Britain said on Tuesday it was set to sign a long-awaited 4 billion pound ($7.8 billion) deal to build two aircraft carriers, which will be the Royal Navy's largest ever ships and are set for 50 years of service. "Today's confirmation that we are proceeding with the two aircraft carriers underlines our commitment to both the Royal Navy and the UK shipbuilding industry," Minister for Defense Equipment and Support, Ann Taylor, was quoted as saying by Reuters. The 65,000-tonne carriers, due to be called Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales and enter service in 2014 and 2016, are expected to each carry 36 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter combat jets as well as four early warning aircraft.
