Defence Online

£100M jetty upgrade completed by MOD

Maritime March 22, 2017

A £100M project to ready a historic jetty at HM Naval Dockyard Portsmouth for the arrival of the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy has been completed.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal officially named the jetty this Monday. The Princess unveiled a plaque at the base officially naming the vast berth as The Princess Royal Jetty.

Formerly known as Middle Slip Jetty, the berth has been upgraded and strengthened to support the carriers as part of a raft of infrastructure upgrades taking place ahead of the arrival of the first ship – HMS Queen Elizabeth – later this year.

The Ministry of Defence has refurbished the jetty to prepare for the first of the Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers. This is in addition to the dredging of the approach channel, inner harbour area and berth in order to make them deep and wide enough for the new ships, moving three million cubic metres of clay, sand and gravel from an area the size of 200 football pitches.

Bespoke navigational lights, a high-voltage electrical supply and specialist carrier-specific gangways known as ‘brows’ are also being provided as part of the huge programme of works.

The Naval Base’s preparations for the arrival of the QEC aircraft carriers are centred on a programme of Familiarisation, Integration and Testing (FIT). This has been designed by BAE Systems on behalf of the Portsmouth Naval Base Commander and Naval Base staff to prepare equipment, personnel and processes for the arrival of the ships. They provide a means to practise and refine standard operating procedures designed for the QEC and to role-play emergency scenarios.

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has worked with VolkerStevin and BAE Systems to deliver the package of infrastructure works needed for the carriers.

DIO Project Manager Philip Wise said: “I am delighted that the works to the jetty are completed. It is a crucial element of the £100 million infrastructure package being delivered to support the arrival of the carriers into their homeport of Portsmouth. We are looking forward to seeing the first of the ships berthing against the new and improved jetty later this year.”

David Mitchard, Managing Director, BAE Systems Maritime Services, commented: “In readiness for the arrival of HMS Queen Elizabeth our team at BAE Systems in Portsmouth has put in place a rigorous testing programme for the new infrastructure at the Naval Base. We have a long expertise in maritime support and servicing and are committed to delivering the most innovative and cost-effective solutions to the Royal Navy for these remarkable ships.”

Minister for Defence Procurement, Harriett Baldwin, said: “The work on The Princess Royal Jetty is a fantastic example of how we are investing in the future of the Royal Navy and is the culmination of £100m of infrastructure upgrades in Portsmouth in preparation for our two new aircraft carriers.

“The Queen Elizabeth class carriers, together with our F-35 jets will transform our ability to project power around the world.”

Last week, the giant American supply ship USNS Robert E Peary tested the strength of the new jetty by coming alongside in Portsmouth. The US ship, which despite its mammoth size is still 200ft shorter than the Queen Elizabeth carriers, was the first vessel to use the jetty since its completion.

Images: © Crown Copyright

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BAE Systems DIO HMS Queen Elizabeth Portsmouth Naval Base QEC The Princess Royal Jetty USNS Robert E Peary VolkerStevin

Post written by: Vicky Maggiani

Vicky has worked in media for over 20 years and has a wealth of experience in editing and creating copy for a variety of sectors.