HMS Queen Elizabeth is the largest warship ever built
for the Royal Navy by far,
stretching longer than the Houses of Parliament,
and standing taller than Nelson's Column.
An aircraft carrier so immense
that different sections have had to be constructed
in different shipyards throughout Great Britain,
and then transported by barge to Scotland for final assembly.
It's taken 10,000 workers eight years
to build Britain's first supercarrier.
Putting the great back into Great Britain.
What a wonderful thing to be part of.
But as this gargantuan carrier takes shape and prepares for sea,
there is one vital missing ingredient.
The ship is just a metal box.
It's a waste of time, it's useless,
it's only when you add in the human component,
the blood and flesh, does it becomes a warship.
This is the extraordinary story of the men and women
who must breathe life into HMS Queen Elizabeth.
How will these naval pioneers transform her
from floating building site to front-line ship of war?
They'll be embarking on perilous make-or-break sea trials
in which everything must be tested for the first time...
..from galleys to guns,
and from power plants to propellers.
One thing is for certain, it won't be plain sailing.
ALARM SOUNDS
OVER PA: Fire, fire, fire.
Flood, flood, flood.
Casualty, casualty, casualty!
Everything electrical! Get all the electrical panels covered up!
When you're at sea, if you have any emergency whatsoever
then you've got to deal with it, and deal with it really fast,
otherwise people die and you might lose the ship.
You feel like you're on top of the world,
the thrust of the F-35, the manoeuvrability, phenomenal.
You feel like the king of the castle going into that arena.
This is the inside story
of Britain's biggest warship.
Portsmouth Harbour, on the south coast of England,
the Royal Navy base that HMS Queen Elizabeth
will eventually call home.
The trouble is, the ancient port is not deep enough
to take Queen Elizabeth's massive bulk.
At 65,000 tonnes,
she's three times bigger than the Navy's last aircraft carrier,
HMS Illustrious, here, waiting to be broken for scrap.
For the last two years,
dredgers have been working round the clock
in an enormous operation to deepen the sea bed.
Over four million tonnes of sand, silt and gravel have had to be removed,
as well as all manner of objects that litter the sea bed,
from twisted steel cables and rusty anchors,
to barnacle-encrusted 19th-century cannons...
..and from old discarded torpedo engines,
to rather more ominous devices.
I mean, I can feel it.
It's going into a cone.
How does the shape feel?
It's slightly pointy.
Pointy. It's kind of a...bomb shape.
The news at six from BBC Radio Solent -
a controlled explosion's due to be carried out this morning
on an unexploded German World War II bomb
that has been found at Portsmouth Harbour.
The Royal Navy says that the 500kg device
was located by a barge carrying out dredging works.
The work is taking place to prepare for the arrival
of the new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Roger that. Fuse is burning.
Five minutes to detonation, over.
Few could've guessed that even as HMS Queen Elizabeth was being built,
one of Hitler's bombs had been lying in wait for nearly 80 years.
Close call.
But that was 18 months ago.
Right now, 700 miles away,
Queen Elizabeth is in the Moray Firth
off the east coast of Scotland
in the final three weeks of make-or-break sea trials,
testing her manoeuvrability and speed.
OVER PA: The ship's company is reminded that the ship will continue
to roll heavily due to steering gear trials
for approximately next 3-0 minutes. That is all.
Three, two, one, mark.
Start the 35. Start the 35.
Rate of turn increasing to starboard.
After extended repairs following a dislodged propeller,
the crew are once again putting her through her paces,
on the straight and on the turn.
But everybody's worst fear is that the propeller blades
will become loose again.
After two days of high-speed trials,
the ship stops in the middle of the North Sea
so divers can check the propellers are intact.
It's a real moment of truth.
Check the alignment.
Yes, I would say this one is aligned perfectly.
It looks good. Everything fine.
How are you feeling?
Relieved.
Relieved, yeah. That's what we wanted.
No movement on any of the plates,
even though we've been sort of thrashing around the North Sea
for a couple of days. Yeah, good result, good result.
I reckon you'll be able to sleep well tonight, Pat.
When we get to Portsmouth, eventually, that's when I'll be very happy.
The ship is shipshape once again,
and heads further into the North Sea for more trials.
Sir, shall I come round to starboard?
We've been poling up the Moray Firth,
it's been fantastic. Flat calm,
very quiet shipping-wise. We've really cracked on
with the powered propulsion. I'd have to say -
I could be careful. I should touch lots of wood -
but it's gone pretty well. I'm really pleased.
All the indications we've had when we took her to sea
that first couple of days, that she's solid, she's sound.
We're getting power when we want.
We're getting faster speeds than we were expecting,
and this is no rubbish, you know, this is fact.
She looks pretty good.
