13. United Kingdom Queen Elizabeth-Class Aircraft Carrier
Manufacturer: Alliance of Aircraft Carriers
Principal Users: Royal Navy of the United Kingdom
Cost of Program: $7.6 billion*
Cost per unit: $3.8 billion*
Two aircraft carriers, one named after Queen Elizabeth I and the other for the Prince of Wales, make up the Queen Elizabeth class. On July 4, 2014, the first ship of its class, HMS Queen Elizabeth, was christened. The UK’s Royal Navy uses this class. On December 21, 2017, the HMS Prince of Wales made its debut.
Aircraft carrier of the Queen Elizabeth class (UK): @LargestAircraftCarriers/FFacebook.com
Although Prince of Wales was initially supposed to be built in a CATOBAR configuration, the British government decided to scrap that plan in 2012 due to the project’s growing costs (nearly twice the original quote). Instead, the carriers are configured in a STOVL arrangement, and they use the Lockheed Martin F-35B.
With crew, the ship can accommodate 1,600 people. The UK government claims that there are 672 people on board, which is much less than the normal crew number. Although the ship is designed to carry 65,000 tons, an additional 5,000 tons may be added as the class is improved over time.
zi ang