Final HMS Prince of Wales carrier section leaves Glasgow
- Published
The final section of the Royal Navy's second flagship aircraft carrier has left BAE System's yard in Glasgow.
The 750-tonne section, known as the Aft Island, will be taken on a 1,335-mile journey around the south of England and up the east coast to Rosyth.
Once assembled it will be the control centre for all aircraft operations on the new HMS Prince of Wales carrier.
HMS Prince of Wales is the second Queen Elizabeth Class carrier after the 65,000-tonne HMS Queen Elizabeth.
They are the largest British warships ever constructed and can be used for a range of military activity from fighting in conflicts to providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
The ships have been constructed in blocks at yards across the UK and are being put together in Rosyth.
BAE's project director, Iain Stevenson, described the carrier leaving the River Clyde as a "proud day" for everyone involved.
"To see the final section delivered to Rosyth, ahead of schedule and to an incredible standard of engineering is testament to the dedication, skill and ingenuity of all those working on the programme."
Defence Procurement Minister Philip Dunne said: "Our aircraft carriers, the largest ships ever built in Scotland for the Royal Navy, will help to secure the UK's interests both at home and abroad.
"Our new F-35 Lightning II aircraft will fly from the decks of HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2018."