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Refitted aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious is being prepared to accommodate combat aircraft, prompting further speculation that the government is preparing to perform a U-turn on the mothballing of the Harrier fleet.
The Scotsman has learned that the ship's deck, which has been earmarked as a helicopter carrier, has been painted with special paint which would allow for Harriers to fly from it.

While the Ministry of Defence has claimed that this would be normal, even if Illustrious does not have Harriers, Dunfermline and West Fife MP Thomas Docherty told The Scotsman that he was informed on a visit to Rosyth that a grade of paint is being used specifically to allow the fighter jets to be launched.

The suggestions come amid increasing speculation that UK ministers regret the decision in last autumn's Strategic and Security Defence Review to mothball the 90 Harrier fighters early and leave Britain without a functioning aircraft carrier for a decade.

With Britain involved in operations in Libya, the UK has been forced to fly jets from Italian airbases and RAF Marham in Norfolk because it is unable to put a carrier in the Mediterranean.

The Italian bases have proven to be problematic logistically for the RAF and there were also threats at one stage by the Italian government to withdraw their availability.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox is believed to be pushing for the Harriers to be brought back and either Illustrious or the recently mothballed Ark Royal to come back into action.Mr Docherty, a member of the Commons Defence Select Committee, was shown on a recent visit to the shipyard in Rosyth, where Illustrious is being refitted, that the carrier's deck has been painted with non-slip paint required for Harriers to be launched from it.

This was denied by the MoD but Mr Docherty suggested that the instruction to do this may have come from the navy or even Dr Fox in an effort to give Britain an aircraft carrier again.

And he said he intends to put Dr Fox under pressure over the lack of an aircraft carrier when the defence secretary appears before the select committee next week.

"Having visited HMS Illustrious last week I know it can be ready in a matter of weeks," he said.

"It is clear yet again the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Government have made the wrong choices on defence and the flawed strategic defence review must now be reopened.

"It is disgraceful that while British forces are enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, the resources to do their job are mothballed by the Government. I will raise this matter when Liam Fox appears in front of the Defence Committee next week."

Last night a spokeswoman for the MoD denied a U-turn is imminent.

"There are currently no plans to bring the Harriers back into operation," she said.

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The mid section of the UK’s first Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier left BAE System’s shipyard in Govan today, beginning the 600 mile trip to Rosyth on the east coast of Scotland.
Over the next five days, the block will travel around the north coast of Scotland before arriving into Rosyth on Sunday August 21. 50 cyclists set off from the shipyard in Govan, Glasgow at the same time in a race against the mid section, which is known as ‘Lower Block 03’.


The challenge aims to raise over £10,000 for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity. The challenge will test the fitness and endurance of the cyclists as they travel across the north of Scotland, stopping only for overnight respite at Fort William, Elgin, Peterhead and St Andrews. Their target is to arrive in Roysth ahead of Lower Block 03 on Saturday 20 August.

Minister for International Security Strategy, Gerald Howarth, said: “Excellent progress is being made on this project and it will form the cornerstone of the Royal Navy’s Future Force [in] 2020.”

Steven Carroll, Queen Elizabeth Class project director at BAE Systems, said: “Watching Lower Block 03 being towed down the Clyde gives us chance to reflect on the huge achievements of the past two years since we cut the first steel on this first section.”

He added: “The Beat the Block challenge gives everyone a fun way to get involved and it’s fantastic to see so many cyclists from across the Carrier Alliance taking part, helping to raise money for a charity that supports the men and women of our armed forces.”

On Monday August 29, the team will undertake an operation to sink the submersible barge, allowing the hull section to enter into the water for the first time. Lower Block 03 will then be manoeuvred into position in the dry dock, where around 350 Govan-based employees will rejoin the block as they work in partnership with employees at Babcock to complete the outfitting and assembly phase.

As a member of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, BAE Systems is working in partnership with Babcock, Thales and the Ministry of Defence to deliver the nation’s flagships. With advanced construction underway at six shipyards across the UK, the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier programme is sustaining thousands of skilled jobs throughout industry.
George Archer

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