Get all the latest news and join the
conversation on our twitter feed!
@QEClassCarriers @HMSQnlz
@HMSPWLS
April
2017
QE Class
FIT Programme
delivers early results
Preparations for the
arrival of the Queen
Elizabeth Class aircraft
carriers into Portsmouth
ramped up last month
with the start of Phase 2
of ‘FIT’ trials.
and caged pallets on and off
the ship using various types
of mobile lifting equipment.
The Familiarisation, Integration,
Testing and Training (FIT)
programme aims to make sure
that when the first of the Navy’s
Queen Elizabeth carriers arrives,
our equipment, personnel and
procedures all work in a slick,
seamless and efficient manner.
The Naval Base security team
has been using the opportunity
to check their procedures and
our Emergency Response Team
has been holding casualty
evacuation exercises in
conjunction with Hampshire
Fire and Rescue services.
The FIT methodology was
originally used at Heathrow
Airport to ensure the opening of
Terminal 2 was without any of the
teething problems experienced
when Terminal 5 opened.
The FIT programme has
already yielded many valuable
insights for the teams that have
participated, not least of all,
the timings taken for various
activities on which future
estimates will be based.
Phase 2 of the QE Class FIT
programme has been centred
on the use of a scaffold replica
of parts of HMS Queen Elizabeth
in the North Corner of the Naval
Base, and nicknamed by staff as
‘HMS Mock-up’. The structure
replicates one of the carrier’s
huge aircraft lifts and various
brow attachment points.
Many different teams within
the Naval Base have taken part
in these valuable exercises.
Testing has included moving
and attaching both large and
small brows (gangways) at
various tidal heights, safely and
efficiently craning 20ft containers
The teams have also been taking
timings of mass people flows
both on and off of the ship with
the overall aim of making sure
that delays are minimised.
A good example of a FIT benefit
is that the vehicle originally
designated to manoeuvre the
brows into position had slick
tyres, which proved problematic
in terms of having enough
traction when the concrete
surface was wet. As a result
an alternative vehicle was
tested and found to be far
more suitable for the task.
There will be at least two further
FIT phases over the coming
months, so by the time the first
of the two new carrier arrives,
the teams here at Portsmouth
Naval Base will be fully prepared.
2
Aircraft Carrier Alliance News
He’s only
gone and
won it!
Diversity
Page 4
- blog by Ian Booth
Deadweight
survey and
incline
experiment Page 8
The Aircraft Carrier
programme continues
to drive forward at
pace and in the last
few weeks, we’ve seen
the further testing of
systems and software.
These will provide the critical
safety, mission and platform
operational capability for
HMS Queen Elizabeth when
she takes to the water under
her own power this summer.
HMS Prince of
Wales Mission
Systems Latest
News Page 10
The Aft End
Bullet Tom Bird Page 11
The Ship’s company is already
working and eating on board
full time and we’re focussed on
completing this final stage of
shore-side testing and finalising
all of the required activities for
them to start living on board in
advance of her maiden sea trials.
A key milestone in the route to
the ship’s staff living on board
was the recent successful first
testing of the Inergen System,
a key part in the ship’s fixed
firefighting arrangements. The
effort and performance of the
team delivering this incredibly
complex programme is no more
essential now in this phase
of the programme than ever
before, but with the eyes of
the Nation upon us and our
Customers eagerly anticipating
the delivery of the ship by the
end of the year, the programme
for HMS Queen Elizabeth is
never more critical and reliant
on the diverse skills, experience
and expertise of the team.
In my last blog I talked about
collaboration and the strength
we find when we pool our
collective knowledge to achieve
our goals. Our achievements are
a result of our people bringing
their individual talents to the
table, solving challenges and
delivering on our commitments
to our customers, and it’s
essential that we continue to
foster an inclusive working
environment where individuals
all play a valuable part in
achieving our shared success.
