Video: Thanks to this explanatory video full of really cool time lapse footages, we can take a look inside BAE Systems’ shipbuilding halls in Scotland, where the new offshore patrol vessels for the Royal Navy are being built as part of a £348 million contract, or about $730 million.
The first big step in constructing such ships is cutting the pieces of hull. You can watch how the computer-guided laser works from 1:03, and learn why this work is needed to be done under water.
The new ships — HMS Trent, HMS Forth and HMS Medway — will go on to counter terrorism, combat piracy, halt smuggling and defend UK waters.