HMS Queen Elizabeth in numbers

The ship has been named HMS Queen Elizabeth after five years of construction work across the UK. Credit: PA Wire

At 72,000 tonnes and 932 feet long, Britain's largest ever warship in the history of the Royal Navy will today be unveiled by the Queen.

The 65,000 tonne aircraft carrier will be officially named as HMS Queen Elizabeth by Her Majesty who will be accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh in a royal ceremony held at Rosyth Dockyard in Fife.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth in numbers:

  • She weighs 72,000 tonnes

  • The warship is more than 900 feet long

  • The aircraft can carry 65,000 tonnes

  • The ship has a width of 70 metres

  • She has a height of 56 metres

  • The flight deck alone is just under four acres in length

  • The ship is able to carry 1,000 troops and 36 F-35 Lightning strike fighters

  • Each ship has paintwork covering 370 acres

  • The on-board water tanks can produce over 500 tonnes of fresh water per day

  • The warship has a range of 10,000 nautical miles

  • Its 110MW on-board power station provides enough power for all of Portsea Island

  • The two propellers can output 80MW of power

The HMS Queen Elizabeth will be used by all three sectors of the UK Armed Forces and will provide eight acres of sovereign territory which can be deployed around the world.

More interesting facts:

  • It is wider that the M-25 at its widest point

  • More than 470 London buses or 60 tennis courts can fit on the flightdeck

  • The length of the ship is equivalent to 28 London buses

  • The two propellers can provide enough power to run 1000 cars or 50 high speed trains

  • With a height of 56 meters she is taller than Niagara falls

The flight deck alone is just under four acres in length and can fit 470 London buses. Credit: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

  • Four jumbo jets could fit alongside each other on the deck

  • The life expectancy of the warship is around 50 years

  • The on-board distribution network will generate enough energy to power 5,500 family homes or 300,000 kettles

  • The 370 acres of paintwork throughout the ship is slightly bigger than the size of London's Hyde Park

  • She carries enough fuel to transport a family car to the moon and back twelve times

The warship is more than 900 feet long and weighs 72,000 tonnes. Credit: ITV News/Pool

The naming of the warship comes after five years of construction at six different shipyards across the UK.

The aircraft carrier was built in sections at Appledore, Birkenhead, Govan, Portsmouth, Rosyth and Tyne before being shipped to Scotland.

Some 10,000 workers from 90 companies have worked on the construction.

Construction taking place on the HMS Queen Elizabeth at Rosyth Dockyard in Scotland. Credit: Ministry of Defence

HMS Queen Elizabeth is now structurally complete and ready to be floated out of her dock 33 months after the first section entered the Rosyth to begin being put together.

The ship will have a crew of 680, with room for a further 900 personnel from embarked squadrons of Royal Marine Cammando units.

Her sister ship, the Prince of Wales, is already under construction, and is equally as large.

Seen here is a section of the Prince of Wales carrier under construction at Rosyth Dockyard in Scotland. Credit: Ministry of Defence

The estimated project cost for the pair is more than £6 billion.

Both ships will be used for operations ranging from supporting war efforts to providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

Today's ceremony marks the completion of the flagship and is the first warship to be christened by Her Majesty in 15 years.

To honour the ship’s birthplace in Scotland, a bottle of Islay whisky from the first distillery the Queen visited will be smashed against the bow.

Read: Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier: Will the UK get a pair?