To me, diversity is about more
than simply metricating our
organisation or considering
the gender, ethnicity or sexual
orientation of the people
we work with. It’s about
harnessing the collective
strength of experience,
skills, talent, perspectives
and culture that each person
brings to our organisation.
Occasions like our Alliance
Leadership Conference, which
we held last week, are great
for reinforcing the value that
this mix of experiences offers.
Bringing together our most
senior colleagues from across
the programme, we really
were able to share thoughts,
challenges and opportunities
to ultimately strengthen the
way we lead the programme in
the coming weeks and months.
We focused on shared goals
and creating the environment
where our employees continue
to be inspired by delivering the
Nation’s Flagships and excited
and motivated that together
we’ll play a critical part in
shaping in the ‘Year of the
Navy’ and strengthening the
UK defence capability beyond.
In the last month, we have also
hosted senior stakeholders,
including the Secretary of State
for Defence, the First Sea Lord
and the Chief of the Air Staff.
Each of our guests recognise
that what we’re doing on this
programme is unprecedented in
both scale and complexity, but
have left Rosyth with a sense of
just how HMS Queen Elizabeth
is coming to life, and how HMS
Prince of Wales, following only
two-years behind her sister ship,
is progressing well into her outfit
phase. In the coming weeks
she’ll achieve one of her key
milestones when the Artisan 3D
Radar is installed onto the ship –
another defining moment in her
forming her iconic shape. The
radar will be the Royal Navy’s
main medium range surveillance
and target designation radar
for surface ships. The lessons
being learned from HMS Queen
Elizabeth are being captured
and built into our plans and the
approach we’re taking on
HMS Prince of Wales. Our guests
have been impressed with how
our teams are transferring
knowledge between the two
ships thanks to the committed
and talented people we employ
across the programme, both in
Rosyth and across the UK and
in our wider supply chain.
In the coming weeks we’ll be
launching a refreshed ACA
website, with specific micro-sites
for each of the ships hosting
new images and videos from the
recent weeks and months. Look
out for this and don’t forget that
you can continue to follow us
on Twitter @QEClassCarriers.
Ian
Get all the latest
news and gossip on
our twitter feed!
@HMSPWLS
@QEClassCarriers
@HMSQnlz
3
Aircraft Carrier Alliance News
A tasty sum indeed! Gillian Forsyth handing
Jim McKellar, Chairman of
Seagull Trust Cruises, Falkirk
Branch, a cheque for £20,000.
Aircraft Carrier Alliance
delivers a sweet result for
Seagull Trust Cruises Charity
In three short years,
workers at the Aircraft
Carrier Alliance
have raised £20,000
to help a charity in
Clackmannanshire.
Gillian Forsyth has been
carrying out her day job as
a Materials Supply Planning
Lead while helping lead the
programme’s charitable and
fundraising activity. Gillian has
been involved in a variety of
fundraising activities during her
eight years with the Aircraft
Carrier Alliance including two
cycling challenges; one following
an aircraft carrier block from
it’s build hall in Govan to the
construction site in Rosyth,
and the other following a block
from Portsmouth to Rosyth.
As part of her charitable efforts
Gillian set up a tuck shop in
Building 102, Rosyth to provide
tasty treats for her colleagues
while raising much needed
funds for Seagull Trust Cruises,
a charity which runs free
cruises on Scotland’s canals for
people with special needs.
hard work and commitment as
well her colleague’s appetites.
On average this has equated to
49,000 chocolate bars, 20,000
bags of crisps, 30,000 cans of
juice and 300 ice creams! Gillian
has her regular customers;
“Drifter man”, “Mr Topic” and
“Mr McCoy” who has to have
his daily supply of Ready Salted
(no other flavour will do) Crisps.
“Bad boy” is also a regular.
His name relates a flavour of
pot noodle (of course!).
Gillian spends a considerable
amount of her own time,
along with Mission Systems
co-worker Brian Glennie,
during the weekends collecting
provisions for the tuck shop.
Gillian presented the cheque
for £20,000 to Seagull Trust
Cruises at their AGM on Saturday
4 March. Gillian said: “The
response has been incredible
and I’d like to thank everyone
who has contributed their money
as well as their appetite to the
cause. I’m overwhelmed by the
generosity of my colleagues and
the support I have received to
achieve this amazing target.”
The £20,000 cheque donated is
the largest single donation to a
charity made by those in Building
102 and represents Gillian’s
“I have seen first-hand the
difference our donation can
make and being a Falkirk girl
I have been able to visit the
team and wave at passing
barges along the canal.”
“Charitable work has become
a way of life for me, whether
it’s organising a fundraising
event or devoting time to
help with projects. Meeting
the people who benefit from
donations, no matter how
small or large, and seeing the
difference we can make to
those who are less fortunate
makes it all worthwhile.”
Jim McKellar of Seagull Trust
Cruises said: “We would like to
thank Gillian and her colleagues
at the Aircraft Carrier Alliance
for this incredible donation, and
for their continued support.
Gillian has helped raise a
substantial amount of money
and has dedicated a significant
amount of her own time to
raising much needed funds
for Seagull Trust Cruises. Her
commitment to helping the
cause means our volunteers
can continue to support
people with special needs.”
4
Aircraft Carrier Alliance News
He’s only gone and won it!
Mission System’s Brian Onyiuke wins BBC’s
‘Special Forces: Ultimate Hell Week’ programme
In last month’s Carrier
Waves we shared the
news that Combat
Systems’ Brian Onyiuke
was participating in
BBC’s ‘Special Forces:
Ultimate Hell Week’
programme. The
programme came to
an end on Sunday
5 March with Brian
being named as the
winner of the show!
It’s been almost a year since
I returned from South Africa
and I still can’t seem to shake
off the great sense of pride I
have in my accomplishment.
There is no greater feeling
than having all your hard work
rewarded especially when you
pour your heart and soul into
it. I honestly didn’t think I’d
win it as I was up against some
really impressive people with
serious credentials. My only
aim was to do my best in every
challenge - to learn, adapt and
push myself to complete each
task, and hope it was enough to
see me through...and it was!
Brian was competing against
20 others and was subjected to
gruelling challenges from of six
of the world’s toughest special
forces teams, including US Army
Special Forces and France’s
GIGN, the elite law enforcement
and special ops team of the
French National Guard.
“I have taken away a great
deal from the experience.
From invaluable lessons on
self-discipline, integrity,
team work and leadership to
indispensable life skills such as
bush craft, survival, map reading,
navigation /orienteering and
weapons handling. I’ve also
come out of the process with a
greater sense of self, a renewed
perspective of what the human
mind and body is capable of in
the most extreme circumstances,
We caught up with Brian and
asked him how it felt to be
named as the winner of the
show. “The feeling is immense!
and an overwhelming boost
in confidence in my ability
to overcome any challenge
I face in life, no matter how
daunting. I am living proof that
anyone, no matter who they
are or what difficulties they
face, can achieve anything
they set their hearts on if they
believe in themselves and work
tirelessly towards their goals.
“This year I aim to combine my
love for adventure with fund
raising for charitable causes. It
all kicks off in April when I aim
to complete the Isle of Wight
Coastal Path Walk, a 63 mile trek
round the island, in as little as
3 days. In June it’s all about the
National Three Peaks challenge
which involves climbing the
three highest peaks in England,
Wales and Scotland, all within
24 hours. And finally, I’m off
to Tanzania in August where I
aim to complete a 10 day hike
via the Machame route to the
summit of Mount Kilimanjaro
and back down again.”
5
Aircraft Carrier Alliance News
ITI
RE
The ACA
Recognition
Scheme
CO
ON
A
C
A
GN
Give credit where credit is due.
Do you work with
someone who does that
little bit more than
they need to? Someone
who is always there to
lend a helping hand?
