The two Uk aircraft carriers are alreay named, and that is about the only thing that is definite at the moment.
In terms of size, apparently the RN has decided that the ships are indeed going to be 280m, 65,000 toners, after previously looking at smaller 260m 55,000 toners. Apparently it was thought that to get a decent 55 tonne vessel, and keep the operational effectivness would require too much new technology and risk.
The new vessels are likely to cost £5billion for the pair, which, whilst far higher than the original MOD price of £3billion, is still FAR cheaper the the USN at £6.6billion for one carrier (CVN21).
It is still up in the air as to whether the French Navy will still seek to aquire a new ship based on the UK design, which could lower costs. |
