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Here's Why British Aircraft Carriers Feature Two Islands
By RICHARD SACHEK
An aircraft carrier’s island is the structure that rises above the flight deck and is one of the vessel’s most important areas. British Queen Elizabeth-class ships have two.
One of the island’s functions is to carry exhaust away from the engines and deliver a constant supply of fresh air, so it’s best if the island is near the engines.
When the British Royal Navy began designing the aircraft carrier in 2001, the increased separation between the forward and rear engine compartments was an important consideration.
Using a long island previously solved the issue, but this limited the flight deck’s size. After several ideas were proposed, the British settled on creating two separate islands.
This solution brought several benefits to the aircraft carrier. There was more room on the flight deck, and each unit could be constructed off-site.
However, one drawback is communication. The islands serve distinct purposes during missions: the front handles navigation while the rear does aircraft operating.
Missions typically require both to work in unison. Now, communication that previously would have been in-person is carried out via heavy reliance on an intercom.