You can recognise
people for their efforts
through the ACA
Recognition Scheme.
The recognition scheme is
for everyone working on the
ACA Programme, regardless
of which company you work
for or what uniform you wear.
From Planning to Production,
all can be recognised and that
includes members of the Ship’s
Companies on both ships. All
that’s required is the completion
of a short recognition submission
form and the recognition
committee, consisting of people
from across all companies on
the ACA Programme, including
Trade Union representation, will
review submissions every month.
Shown below are the categories
of recognition that make up the
ACA Values of ‘how we work’.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Health and Safety
Quality
Delivery
Collaborative Working
Ownership
Respect and Valuing People
“ People are key to the
delivery of the ships and
everyone’s contribution
matters. We need to value
these contributions and the
ACA recognition scheme
allows us to do this.”
Jon Pearson,
HMS Queen Elizabeth
Programme Director
We all appreciate being
recognised for what we do and
knowing that we add value
to our fellow ACA colleagues,
so remember to give credit
where credit is due and
nominate a person or team
for their efforts through the
ACA recognition scheme.
HMS Queen Elizabeth
• J Berth Amenities & Workshop
• K Berth Amenities & Workshop
• Building 102
• Building 1035
• Building 2022
• Building 2024
HMS Prince of Wales
“
We will support, value
and reward colleagues who
deliver above expectations.”
Neil Holm,
HMS Prince of Wales
Programme Director
• PWLS Hangar Deck Store and Key Hub
• In compartment 5RX0
• Outside compartment 5KD2
• Stairwells of Buildings 101,
392N & S
• 392 North & South Amenities
• Yorkon Amenities
• Building 101
Recognition scheme submission
forms can be found in the
following locations.
You can also make nominations
via email to programmeaim@
babcockinternational.com
6
Aircraft Carrier Alliance News
Leadership Spotlight
- Neil Holm, HMS Prince of Wales Programme Director
On 13 February,
Neil Holm became
the new HMS Prince
of Wales Programme
Director with Angus
Holt returning to the
Clyde and re-joining
BAE’s Naval Ships in
a new role as Business
Improvement Director.
Neil has moved from his previous
role as Head of Programme on
HMS Queen Elizabeth, where
he was responsible for the
overall programme management
and operational delivery. Neil
was also responsible for the
aircraft carrier’s Programme
Management organisation
and was deputy to the
Ship Delivery Director.
In previous roles, Neil managed
the quad-nation contract for the
delivery of Typhoon aircraft to
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for
Eurofighter GmbH in Munich.
Prior to this he managed the
first flight and delivery of the
Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche
2 development aircraft.
We spoke to Neil to learn more
about his previous role on HMS
Queen Elizabeth and his plans
and view on his new role.
“There were some real challenges
in how we drove the HMS
Queen Elizabeth programme
forward as an integrated team.
I am massively proud of how
we managed to achieve that
as a team. I am still
100% committed to
supporting the HMS
Queen Elizabeth team
on successful Sea
Trials and vessel
acceptance by the
Royal Navy and
think there are
many lessons
we can bring
through
to HMS
Prince of
Wales.”
“The ability to understand
how we move from volume
outfit and undocking into the
next phase of the programme
is vital. Focus will be given to
systems and area completion
which will enable both the
commissioning programme and
the compartment completion
and handover programme.
The experiences, tools and
techniques we created on HMS
Queen Elizabeth will be applied
and developed to ensure we
deliver an outstanding ship which
improves on what we achieved
on HMS Queen Elizabeth, relative
to schedule, cost and quality.
“A big year lies ahead for
HMS Prince of Wales. My first
impression is that the team has
made really great progress. The
improvements made on quality
standards, care and protection of
work completed and cleanliness
are very good. I believe that the
people working on HMS Prince of
Wales and the way in which they
work are really good. We will have
to fully utilise everyone’s abilities
and bring across significant
Learning from Experience from
HMS Queen Elizabeth and
potentially from outside the
programme, to achieve the
schedule and cost challenges the
programme faces. This starts
with flood up later this year,
which Tom Niven and his team
are driving hard to achieve. This is
a key enabler for us. Completing
all the work on the shaft line
and the motors will allow us to
drive forward with the Power &
Propulsion schedule, one of the
critical areas of the programme.
