant jigsaw as the 65,000-tonne ship is assembled. Parts have been built at six UK yards.

When assembly is completed, HMS Queen Elizabeth will be a 280m (919ft) long carrier capable of deploying up to 40 Lockheed Martin F-35 aircraft.

The ship will not be finished until 2016 at the earliest, and may not be ready for active service until 2020.

The carrier project is one of the largest defence orders placed in the UK, with a price tag of £5bn.

About 10,000 workers have been employed around Britain to work on the carriers, with a further 25,000 building components for the F-35 aircraft.

Work on the Queen Elizabeth's sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, has already started at Govan.