The U.K. Royal Navy’s HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier went out to sea for the first time as it begins sea trials in the North Sea off the coast of Scotland, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Monday.
The Royal Navy’s largest ship in history moved from its basin at Rosyth, where it was under construction since 2014, into the Forth estuary over the course of four hours.
There the ship had to wait until it could pass under two road and one rail crossings before starting the six weeks of seat trials.
The trials will have over 700 sailors and 200 contractors onboard the ship testing its engines and propulsion systems, ability to produce fresh water, cope with sewage, feed the crew, and supply electricity, the Royal Navy said.
“This floating fortress is by far the most powerful ship ever built in Britain that will enable us to tackle multiple and changing threats across the globe,” Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said in a statement.
The Defence Ministry highlighted the lock at Rosyth had just 35 cm of space on either side of the ship and 50 cm separating the keel from the lock bottom. 11 tugs helped maneuver the Queen Elizabeth into the Forth estuary.
The maneuver was practiced over 30 times in simulators.
“This is a hugely significant moment for the Royal Navy, for all our Armed Forces – and for our island nation. Once in service, Queen Elizabeth will be the largest aircraft carrier in the world outside the United States,” First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones, added.
The Queen Elizabeth will have a range of 10,000 nautical miles and 500 nautical nmiles per day with 65,000-ton displacement. It is 280 meters long and 90 meters wide.
Following sea trials, the Queen Elizabeth is set to be handed over to the MoD on behalf of the Royal Navy this year.
Last September Fallon said the carrier will host U.S. F-35s starting in 2021. Each Queen Elizabeth-class carrier can take up to 40 aircraft, both rotary and fixed wing. It is predicted they will routinely operate with 12 F-35s while being capable of carrying up to 36 F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing variants (Defense Daily, Sept. 7, 2016).
The ship was built by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, a team of Britain’s BAE Systems, France’s Thales, Babcock, and the MoD.