“With such a capable team
in place, I have no doubt we
can achieve our targets but it
will require everyone working
together as one team, delivering
one plan. What we’re delivering
is incredibly complex incredibly
significant for the Nation.
We’ll need all of our good
people working together to
achieve it, and firmly believe
we will achieve our goals.”
7
HMS Queen Elizabeth News
Mobile working takes a step
closer on HMS Queen Elizabeth
HMS Queen Elizabeth
is a vast ship with 3,013
compartments, to ensure
maintenance is carried out
efficiently, it is vital that Wi-Fi
can be enabled so the SAVVI
app is fully functional.
Accessing Wi-Fi on-board the
ship will mean that Operations
teams can email, call or text
their team leader or planner as
and when they need to, helping
deliver operational effectiveness
and enhanced productivity.
The adoption of mobile
technology into our
daily way of working
is vital in remaining
competitive and
providing efficient
support to the QE
Class Carriers.
Known as Mobile Working,
mobile technology has been
developed to ensure In Serivce
Support to HMS Queen Elizabeth
is not just faster but more
accurate.
using the technology from
on-board HMS Dauntless.”
Simon Hunt, Head of Information
Knowledge Management for
BAE Systems said: “As part of
our Mobile Working programme,
we have been trialling a LAN
over Power technology on
HMS Dauntless as a means
of proving connectivity
throughout a ship the size of
a QE Class aircraft carrier.
Installing Wi-Fi on-board
following the delivery of
HMS Queen Elizabeth to
Portsmouth means that Mobile
Working can be enabled. This
will provide support operations
teams with smartphones, which
will utilise a secure mobile
service. On each smart phone
a work order app, Ships and
Various Vessel Information
(SAVVI), will provide our
teams with live data on all
assigned work orders.
Last year, our Project Manager,
Ian Colvin took part in what
we think is the first Skype call
A key feature of SAVVI is the
ability to review each work order
upon completion with a red or
green rating, alongside a box
to type additional queries or
feedback. BAE Systems Operations
teams will have a ‘digital voice’,
which will feed directly back to
the support team who will use
this data to drive out recurring
issues and drive up efficiency. This
will be achieved by analysing the
results and monitoring wrench
time, thanks to the accurate time
capture feature within the app.
Les Gregory, BAE Systems’
Product and Training Services
Director, explained the next
steps to be taken, “The next
stage of work to integrate
this technology on-board QE
Class is now in progress.
“This is a big step forward,
as we seek to provide more
information based services
to the Royal Navy.”
Sunrise at Rosyth – The Islands of HMS Queen Elizabeth stand out against the morning sky with the current and new Forth Road Bridges behind her.
8
HMS Queen Elizabeth News
The Naval Architect Team. From Left to Right - Mark Way, Alex Headrick, Finlay Robertson, Lindsey Kinsella, Robert Haynes, Nick Brophy, Chris McNair.
Naval architects carry out deadweight
survey and incline experiment
Naval Architects
based in Rosyth will
shortly commence a
deadweight survey of
HMS Queen Elizabeth.
The small team of highly
trained specialists visit every
compartment on the vessel;
over 3000 compartments or
tanks. They will record the
weight and position of every
piece of equipment that is not
part of the lightship condition
and any equipment still to
be fitted. The objective is to
produce an accurate record of
the vessel condition. Due to the
sheer number of compartments,
the activity will take over
three weeks and needs to
account for other production
and commissioning activities
that will also be underway.
conducting a series of controlled
weight movements across the
ship, to and from fixed positions.
