A METAL coating capable of withstanding 1,500°C of heat from fighter jet exhausts will be sprayed onto the new aircraft carriers in Rosyth.

The combination of aluminium and titanium will be applied to the flight deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth ahead of sea trials next year and flight trials in 2018.

Specialist teams from the Aircraft Carrier Alliance came up with a thermal coating capable of resisting the extremely hot exhaust gases emitted by the new F-35B Lightning II fighter jet during its short take-off and vertical landings.

Ian Booth, managing director of the alliance, said: “There is incredible momentum behind the programme to prepare HMS Queen Elizabeth for sea trials and integrate the F-35B Lightning II aircraft.

"Working with experts in the UK, we have developed a unique coating to provide the necessary protection to the flight deck of the aircraft carriers and this will ensure they can deliver the UK’s carrier strike capability for the next 50 years."

The metal coating can withstand temperatures of up to 1,500°C (2,700°F) and was developed in partnership with Monitor Coatings, based in Tyne and Wear.

It will be applied to 2,000 square metres of the 19,000 sq m deck using a specially developed robotic spray, which fires powdered metal through a jet of plasma at temperatures of almost 10,000°C (18,000°F).

The molten droplets then flatten and quickly solidify, creating a rough coating up to 2.5 mm thick that is bonded to the steel beneath.

It will also be applied to the second carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales.

Captain Simon Petitt, Senior naval officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth, said: "The new flight deck coating is one of the many 21st century engineering innovations being incorporated in the Queen Elizabeth Class programme.

"As the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy, these powerful ambassadors will protect UK interests around the globe for the next 50 years."

The carriers, costing more than £6 billion, can each accommodate up to 40 rotary and fixed wing aircraft, including the new fighter jets.

Each 65,000 tonne ship will provide the armed forces with a four acre operating base which can be deployed worldwide.

The vessels will be versatile enough to be used for operations ranging from supporting war efforts to providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief.