"Significant" overhaul and upgrades for HMS Queen Elizabeth as Royal Navy carrier bound for maintenance period
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“Significant” upgrades are due to be fitted to a Royal Navy aircraft carrier after several months of hard work.
HMS Queen Elizabeth is due to leave Portsmouth tomorrow and is bound for the Rosyth dry dock - where she was built. Royal Navy engineers have been busy renovating the 65,000 tonne warship for several months, with further projects planned in Scotland.
Commanding Officer Captain Claire Thompson said: “The departure of HMS Queen Elizabeth from Portsmouth marks the end of one phase of our upkeep period and the beginning of another. We have achieved an enormous amount in 2025, with a significant upgrade to our propulsion system being the most notable item amidst a wide range of engineering projects tackled alongside our partners from industry.
“This engineering work has happened concurrently with a rigorous training programme, to ensure my ship’s company are safe to operate at sea. Although HMS Queen Elizabeth is now due a seven-month docking period in Rosyth after a short period of sea trials, my focus remains generating a highly capable team that can take the ship from our docking period and work towards front-line duties.”
The overhaul is following six years of operations for HMS Queen Elizabeth. This involved a global deployment to the Indo-Pacific in 2021, leading Nato operations across European waters, and operations in the USA replacing her sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, after she suffered a propeller shaft malfunction.
Describing the current project, the Royal Navy said: “The first nine months of the overhaul has seen HMS Queen Elizabeth undergo engineering work in Portsmouth and the ship’s company conduct essential training to be ready for sea trials – as well as development courses for sailors and officers. The second phase over the coming months will see the aircraft carrier placed in dry dock at the Babcock Dockyard in Rosyth – providing the opportunity to inspect and improve systems inaccessible when the ship is afloat.”
It’s hoped that although the work being carried out will see the carrier unavailable for major operations, the improvements will set up the next phase of HMS Queen Elizabeth’s career. Upcoming sea trials will be carried out to test the ship’s newly-installed navigation and propulsion control systems.
Fleet Operational Standards and Training (FOST) teams will come aboard to assess the 500-strong ship’s company’s ability to deal with a range of on-board emergencies. Drills will include damage control, and how to handle floods and fires.