GLASGOW, Scotland, May 27 (UPI) -- BAE System's Govan shipyard in Britain has started building HMS Prince of Wales, the British navy's second Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier.
Production was marked with a ceremony at the shipyard s attended by U.K. Secretary of State for Defense Liam Fox.
"We are committed to delivering this next generation of powerful British aircraft carriers that will mark a step change in our carrier strike capability and form the cornerstone of the Royal Navy's Future Force 2020," he said. "This major construction project is creating and sustaining thousands of jobs in shipyards around the country."
The QE class of carrier weighs more than 65,000 tons.
BAE Systems in Britain is a member of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, working in partnership with Babcock, Thales and the Ministry of Defense.
The company said that work on the first of two QE class of carriers is well advanced and is taking place at six shipyards across the country.
BAE provides overall leadership and program management for the QE class program and plays a central role in the design and build of the ships.