So, delighted. I got to be careful, cos I don't want to tempt fate,
but we're pushing through the trials really well.
On board, 700 men and women continue to get to grips
with their brand-new supercarrier, the floating grey city.
Oh. Oh, God, Aled!
You want a hand? You're all right? I'm all right.
As you can see, I'm on board HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Typical Matt, though, standing behind me watching a lady
do all the work. That's what you get that for.
So, me and Dickie both work for the captain,
and Dickie basically shows me how everything works
and what to do, with being a little baby sailor.
Basically, I've games for her, at the end of the day.
She's progressing to be at the rank where I am now.
She's doing pretty well at the start. Aww, thanks.
We get on like a house on fire, don't we? We do.
He's such a dickhead. THEY LAUGH
Don't swear on camera! They edit it. Oh.
The captain's living quarters are immediately below the bridge,
a short walk for Kirsty or Dickie,
should the captain want something.
He will kill me for saying this as well,
he loves chocolate Hobnobs.
Captain's favourite, as usual. Hobnobs.
He loves them.
Has he just asked for them? He did.
He does it with his little cheeky little grin on his face.
"You got your biscuits, Dickie?"
I say, "Aye sir, I'll go and get them for you."
He always says, "Don't tell my wife, cos she'll go mad",
because she's a doctor as well.
HE LAUGHS
Hobnobs, sir. Don't let his wife see that.
Yeah, I know. I'm bad on Hobnobs.
I can't... But we're at sea, Dickie.
What happens at sea, stays at sea, doesn't it?
Unless you've got... Don't tell my wife.
Thanks, mate. That's it after that.
After this packet, I'm on a diet.
Naval stewards serve in the officers' messes
and also provide hospitality to visiting dignitaries.
Kirsty and Dickie look after the captain full-time.
This is my first time at sea, and I love it.
It's so peaceful and it's just so tranquil.
It's like a different feeling. Like, you can't actually explain
what it's like.
Like standing here, I'm actually working,
but I'm in the middle of the ocean.
Like, it's weird, but it's so good.
It is so good.
So, no regrets about joining up?
No, not at all.
You have... You do have your bad days,
and anyone that says that they don't, you know,
is definitely lying. But it's the same on civvy street as well,
everyone has good days and everyone has bad days.
But I think the good times outweigh the bad times on here.
Everyone works for a particular branch.
Logistics, weapons engineering,
marine engineering, aviation
or warfare.
Range, 800 yards.
I wanted to be out in the open, something different,
something exciting.
And gunner was the best route for me to do that.
I need to be out in the open...shooting, I guess!
SHE LAUGHS It's... It's exciting.
Dani, 28, is an instructor,
and has been in the Navy for several years.
I chose the Navy, really, cos of the opportunity to travel,
to see more of the world.
My auntie was in the Navy years ago, so was my uncle.
They had a great life in the Navy,
so I kind of just followed that.
WHISTLE SOUNDS
One elephant, two elephant, three elephant, four elephant,
five elephant, six elephant, seven elephant, eight elephant.
Well done.
Evening rounds complete, permission to carry on, sir. Yes, please.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you.
Bob Hawkins has been in the Navy for 38 years.
That still hasn't been cleaned up yet.
I must get that done, this evening.
He's the first lieutenant on Queen Elizabeth,
responsible for welfare, discipline and morale...
The captain is particularly interested in that you know
what your escape plans are.
..and it's Bob's job to oversee evening rounds,
a naval tradition since the time of Henry VIII.
This involves a senior officer checking in with every mess deck,
every evening, to deliver information
or to hear about concerns.
Just let it settle down, fellas.
I will keep taking your feedback on the scran
if it doesn't appear to be working. OK?
Man coming through for working rounds.
How's it going?
AC Dawson, AC Beaumont, how are you? Good to see you.
Very well. How's it going?
Working rounds. Cover yourselves up, ladies.
Working rounds.
Oh, birthday cake!
THEY LAUGH
Great. So, this is rigged. Have you opened your hatch?
We have, yes. Yeah. Right. Do you know where your escape apparatus is?
So, everyone's completely content
with how we're going to get out of here?
Guys, keep...down.
Do you think Queen Elizabeth has become a home now?
She has. And, you know, you can see all of the flight deck now,
full of our people. And of course, that emotional attachment
is absolutely coming together.
You see a lot of banter now, naval humour, military humour,
which is coming together. So, the team is built.
And of course getting the ship to sea is crucial for that,
cos when the ship's alongside and people go home to their houses
and their bunks, you know, you don't get that sense of community.
So, this extended period of time at sea, the last month or so,
has just cemented that sense of belonging,
that sort of badge, this is the Queen Elizabeth cap tally,
which makes you feel part of the tribe, part of the family.
