A defence company is celebrating after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a £3 billion contract for two new aircraft carriers.

Thales UK, which has offices in Crawley, is part of Aircraft Carrier Alliance and will contribute to building the carriers, the biggest in the Royal Navy's history.

They will be named HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales and be capable of carrying up to 40 aircraft.

Each ship will be a similar size to the ocean liner, the QE2, with a flight deck the size of three football fields.

Building work on the carriers, which should be completed by 2016, will create or secure a total of 10,000 jobs in Britain.

The company's Crawleybased business will be responsible for the communications aspects of the carriers.

Chief executive Alex Dorrian said: "This is tremendous news for Thales UK.

"It represents the most important step forward so far in this hugely significant programme.

"Thales UK is responsible for leading the platform design, power and propulsion and aviation teams.

"Thales is also working with BAE Systems in delivering the CVF's mission systems, including the development and manufacture of the communications element.

"In the longer term, the company is committed to playing a full role in supporting the carriers in service."