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Dstl clarifies how it helped launch HMS Queen Elizabeth

Published on: 22 Aug 2017

Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has revealed how it helped bring Britain’s new flagship carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth into service.

The ship, which arrived at its Portsmouth home for the first time last week, came into being thanks in part to years of behind-the-scenes work by Dstl, ensuring safety, efficiency and future-proofing.

Dstl has been working on the operational analysis for the carrier since the early 1990s,  starting formally after the Invincible class fell out of commission in 2014.

The group’s work includes the jump used to launch the new F-35 fast jet, which sits at the bow of the new HMS Queen Elizabeth, while its studies have defined the size and shape of the ship and its important characteristics, including manning and its air wing, right through to sortie generation and the flight deck layout.

Martin Rosa, Dstl’s principal technical consultant, said: “The impact of Dstl’s work is that the UK’s F-35B force will have the ability to launch robustly and safely from the Queen Elizabeth-lass carriers with operationally relevant mission loadouts in a wide range of weather conditions around the world, using the minimum of deck run, while minimising stress on both aircraft and ship.”