London, Dec 7 (AFP) Queen Elizabeth II formallycommissioned into the British navy the UK's newest and biggestaircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, at a ceremony today.
The warship, which cost USD 4.0 billion to build, washailed as "a true flagship for the 21st century".
"HMS Queen Elizabeth embodies the best of Britishtechnology and innovation," Elizabeth II said at the ceremonyon board the ship in Portsmouth on England's south coast.
"She will in the years and decades ahead represent thecountry's resolve on the global stage," she said.
The ship can operate with a crew of 1,000 and 40 aircrafton deck, and measures 280 metres in length and weighs 65,000tonnes.
Britain has been without any carrier strike capabilitysince the government scrapped previous vessels in 2010 as partof austerity measures to curb a huge deficit.
Elizabeth II named the ship in 2014, smashing a bottle ofwhisky on its side, but it is not expected to be fullyoperational until 2021.
The project had been dogged by questions about the US-built F-35 jets, due to be deployed on the aircraft carrier,and about the need for mammoth aircraft carriers whenBritain's military role in the world has diminished.
The F-35 stealth fighter, which is being built by the USin conjunction with Britain and other countries, has beenheavily criticised for its high price tag and a series ofdelays over air safety concerns. (AFP)NSA.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.