This happens on the Flight Deck
with a forklift moving multiple
eight tonne ballast blocks for
each measurement. After each
weight movement, the change
of the vessel’s position in the
water is recorded manually
using a traditional pendulum
arrangement. This information is
needed to determine the ships
metacentre (GM) and then, with
other data, the position of the
ships vertical centre of gravity.
As well as this, the team will
record the draught marks before
and after the trial to ensure any
changes that affect the recording
can be accounted for – which
includes the consumption
of diesel during the trial.
The team will take seawater
density readings at the water
surface as the ship’s draught
can be different in fresh water
compared to salt, due to the
density of the water. In fresh
water a greater volume of water
needs to be displaced due to the
lower density of the water and
thereby the ship sits lower in the
water even though the weight
hasn’t changed. This needs to
be accounted for by the team.
A similar operation was
undertaken at the undocking
of the ship. That deadweight
survey resulted in over 100,000
separate entries. From this
baseline, the condition of the
ship has changed throughout the
last two years due to continued
outfitting and commissioning
of the tanks and systems.
Due to critical safety limits
surrounding the ship trim,
heel and under-keel clearance,
these changes to the ships
condition are monitored on a
daily basis. The Naval Architect
team depends on a close
working relationship with the
production and commissioning
teams and most recently with
the ship’s staff, to understand
and maintain the ship in an
upright condition with adequate
clearance under the keel.
An Incline Experiment will
then take place to determine
the vessels actual weight and
corresponding centre of gravity.
These are key parameters to
determine the vessels stability,
a key measure to allow her
to proceed safely to sea.
The incline experiment itself is a
one day operation which involves
One of the Naval Architect team assessing the material at the Fwd End of HMS Queen Elizabeth’s Hangar Deck
in preparation for the incline experiment.
9
HMS Prince of Wales News
ACA Recognition Spotlight
– HMS Prince of Wales Hoist &
Safety Response Team
The Hoist and Safety
Response (HSR)
Team from HMS
Prince of Wales has
been recognised
through the ACA
Recognition Scheme
against the value of
Health and Safety
Mick Graham, the Health and
Safety Officer on HMS Prince
of Wales, explained why
he nominated the team for
recognition. “The HSR Team
shows good support to all
employees on-board when
issues arise which require
immediate attention. From
covering open penetrations/
cable glands to putting yellow
mushrooms and insulation
caps on pins, the guys always
produce a high level of support.”
We spoke with Tam MacInnes,
one of the team, to ask how he
felt about being recognised and
how he approaches his working
day. “I’m actually quite chuffed.
It’s nice to be recognised and to
feel like I’m making a difference.
Our working day is very reactive.
Every issue we deal with is
different and the way we
need to deal with each often
requires a bespoke solution.
“As a team, we ensure all the
Alimak lifts and Scot Hoists are
operational and safe as this
machinery is vital for getting
equipment and materials onboard the ship. We also deal
with any ‘on the spot’ health
and safety issues reported
to us by our colleagues on
HMS Prince Wales, then
take steps to resolve them
as quickly as possible.
Talking about his biggest
challenge, Tam said “We are
a relatively new team, having
been formed in September
2016, and we have to get
the message out to those
working on HMS Prince of
Wales why we are here and
ensure we keep people safe.
“Making something work that
didn’t previously gives me
the most satisfaction. I really
Stacy Gager
promoted to WO1
enjoy problem solving. In my
spare time I work a lot on old
engines and I just love making
broken ones work again.
“For example, I really enjoyed
sorting out an earth cable
issue we had on HMS Queen
Elizabeth. Earth cables were
being run from the dockside to
the ship but kept burning out. I
built an earthed plate at the side
of the dog kennels, from which
CPO Stacy Gager was
promoted to the rank
of Warrant Officer 1 in
February. He joined the
RN in November 1993
as an aircraft handler
and has served on
HMS Fearless (twice),
HMS Ocean, HMS
Illustrious (three times)
and HMS Ark Royal.
