DEFENCE chiefs look poised to give the green-light to plans to build two new aircraft carriers in a partnership between Hampshire-based VT and BAE systems.
The massive new £4bn carriers, twice the size of the current Royal Navy carriers, would be able to carry up to 50-planes on board and could be partly built in Hampshire.
Bosses at both VT and BAE are expected to hear by the end of the month if their joint bid to build parts of the two carriers, specifically their hulls, at Portsmouth's Naval Base has been successful.
The two companies are also expected to announce their merger, with the Government having already said this would need to be in place before the orders for the carriers were officially made.
If the deal goes ahead as expected, the announcement would also be good news for the economy in Portsmouth as the building work is expected to create and sustain hundreds of jobs.
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