Defence Secretary Liam Fox and the country’s top military brass will this week assemble on the banks of the Clyde for a ceremony to mark the start of construction on Britain’s second giant aircraft carrier, the Prince of Wales.
But there is a good chance that the 65,000- ton vessel, which is not due to be launched until 2020, will never see action – and may even be mothballed.
This is because the Government has not yet made up its mind whether Britain can afford two huge carriers, together expected to cost more than £7 billion .
Work is progressing on the first carrier, the Queen Elizabeth , with 10,000 people around the country making components ranging from engines to computer systems.
British manufacturers are struggling to find workers with the right skills – and a shortage of skills is seen as the biggest barrier to foreign investment, according to a report, Engineered In Britain: Manufacturing A Successful Economy?, published this week.
By Tom Mcghie ( dailymail )
[mappress]
Source: dailymail, May 23, 2011; Image: armedforces