Up until 2012, when not at
sea, Stacy worked at RNAS
Yeovilton’s Fire Station, being
employed from fire fighter
to watch manager, as well as
the Fire Training Manager.
In 2013 he was a part of the
first Air Handler Tranche to
go on the Long Lead Specialist
I ran the earth cables onto the
ship which solved the problem.
“I would like to thank everyone
working on HMS Prince of Wales
for coming forward with their
safety concerns so we can get
them resolved. Please keep
these coming. Thanks also to
Mick Graham for recognising
us and to Tom Niven for getting
the HSR team set up last year.”
Skills programme, where he was
deployed for nine months on
the US Navy Aircraft Carriers
USS EISENHOWER and TRUMAN.
On return to the UK, he was
one of the chief instructors
at the School of Flight Deck
Operations, followed by working
at Carrier Strike aviation
capability at Navy Command
HQ, before joining HMS Prince
of Wales in Nov 2016.
On HMS Prince of Wales WO1
Gager is the Air departmental
co-ordinator and is working
on the build-up of the
department personnel in
support of the ship’s build.
Stacy lives in Yeovil, Somerset,
has two children and enjoys
spending as much time as
possible with them when home.
His other interests include going
to the gym, cycling and generally
spending time outdoors.
10
HMS Prince of Wales News
ACA Recognition Spotlight
– Billy McEvoy
Billy McEvoy, a
Transit Blocker, has
been recognised
through the ACA
Recognition Scheme
against the value of
Health and Safety.
Stewart Weir, a Safety Coach
on HMS Prince of Wales,
explained why he nominated
Billy for recognition. “Billy takes
consideration in his work to
ensure it doesn’t put himself
or others at risk. He chooses
the correct PPE and addresses
his POWSA whenever his
task takes him to a different
location. Billy also frequently
attends the Level 4 Safety
forum and offers good input.”
We spoke to Billy to hear
about his role and how he
feels about being recognised
“It’s fantastic. It’s good to be
recognised for my working
practices and getting on with
the job in hand in a safe manner.
I try my best to
work as safely as
I can. In terms
of my approach,
I always try and
make my working
environment safe
and use common
sense. To me,
it’s all about
assessing the
situation before
you go to work.
I learned this
from my time
in the Army we
were educated
to assess the situation
before moving forward.
“I am a Transit Blocker. I make
sure there aren’t too many
cables in the transit, trying
and sort them by size and
make sure the banks look tidy.
The biggest challenge lies in
working up in the racks and
trying to get between the
ducts, racks and pipes to do my
job. It’s a tight squeeze to get
in some of these positions!
“I appreciate being noticed for
the work I do and doing my
work to the best of my abilities.
Having worked on both ships, I
really enjoyed when HMS Queen
Elizabeth moved from No.1
Dock to J/K Berth. I was sure
she was going to fit over there!
Keith Benson, Babcock Network
Engineering’s Operations
Manager, also shared his
views on Billy. “Billy started
working with us in November
2012 at the commencement
of cable installation works on
HMS Queen Elizabeth. From
the outset, it was recognised
HMS Prince of Wales
Mission Systems
Latest News
The Mission Systems team
has been hard at work on
HMS Prince of Wales and is
making great progress.
Mission System compartments, in
particular node rooms, now have
Integrated Network Electronics
(INE) equipment installed ahead
of the DCZ 1-4 set-to-work
activity planned for early April.
Mechanically completed console desks within the Ops Room.
The underwater sensor
installation for Integrated
that Billy demonstrated an
aptitude for the task and quickly
developed the necessary skills
for the packing of penetrations.
Billy has proven to be an asset
to both the business and the
project. Over time he has
also shown a positive attitude
towards ‘Working Safely’
and has provided valuable
contributions to the Level 4
Safety Forums which he has
attended. Well done Billy, a
most deserved Recognition.
Take pride in this award and
keep up the good work!”
