Maximon Solutions is proud to be part of an ongoing project in conjunction with BAE systems, the lead member of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance which includes Thales, the French multinational responsible for designing and building electrical systems for the aerospace, defence and security sectors; Babcock, specialist providers of support services in mission critical environments and The MOD.
As part of the “Whole Ship Evacuation” plan, Maximon Solutions were tasked with providing an effective emergency response communications system for the two QEC (Queen Elizabeth Class) aircraft carriers. The team’s solution was to create a bespoke transparent housing for the high performance Entel radios, chosen specifically for their long life battery capability. Two Icom talk through base stations per ship ensured total coverage across the carrier. The phased project saw the naming of the first carrier, The HMS Queen Elizabeth in July 2014 followed by The HMS Prince of Wales scheduled for global front line duty from 2023.
Three times the size of The Invincible carriers class, these warships are the biggest constructed to date in the UK and provide our armed forces with a staggering 4 acre military operating base. The incredibly flexible and versatile QE class carriers are set to be the centre piece of British military capability and are equipped for deployment across a range of operations from supporting war effort, providing deterrence and signalling to coercion, disaster relief, defence engagement and humanitarian support.
With a top speed upwards of 25 knots, this 65,000 ton carrier has room for 1600 crew and aircrew, space for 36 F-35B (STOVL) jets, 470 double decker buses, a flight deck the size of 3 football pitches and enough cabling to run from London to Gibraltar.
According to Admiral Sir Philip Jones, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, HMS Queen Elizabeth “represents the best of the UK’s industrial and engineering expertise and once in service she will symbolise our military power and authority in the world for decades to come.” Set for a 2021 deployment date, HMS Queen Elizabeth made history on June 25th of this year when she set sail from Rosyth commencing the first stage of sea trials.