By Peter Nicholls PORTSMOUTH, England, Aug 16 (Reuters)– Britain’s most innovative and also greatest battleship, the 65,000-tonne carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, berthed for the very first time at its house port of Portsmouth on Wednesday.

The 280-metre (920-foot) vessel got in the harbour on England’s southerly coastline at 0610 GMT, welcomed by countless viewers.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is the biggest battleship ever before developed for the Royal Navy, according to the Ministry of Defence.

“Today we welcome our mighty new warship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, to her home for the very first time,” claimedDefence Secretary Michael Fallon “She is Britain’s statement to the world: a demonstration of British military power and our commitment to a bigger global role.”

The ship is presently undertaking sea tests. It can not yet release airplanes, yet flying tests from its deck result from start in 2018.

It took 8 years to develop HMS Queen Elizabeth, with building and construction occurring in 6 cities and also including 10,000 individuals.

Along with its sibling ship, HMS Prince of Wales, it belongs to a support program worth 6 billion extra pounds ($ 7.65 billion).

Commanding police officer Captain Jerry Kyd informed the BBC that the provider “sends the right signals to our allies and indeed potentially to our enemies that we mean business.” (Reporting by Peter Nicholls, composing by Fanny Potkin, modifying by Estelle Shirbon)