92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100.
101. Two. Three. Four. Five...
Dan? You know when to, like, to film in for the pyjama thing?
You know when to shout, "Girls, you're on"?
Queen Elizabeth is the first Royal Navy warship
to have a dedicated television station and onboard studio,
Sovereign TV.
You're about to go on, are you?
Yeah, me and Charlotte are about to go on for our very first
live broadcast on Sovereign TV.
And we're very nervous. Very nervous. Yeah.
Girls, you're on!
Oh! Good evening, HMS Queen Elizabeth,
and welcome to the very first live broadcast on Sovereign TV.
It's nice to see you, to see you...
BOTH: Nice!
They are going to be broadcasting their own home-grown programmes,
from quiz shows to comedies.
THEY LAUGH
The pizza is still frozen.
LAUGHTER
Mad scientist.
And one channel will be dedicated to naval films and documentaries.
It was when they announced that they were sending women to sea...
And today is the start of an old series from the mid-90s,
filmed soon after women started serving on warships...
..and it's starring a young Bob Hawkins.
The greatest thing that I enjoy about the Navy is the camaraderie.
still with a sense of purpose, despite things changing
around the world, the Cold War no longer being there,
there is still a great sense of purpose, of wishing to do well.
But personally, the thing I've had to overcome over the last few years
is women at sea.
Three, two, one...
Because I enjoy the male camaraderie in the Navy,
and I enjoy the aggression of a warship.
I'm not sure whether the fairer sex,
as I still like to think of them -
quote equal rights until you're blue in the face,
but they are the fairer sex.
They're child bearers.
You know? And I'm old-fashioned enough to think that, you know,
we are the people who actually protect them.
I thought he did it in such a graceful way,
until that last comment.
LAUGHTER So graceful.
And then "Child bearers" just came out of his mouth. Like, wow.
Quite a strong statement to make, isn't it?
My view was then and still is, Chris -
this is personally speaking, now, Bob Hawkins -
that it is a very, very difficult thing to do
for a country to send anyone in their population into war.
It's a vicious, nasty business.
To elect to do that with our female population, for me,
is still, um...
..a dilemma for me.
What that doesn't mean, though,
that doesn't mean that I don't value the contribution
that our women make. Indeed...
..the notion that we do not recruit and train and employ
50% of our population, I think it's unacceptable in 2017
that we wouldn't do that.
And indeed, when I look a the women that I serve with now,
I would not want to go to sea without them.
You know, we've got the best.
We've got the cream of the crop.
You know, some of the best women in the United Kingdom.
And I... I would be dishonest with myself
if I try to pretend
that I don't still think
it is wrong for our women to go to war.
But that is juxtaposed with...
..the fact that I really enjoy courage and skill,
the commitment, of the women that I serve with now.
I would not want to go to war without them.
That's the dilemma for me.
OK, take the strain! Pull!
Tug of war is a traditional naval sport,
and always keenly contested,
no less so now than when it was men against men.
THEY CHEER
We're in the semifinal, which is good for 13 Wrens
against eight blokes, so...
PULL!
Two feet, heave!
THEY SHOUT
APPLAUSE
Yeah, like, obviously we would have preferred a win,
but just getting to the final is winning enough,
and we had some really great contenders with us, so...
We smashed it. Yeah. I'll give you that,
you had us worried in the first one. Yeah, if we were going to lose,
I'd want to lose against this guy, like, he's just...
Kissing arse too much? Yeah.
THEY LAUGH
LIVE ROCK MUSIC PLAYS
# Until we meet again
# The timing is harder
# I know we will remember... #
And the ship now has its own home-grown band.
Lead singer, gunner Dani Hobbs.
# My darling... #
# Who knew? #
That was all right.
It kind of came about from karaoke,
when we were based in Rosyth.
And, yeah, it was just a good night out on the karaoke
and someone mentioned it, that there was a band
and one of the lieutenant commanders then thought
I should maybe be the singer for it
because they had no luck in getting a singer yet.
It kind of went from there.
I didn't really know what I was signing myself up for!
I never thought I'd be part of a band, to be honest.
I didn't think I'd have the confidence for that.
# Come meet me Friday Don't say maybe
# I'm just a teenage dirt bag baby Like you... #
Ten days from now, when Queen Elizabeth will be
back in Invergordon for refuelling,
the band's been booked to play their first gig
at the town's social centre.
It's quite a large tank, all right, to give us water.
So, you know the contents of it...
Another female instructor on Queen Elizabeth
is 29-year-old Petty Officer Emma Ranson,
in charge of upper deck firefighting,
one of the most dangerous jobs on any aircraft carrier.
So, how we go about that is, you've got your water tank there,
and then we've got the water valve...
Originally, when I did join,
I didn't get told about any of the firefighting side,
so that was a little bit of a culture shock when,
all of a sudden, I was dressed in fire kit.
I was quite a girlie girl then,
as well, so that was not really what I was expecting,
but it's an outdoors type of thing.
We work up on the flight deck, and the firefighting side,
I absolutely love now. When I first joined,
I wasn't very keen on it, but sort of now, the more I've been doing it,
and I also do a lot of the training side, as well, I really enjoy it.
Bear in mind, on a crash on deck, what does the ship do?
It turns into wind, OK?
So as soon as it turns into wind,
we will get roughly a 40m throw from this, OK?
A couple of weeks ago we had a trial of this.
The throw on this was unbelievable,
and that's when we had a lot of wind going to us.
Absolutely phenomenal piece of kit, OK?
OVER PA: About to commence Royal Navy training exercise.
No action to be taken.
They're testing the pipes and sheaves around the ship,
of which there's...
..there's just thousands of miles.
And part of that system is the pre-wet,
which is where you can shove a lot of water into a mist system
around the flight deck, if we're in a nuclear fallout area.
So, all the nuclear fallout gets washed over the side, very quickly.
But we also use the same pipework for a serious fire
or a crash on your deck.
You're going to catch us with it!
Look at us! We look disgusting!
It didn't taste very good.
It probably looked better than it felt to do it...
Yeah, it was pretty disgusting.
..because I didn't realise it was saltwater at the time.
What is this all about? Is that if we had a fire on the flight deck?
Correct. This is for dealing with large fuel fires on the flight deck,
ladies, so we cover the whole deck in its entirety in foaming water.
Ooh! Good, isn't it? Very impressive.
OK, if I could ask you to take your places, ready to go.
Do you think it's inevitable a crash will occur on the ship flight deck?
Sadly to say, with the nature of things,
this ship's in service for the next 30, 40, 50 years,
sad to say the likelihood is it will,
particularly if we go into combat,
where aircraft are coming back in a less than fit state.
So, 99.9% of the time this flight deck will be absolutely fine.
It will be seamless, smooth, wonderful.
And suddenly, in my experience, and I've had a fair few,
something goes wrong, very catastrophically, very quickly.
And that is where you don't want panic. You want calm heads.
And that comes through drill, leadership and professionalism.
And that's why we're so flipping paranoid about it,
because you can't mess about. You can't mess about.
In the event of fire, as well as the spray system known as pre-wet,
the firefighting team will move in immediately with foam hoses,
and supported by the crash fire vehicles.
It's a big deck.
The reason we've got the vehicles now is because it would take
Usain Bolt to get 30 seconds to one end of this deck to the other.
So, the reality is,
the crash fire rescue vehicles are really quite important to us,
and I'm really pleased that we've got them.
But what if an inferno can't be suppressed?
It's difficult to exaggerate how dangerous
an aircraft carrier can be.
A crash on deck is everyone's greatest fear.
Ensuing fires can quickly turn into infernos and,
if not contained, they will spread rapidly to threaten the ship
and everyone on board.
On Queen Elizabeth, if all seems lost,
there is a last resort.
It's the doomsday option,
when the water pipes are primed with foam fire suppressants
that will enshroud the entire flight deck.
This is a first for any warship in the fleet.
The reason we're going into it, we have to take samples
from each of the jets, if you like,
each of the nozzles that's coming up,
we've got to take a sample of the foaming water
that's coming up to make sure it's at the right concentration,
cos if it's too weak or too thick, it won't extinguish the fire the way we want it to.
So, yeah, it's the manual way of doing it, but it's effective.
It's not rocket science.
I would never declare that there'd been too much rocket science
applied to any of our design. It has to be simple,
and it has to be ruggedised such that Jack can deal with it.
So, essentially, it's a multifunctional spray system,
so it's good news.
All good.
LAUGHTER
And it's a great day out for everyone that comes up
for the foam party, but my boys have got to clear that rubbish up!
And that is going to take a month of Sundays because AFFF
is extremely corrosive,
so having had a brand-new deck laid for us by the company,
which is really nice, we've now covered it in that stuff,
we've got to get that off the deck pretty quickly
and then fresh-water wash it. So, we've got to look for a rain cloud.
The captain's got to go looking for rain now
so that we can wash it off the deck.
Right, guys. All hands up...
It's just amazing. I've never known anything like this
in the Navy before. Now that we've got it...
QE, once again, first of everything. I mean, what more can we ask for?
So, it's just...
As I said, the foam, the scale of it, it's just...
It brings a warm, fuzzy feeling that we know if we, potentially,
if we do have a crash on deck, we're sorted.
It's the following week, and the last episode of Bob's naval series
is being shown.
Daddy... Look, look, look. Daddy!
Can he see us? Wave anyway. Here, look. See him at the front, there?
There's Daddy waving. Look, look, look, look, look.
It's very difficult to watch that,
because just 11 years later,
in 2005, er...
Joan... Joan passed away, unfortunately.
We'd been married just short of 19 years, and, er...
..and it is extraordinarily sad,
the whole...
..process of bereavement.
So, it was 12 years ago that she passed away,
but the intensity...
..of the sadness doesn't seem to...
..diminish.
I can't imagine
what it must be like for my sons...
..who lost their mother.
So, Bob, is that the loss of Joan that makes you think the way you do
about women on warships?
Yes, yes, yes.
Indeed. It kind of, er...
..crystallises...
..who I am as a person.
The notion that a mother should be put into war...
..and that her children would lose her if she was in...
..died in combat...
..I just would not want them...
I would not want anybody to lose their dad,
but...
..having seen the pain that...
..that my sons have suffered...
I've only ever known this Navy, where females do all jobs.
If anything did kick off then, yes,
I will be on the upper deck with the guys on the guns...
..and direct them.
It's just...
..that's part of it, so...
I don't think about it often.
If it happens,
then, you know, you just get on with it.
What we're going to do next time with you guys is,
we're going to park you on a little bit of an angle.
My personal decision is, I chose this career,
I've chose this career path and it's a path that I'm really proud of,
and I love it. I absolutely love my job and regardless of whether...
If we possibly go to war or not, I'll never change it.
That's how I feel.
Get the next guys on PP for me. All right? Thank you.
Four days later,
Queen Elizabeth heads up to the Orkney Islands
to a place called Scapa Flow,
a very special place for the Royal Navy.
It was home of the British Grand Fleet
during the First World War, and an important naval base
during the Second World War.
So, weather suitable.
As briefed earlier, the timings - we'd be looking to be in the gap
for 7.30 to give ourselves an hour to an hour and a half
in the Flow itself. I mean, this is a huge space. Yep.
I mean, the Grand Fleet was in here in the First World War.
So, I'd rather not rush out, because it's such a special occasion.
You know, it's an historical occasion.
But for Queen Elizabeth,
Scapa Flow has particular and poignant significance,
for this is the birthplace of the first aircraft carrier,
exactly 100 years ago today.
On the 2nd of August, 1917,
HMS Furious, a converted battle cruiser,
became the first moving landing strip in the world
when a Sopwith Pup Biplane, with a little help from below,
landed successfully, if a little bumpily.
The pilot was 25-year-old squadron commander, Edwin Dunning.
There he is, born in 1892, died...
Of course, he did the flight here, 100 years ago,
and then the following week, died. I believe it was his third attempt.
Turbulence or something, and the aircraft went over the ship's side
and he was knocked unconscious and drowned in the aircraft.
Five cables to run.
Expected depth, 36m.
On track. Expecting to anchor in 35m of water.
Bottom type is rock.
Four cables to run, expected depth 36m.
On track. Speed now six knots, reducing.
Some of the most significant naval action of World War II
began in Scapa Flow.
The hunt for the German battleship Bismarck started here,
as did raids on her sister ship, the Tirpitz.
This was the base for Arctic convoy escort ships
that took vital war supplies to northern Russia.
But Scapa Flow was not all about success for the Royal Navy.
The most significant event of the start of the Second World War
for the Royal Navy, and perhaps the nations, was here,
when on the 14th of October, 1939, Gunther Prien,
a magnificent U-boat commander, German U-boat commander,
stealed into Scapa Flow, and he sank two ships.
One of them being HMS Royal Oak,
who is lying in 33m of water
just a few cables away from where we are anchored now.
Bridge... Content for the launch. Awaiting the launch from the bridge.
880 men perished.
It's remarkable that we have two descendants of the Royal Oak
on board HMS Queen Elizabeth, so we are looking to pay our respects.
Bit further on, Coxswain.
Got it?
OK.
Right, we are on top of the wreck now.
OK, Nathan.
Nathan Logan, BAE.
Leader Charles, Air Department.
Underneath here is HMS Royal Oak.
You both had relatives that passed away in the ship.
So, your grandfather, Nathan?
Yes. Your great-grandfather, Leader Charles?
That's correct, sir.
God bless them. They are approximately 30m beneath you now.
The 14th of October, 1939, Gunther Prien,
got in here in his U-boat.
Gunther Prien hit with one torpedo and he hit with a second torpedo.
880 men lost their lives that day.
I think what would be appropriate right now is a minute's silence
in honour of those people.
That's one minute, gentlemen.
I think we will conclude with a rousing cheer.
We will do three cheers for HMS Royal Oak.
Hip, hip... ALL: Hurray!
