RN Aircraft Carriers: HMS Queen Elizabeth

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Navy Lookout
HMS QNLZ departure from Portsmouth this evening has been postponed due to high winds.
Please note: the aircraft carriers could be sailed from Portsmouth in high winds if really needed.
However, it is pointless taking unnecessary risk (even if quite small) when there is no urgent reason to sail (HMS Queen Elizabeth is heading for maintenance in Scotland).

Current info is that she is due to sail around now.

R08 HMS Queen Elizabeth departed her Portsmouth homeport at lunchtime today heading for Babcock's Rosyth dockyard for repairs to her starboard propeller shaft bearing.
The weather was wet and cold so not the best for photography today!
It is understood R08 will visit the Armaments Depot at Glen Mallan first to offload ammunition prior to then heading for Rosyth.
The RN previously stated that the carrier may stay at Rosyth for up to 2 months or more depending on the depth of repair to the bearing and shaft coupling required. This will become more apparent once the ship is dry and deeper inspections are completed at Rosyth. This is not an identical issue to that which befell R09 in 2022 and took nearly a year to resolve and repair.
The RN's intention is to return the ship to ops as the UK's High Readiness carrier as soon as possible - hopefully by late Spring 24.
R.A. Simpson.

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Edinburgh locals to get a glimpse of mega warship as it sails down the Forth

HMS Queen Elizabeth has officially set sail for Rosyth after pulling out of a NATO exercise last month following a routine inspection of the vessel that revealed problems.

See - https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/ed ... p-28757226 - LFT

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https://twitter.com/i/status/1765764024279724179 - HMS QNLZ heading up the Clyde this afternoon on her way to Glen Mallan to offload munitions.

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Navy Lookout
Mess deck fire in the early hours of this morning.
The MoD said:
There fire was quickly brought under control. No reported injuries and no ordnance was involved in the incident.
RN is working with Scottish Fire & Rescue to establish the cause of the fire.

Navy Lookout
BREAKING
There was a fire on board HMS Queen Elizabeth today. She is currently alongside at Glen Mallan.
Few details are available other than no fatalities.

Navy Lookout
Mainstream media have lost their minds about UK Def Journal report of fire onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth yesterday.
Minor shipboard fires are not uncommon.
All sailors are trained in fire-fighting and in this instance appear to have responded quickly and extinguished fire with no injuries.
Involvement of local civilian fire brigade is also standard procedure.

British aircraft carrier suffers fire, no fatalities
HMS Queen Elizabeth, currently docked at Glenmallan in Scotland has suffered a “minor fire”.
It is understood that there were no reported injuries, and no ordnance was involved in the incident.
See - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/british ... atalities/

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SMALL MESS DECK FIRE REPORTED ON R08 EARLIER TODAY
(09/03/24)
The RN confirmed earlier today that there had been a (small) and contained fire on one of HMS Queen Elizabeth's Mess decks. The carrier arrived yesterday at Glen Mallan Armaments Depot to offload all her ammunition prior to proceeding to Rosyth dry dock for starboard shaft coupling repairs.
No one was injured and the fire was extinguished quickly.
Here is the Offical RN Statement:
“A minor, isolated fire on HMS Queen Elizabeth was quickly brought under control and extinguished.” We take the health and safety of our Service Personnel extremely seriously and we are working with Scottish Fire and Rescue to establish the cause of the fire. The aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is en-route to Rosyth in Scotland so any necessary repairs can be carried out on her starboard propeller shaft coupling. There are no reported injuries and no ordnance was involved in the incident.

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Navy Lookout
The Sun has published some more details of messdeck fire on board HMSQNLZ around 2300 last Friday.
Incident declared over at 0430 on Saturday. Started in air conditioning unit causing some heat, smoke and water damage to accomodation areas.
Article ruined by silly phrases like "horror fire" and "cursed carrier".
NOTE: The incident will not impact the ship's programme.
She still is alongside at Glen Mallan but due in Rosyth for maintenance shortly.
See - https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/26728397/ ... e-sailors/

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HMSQNLZ still at anchor in the Forth yesterday evening awaiting tidal window to enter Rosyth.
https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/ ... 58/photo/1

A wholeship effort getting the ship into dry dock.
https://twitter.com/Intrepid_Sailor/sta ... 68/photo/1

Birthplace of HMSQNLZ - number 1 drydock Babcock plc Rosyth.
Ready to receive the carrier for the second time since she first sailed in 2017.
https://twitter.com/Intrepid_Sailor/sta ... 77/photo/1

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R08 HMS Queen Elizabeth pictured now in the Babcock Rosyth Carrier Dry Dock awaiting the seawater to be pumped out and the start of her starboard shaft coupling and bearing repair.
R08 is expected to be at Rosyth for around 2 months if everything goes to plan with the repair.

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Carrier has ‘no permanent damage’ after fire

It has been confirmed that no permanent damage was caused to HMS Queen Elizabeth after a recent fire.
Earlier this year, we broke the news that a fire broke out onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth whilst the vessel was unloading ammunition at Glenmallan in Scotland.

The information came to light via a response to a Written Parliamentary Question.

Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) – Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) asked:

“To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the (a) damage caused and (b) injuries sustained by staff working on the HMS Queen Elizabeth as a result of the fire on 8 March 2024.”

James Heappey, until very recently Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces), responded:

“I can confirm that no injuries were sustained by staff working on the HMS Queen Elizabeth as a result of the fire on 8 March 2024. There was also no permanent damage caused and the fire will have no impact on HMS Queen Elizabeth’s current programme. An investigation is underway to establish the cause of the fire and this will seek to identify any appropriate lessons that can be implemented in future instances of this nature.”

Source UKDJ

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Navy Lookout
The fire on HMS QNLZ was more serious than typical and erupted Friday 8th March late in the evening when most of the ship's company was relaxing.
Sailors mustered in the hangar and fire-fighting parties eventually put out the blaze.
Some sailors lost all their kit and possessions.
The fire in the accommodation areas affected 2 decks and 3 sections and is believed to have started in an air conditioning unit.
The incident is subject to an ongoing investigation.
3 Photos https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/ ... 8158036461

Also https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland- ... 08%20March

HMS QNLZ is now in dry dock at Rosyth.
The focus of the activity (a few weeks only) is to repair the starboard shaft coupling that suffered corrosion after the covering seal detached.
The ship will return to Portsmouth where fire damage will likely be remedied quite easily.
She will remain the Fleet Flagship until she hands over to HMSPWLS at the end of the year.
She will then head to Rosyth again in the first quarter of 2025 for hull certification work which will take a few months.

The RN has averaged about 23 shipboard fires per year since 2020.
This may sound alarming but is normal - fires on ships are a perpetual hazard.
These numbers are mostly very minor incidents that were over in minutes.
All sailors are trained in fire-fighting and ships in routine maintain a duty watch at all times ready to respond.

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?i ... #g19466.q0