CONTRACTORS battling to win the Royal Navy's £9bn aircraft carrier order will this week pledge thousands of jobs for Britain's beleaguered shipbuilding industry.
French consortium Thales is set to pledge that much of the work will be carried out in the North-East.
It is understood that the company, which is bidding against BAE Systems, has earmarked Swan Hunter, on the Tyne, to play a major role in the project.
BAE is thought to favour a site on the Clyde but both companies could make use of North-East expertise.
The Government has opted for a carrier design which stretches the life of the two ships, the biggest build since the Second World War, to 50 years.
Although they will enter service with a compliment of jump jets, the carriers will also be fitted for steam catapaults needed to operate conventional aircraft.
The design will make it easy to switch to conventional fighters, if they are required when the ships undergo a mid-life refit.
Thales and BAE Systems have both submitted designs for a 50-60,000 tonne carrier which is capable of holding 48 aircraft, primarily a mixture of jump jets, helicopters and airborne early warning jets.
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