Originally Posted by WE Branch Fanatic
Wait a minute - was Queen Elizabeth not meant to enter service in 2014 - and since she is not getting catapults and arresting gear, that should not have changed?
That was changed even before construction of the blocks began.
"Aircraft carriers delayed"
Thursday, 11 December 2008
The Royal Navy's two new aircraft carriers are likely to enter service a year or two later than planned, Defence Secretary John Hutton has announced.
In a statement to MPs, he added there would be no delay in construction - but work would continue at a slower pace, sustaining jobs for longer.
The £4bn shipbuilding project is due to begin next spring.
"House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 21 Nov 2011"
Peter Luff [holding answer 15 November 2011]: The planned in-service dates for HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales are 2016 and 2018 respectively—however, these dates may change once our conversion investigations are complete and we have decided which ship will be converted.