Hip, hip... Hurray!
God bless them.
Quite poignant. I lost my father this year,
so he would have been very proud by the fact we went out
and paid our respects.
It was important to come here,
for myself, obviously being in the Navy myself, but also for my nan,
to be able to pay my respects to her father.
I'm sure she's going to appreciate that we've been out here
and we've done it.
From honouring over 800 killed on the Royal Oak in 1939,
to honouring Squadron Commander Dunning,
killed in 1917.
Although drowned attempting another landing five days after his first,
his achievement was to revolutionise naval warfare,
by proving aircraft could operate at sea.
And today, 100 years later,
the most advanced aircraft carrier in the world
has come to pay her respects.
Pipe...
A salute from the ship, followed by a salute from the air.
It's a sign of things to come, and it's good for the crew on the deck
to see this because, while it's a Hawk Trainer,
it a sign of things to come, which is great.
Next year, it'll be F-35s.
F-35 lightening fighters are the warplanes
that will eventually launch off Queen Elizabeth's ski jump.
These top-secret stealth jets
are being developed in the United States,
including a maritime variant, capable of hovering.
This will be flown by both naval and RAF pilots from the supercarrier.
We're just taxiing out now from our test unit.
We'll be taxiing
down to the main runway for the test take-off.
41-year-old Nathan Gray is a Royal Navy Top Gun pilot
based here at Pax River to test the F-35.
Every time I see this aircraft fly
in any way, shape or form,
it makes you want to be there
and fly in it, it really does.
The designers have done an excellent job aesthetically,
but overall it's going to be an absolute game changer.
What's fantastic for future development is the hardware
is already cutting edge, but the software,
we're continually updating.
There's a lot of work that goes into developing the software,
but actually dropping it into the aircraft
is almost as easy as an iPhone update.
This is your little bit of HMS Queen Elizabeth?
Yes, this ski jump is absolutely representative of our ski jump
on Queen Elizabeth,
and this is where we've done all of our testing
for the last three years.
At the end of 2018,
Nath Gray will be the first pilot to land a F-35
on Queen Elizabeth's deck.
Is it exciting? I don't think there could be any better job in the world
than when we actually put the first wheel,
when the rubber hits the deck and we have that capability
of carrier strikers delivered back to United Kingdom,
that we've missed for the last eight years.
That's going to be a huge moment.
It is then that HMS Queen Elizabeth will finally be battle ready,
with arguably the most advanced jet fighter ever made.
A long way from Commander Dunning in 1917?
It's unbelievable, yeah.
To look back at Dunning, 100 years ago,
to look at the ships he was landing on with the aircraft he was in,
compared to our aircraft now and the Queen Elizabeth carrier, I mean,
you could never have imagined we could make those leaps.
And where we will be again in 100 years' time, who knows?
Let's go.
Queen Elizabeth has been designed around the F-35.
The hope is that ship and plane will combine to dominate the battle space
to unprecedented levels.
The key to their relationship is speed of communications
and the ability to keep track of multiple and ever-changing threats
in any theatre of war.
In other words, always keeping one or more steps in front of the enemy.
This really is the stuff of Star Wars.
Whether it's before the mission, so mission planning,
whether it's during the mission or whether it's post-mission,
the carrier's equipped to efficiently soak the aircraft
of all the information it has
and then relay that straight away to the next battle space.
OVER RADIO: Here's the conversion.
Tower have given me the clearance. We're cleared for ski jump.
We're cleared. Here's the power.
Then release.
You feel like you're on top of the world.
The thrust of the aircraft, the manoeuvrability - phenomenal.
You feel undefeatable.
You feel like you're the king of the castle, going into that arena.
There is nothing else in the world which will compete with us
when we mate the aircraft with the carrier.
It's a step way beyond what we've ever had before.
The F-35 represents a new dawn for the Royal Navy,
one that signifies the strong bond with the United States -
Britain's closest naval ally,
since the days of Squadron Commander Dunning.
Now they're off.
Over the course of the morning watch, the ship has met up
with the American carrier group of the USS George Bush.
They're currently sat less than 500 yards off our port beam.
That is all.
For the last six months,
USS George Bush has been deployed to the Arabian Gulf,
supporting ground troops against Isis.
Right now, she's escorted by warships from the United States,
Britain and Norway.
It's good to see a key ally here alongside us in the Moray Firth.
This is the George HW Bush, an American nuclear aircraft carrier,
with a full phalanx of aircraft ranged on deck.
She's just come back from operations and she's off back to the
United States for some well-earned leave, I imagine.
The George Bush type of carrier is more traditional in design?
They are, in a way. They're based on the Nimitz class,
which goes back decades.
But, of course, they upgrade internally and so forth.
Yeah, fundamentally, they're different characters.