Navigation Bridge System
(INBS) is progressing well
in line with the undocking
programme. With the staged
scaffolding programme having
commenced in March, key
Mission System equipment such
as Navigation Lights Signals
and Shapes (NLSS) Navigation
Lights are to be installed.
In the Bridge, the Balfour
Beatty and Babcock Networks
team is continuing to install
cabling and conduit as part
of the INBS installation.
33 out of 38 console desks
in the Ops Room have now
been mechanically built with
27 of these permanently in
position. The Tween Desk
frames have arrived and both
the Principle Warfare Officer
(PWO) and Surface Picture
Supervisor (SPS) Tween Desks
have been fully assembled.
11
HMS Prince of Wales News
Ship’s Company Technical
Cell opens on board
HMS Prince of Wales
The Aft End Bullet-Tom Bird
An HMS Prince
of Wales Aft End
Project Manager has
just returned from
competing in the
British Army Ice Sports
Championship, held in
Innsbruck, Austria.
With luge, there isn’t a lot of
preparation required at this
level; actually sliding is the
only real practice you can
do for race day. Getting the
best ‘line’ is what will win you
the race. The bobsleigh and
skeleton have a more intensive
training regime as the faster
they can start at the top of the
track the faster they will go.
Tom Bird, a Royal Engineer
Reservist, was participating
in his third consecutive
championship and we
spoke to Tom about the
event and experience.
“I came back in one piece albeit
slightly bruised! I was up against
some great sliders and lost out
by a couple of seconds. I set
no personal speed records but
had a great time. My top speed
at the event was 103kph.
“I was asked to organise Royal
Engineer participation in the
event a few years ago and
wanted to understand the sport
first hand. Various branches
of the Army are invited
to compete in each of
the three disciplines:
Luge, Skeleton
or Bobsleigh. I
competed for the
Royal Engineers
at Luge.
“There were about
50 male and female
competitors from
the Regular and
Reserves Services.
“Apart from thinking
about next year’s
Championships, I
continue to work
towards undocking
and HV/LV set to
work in DCZ5. It
was nice to come
back
after
two
weeks
away
and see
some of
the progress
towards our
milestones.”
RAdm Blount and Capt Groom in 2RY0 with members of the Ship’s Company
On Thursday 2 March, Rear
Admiral Keith Blount OBE
(Assistant Chief of Naval Staff,
Aviation, Amphibious Capability
and Carriers) opened the Ship’s
Company technical cell onboard HMS Prince of Wales
in 2RY0. HMS Prince of Wales
Ship’s Company is employed
in the quality management
process as part of “Support
to Build” working alongside
their Industrial colleagues
and focusing on improving
quality and reducing cost.
Compartment 2RY0 is a
permanent office for Ship’s
Company on-board during
the build process. This office
provides Wi-Fi access to IT,
telephones and secure storage.
The 2QB2 office will become
the focal point of the quality
observation activities after
some collaborative working
and engagement between
Alliance Industrial Partners
and Royal Navy personnel. It
will and be manned by Royal
Navy personnel daily in the
working week. In addition,
2QB2 will shortly become a
training room for both the Ship’s
Company and ACA personnel.
Know someone who isn’t receiving the Carrier Waves?
Email [email protected] to register for a copy.
April 2017
HMS Prince of Wales high
visibility vests have been
commissioned so that Ship’s
Company will be recognisable
when on-board and these have
been kindly paid for by one of
the Ship’s affiliates, Greenwich
Hospital. This is a major part
of the Ship’s Company taking
shared ownership of the Ship
and becoming rightly proud of
the vessel they’ll take to sea.
Senior Naval Officer, Capt Ian
Groom commented: “We look
forward to further playing our
role in bringing a ship out of
build and working closely with
our industrial
partners to
achieve
this.”
Ship’s Company
showing how the new
high visibility vest
makes her stand out
in the workplace.
Know someone who isn’t receiving the Carrier Waves?
Email [email protected] to register for a copy.
April 2017