We started from scratch when we designed, so we had a free rein,
if you like, on the design, so there are subtle differences.
They've got one island, we've got two.
We're electric propulsion, they're nuclear.
This aircraft carrier is the first generation five aircraft
carrier - an aircraft carrier built around the F-35 Lightning.
So we've got lots of innovations and new equipment
and mod-cons on this aircraft carrier which they don't have.
I'm not crowing or boasting, but this is just a different beast.
It's a 21st century aircraft carrier.
But, at the end of the day, we do the same output, which is
delivering air power.
You know, it's pretty awesome.
You've got the American Admiral coming across.
He's in charge of the battle group, literally for a flying visit.
It's 50 minutes, so a quick bacon roll, cup of British tea,
English tea, and then they'll be off again.
Back for that coffee.
Welcome on board. Come this way.
Well done for making it work.
It's good to see you. This is cool.
How's the new car drive? Not bad.
We're working out the weaknesses and the strengths.
Yeah, it's fantastic, but welcome on board anyway. How are you doing?
Sir, how are you?
So there's a US aircraft carrier just alongside us
with two frigates, two 23s.
Yeah, so they've just flown on.
We've just done them breakfast, so it's exciting. What have they got?
Bacon butties.
Traditional English breakfast.
Bacon butties and English breakfast tea for the US Navy,
but next time these two ships sail together, they may well be
doing so as part of a joint response to some unfolding global crisis.
Historic opportunity. The alliance has been there,
but when you bring the power between the two countries
and with the addition of Queen Elizabeth,
again, the deterrence factor between our two nations is impressive.
More importantly, sir, did you enjoy your breakfast?
I had a great breakfast.
Queen Elizabeth might be more modern than her American counterpart,
but for Dickie Henderson,
she's still taking a bit of getting used to.
Under the sink, we've got
this invention which is called a grease trap.
Never...never dealt with these before in my naval career.
I don't think any other war ship has these.
You're supposed to clear them out once every couple of days.
It's never been done for...
Christ.
I couldn't tell you. Over seven months.
Oh, I can smell it already.
This is going to be horrific.
Oh, my good God!
Oh, Jesus Christ!
Oh, my God!
So the only way we can do this is by getting your hands in,
unfortunately.
Oh, my God! It's really stinking.
We'll Photoshop it out later, but...
The big beast in the background, look at that.
I'll lift this out.
I'll put that there.
Oh, Jesus!
I don't even know what it is.
It's one of the least glamorous sides of being a steward,
unfortunately. I wouldn't change it for the world.
Initial impressions were good.
I think they're quite interested that the Brits have done
something slightly different. Different in design.
Really the first time this ship has been alongside an American
sister, so it's good.
Oh, here's a good one. Oh, yeah!
Sorry about that. That's all right.
It's a good thing it's not lunchtime! I know, I know.
I had to quickly get it done, though, before lunch.
It's really stinking.
Don't some companies grow mushrooms out of this stuff?
I think I'll take my Chocolate Hobnobs elsewhere.
Ugh! This is the worst smell ever.
American F-18 Hornets -
a salute to Queen Elizabeth from the USS George Bush.
Excitement over, training must continue.
Dani instructs sailors in self-defence,
and in-ship protection in case of intruders.
With 5km of passageways and over 3,000 compartments to search,
the response force have to be well practised.
Made them these.
Kirsty's primary role is as steward to the captain.
I brought you a little present.
Oh! Is it a diet cake? Yeah, of course, yeah.
Excellent. In that case, I'm allowed it.
But Kirsty's secondary roles are as first aider
and member of the Response Force.
It's also Dani's job to keep everyone, including Kirsty,
up to scratch with weapons training.
With an empty magazine. Load.
Oh, my God. Just one sec.
Put my sling on wrong.
Check the chamber.
Praying position. Down.
OK, stand up.
Oh, my God, my BLEEP helmet.
OK, so the... MUFFLED SPEECH
Terrible.
You don't like weapons? Um...
It's not like I don't like weapons, I just...
It is funny, cos you join the military, you think,
"Oh, I'm going to join as a steward",
you know you have to do, like...
You have to handle rifles and this kind of stuff, but...
..I never kind of expected to be fighting intruders.
But this is what they do all the time.
This isn't what I do.
Oh, God.
We're going to start from the beginning, all right?
Queen Elizabeth's first sea trials are drawing to an end.
The ship's company is exhausted after nearly six weeks at sea.
But before heading south to Portsmouth,
there's one final stop at Invergordon to refuel.
Also for Dani and the band to make their first public performance
at the Invergordon social club, for one night only.
SONG: Seven Nation Army
Many of the ship's company have turned out in support of their band.
# I'm going to Wichita
# Far from this opera for evermore
# I'm gonna work the straw... #
# You got me so I don't know what I'm doing now
# Oh, yeah
# You really got me now
# You got me so I can't sleep at
# You really got me... #
# You make me feel like the one
# Make me feel like the one
# I don't know if we are going now
# Take a look at me now
# Take a look at me now. #
CHEERING
The following morning, Dani is straight back to work,
guarding the gangway.
Obviously, I'm on duty, so it's a bit of a come-down.
I can't believe it's already gone.
I was panicking about it for days, and it's just...
It's done, it was successful, everyone seemed to enjoy it.
So, I enjoyed it.
Yeah. Were you nervous?
Yeah, I was terrified.
But, a couple of songs into it, I got a lot more confident and...
..yeah, I really, really enjoyed it.
I'm looking forward to the next one.
It was a magnificent bonding experience for the ship's company.
Rather than just a social occasion that we can all go and enjoy,
it was, it was much more than that, it was part of the...
..the development of the ethos of Queen Elizabeth.
Definitely, I did, yeah.
My experience is that when you have these events
that bond the ship's company together,
it is all about preparing the ship's company
to be a team at sea together.
That's the most important thing.
The ship being capable of doing the job for which she's been designed
is absolutely fundamental.
But that's worth nothing unless the ship's company
inside the ship bring the ship to life and make her work.
The ship is a tool.
The ship's company are the engineer on the end of the tool
that's making it work.
And that's what last night was all about.
Her first sea trial's complete.
HMS Queen Elizabeth heads south to her new home of Portsmouth.
It'll be the first of many homecomings for Queen Elizabeth
over the next 50 years,
returning thousands of sailors from time on the high seas
to their loved ones ashore.
And so the day arrives when Britain's biggest warship
prepares to make her long-awaited entrance into Portsmouth,
home to the Royal Navy.
The crowds have been up all night in anticipation.
Thousands have come to see the supercarrier for the first time.
Three cables to run.
It's monumental. It's ground-breaking.
It is...
I think I said it a wee while ago,
it puts the great back into Great Britain.
Whenever a warship comes into port, according to naval tradition,
the ship's company must line the decks facing outwards.
So, here we are.
Here we are, finally, yeah. The outer approaches to Portsmouth.
Personally, very emotional. Yeah, very emotional.
It's been a long day coming.
My word, the amount of work we've put in to get here.
Gracious me, I'm very proud.
Proud for the ship's company,
who've done so brilliantly well to get us this far.
People complain about the modern youth of today,
well, they should come on my ship and see them, they're fantastic.
So, for me, near the end of my career, seeing this,
the future flagship and the youngsters on board,
it's fantastic. So, very proud.
Oh, over the moon!
Such an early start this morning,
but I don't think anybody really cared.
We're getting alongside today,
I get to spend an hour with my family before they go home.
You know, we've all been waiting for this day, and it's finally here.
It's going to be massively challenging.
It has been so far, and I'm sure it will carry on being.
We are the first crew to sail with her, that's for sure.
Yeah, it's...
It's pretty awesome, I guess.
It's definitely something to tell the grandkids.
I feel like when I joined the Navy, this is what I was working up to.
So this is sort of the pinnacle of my career now.
This is a perfect working environment for me to be in,
because we've got a bigger deck, we're going to be getting the F-35s.
It's just going to make me more and more happy
to be part of my branch and part of the Navy
and part of HMS Queen Elizabeth ship's company.
So...exciting times to come.
HMS Queen Elizabeth squeezes into Portsmouth harbour,
newly deepened and cleansed of German bombs.
This moment has been a long time coming.
Nine years ago, the ship's first steel was cut.
10,000 workers and over 25 million man-hours later,
Queen Elizabeth went to sea for the first time.
That was just six weeks ago.
But in that time, Queen Elizabeth has come of age,
and so has her crew.
Flood, flood, flood.
Go! Go! Go!
Plastic sheeting!
It's coming in. That's below the danger line.
700 sailors took her through gruelling sea trials
to bring Britain's first supercarrier to this point.
Navigating Officer speaking.
It's been about proving a warship and also bonding a ship's company.
Thank you.
HMS Queen Elizabeth,
the most powerful and capable ship ever to raise the White Ensign,
she will in the years and decades ahead,
represent this country's resolve on the global stage.
At the forefront of these responsibilities
will be the men and women of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines,
supported by the Army, Royal Air Force,
and by coalition partners.
Now, once the White Ensign is raised at her stern,
HMS Queen Elizabeth will officially become a Royal Navy warship.
FEET STOMP
MAN SHOUTS ORDERS
Three cheers for Her Majesty The Queen!
Hip hip! ALL: Hooray!
Hip hip! Hooray!