The forward island of Britain's second Queen Elizabeth-class carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, is ready for integration with the rest of the ship, BAE Systems said.

The forward island, which contains the ship's bridge and about 100 vital mission systems compartments, is at a shipyard in Govan, Scotland, and will be transported by barge to Rosyth, Scotland, beginning on Friday.

BAE Systems said a single remote control and 144 wheels were used to drive the 749.5-ton structure from the building hall to dock side at a speed of half a mile per hour.

"This is a fantastic milestone for HMS Prince of Wales as its forward island is delivered ahead of schedule and to an exceptional standard of engineering," said Mick Ord, managing director at BAE Systems Naval Ships. "It's a proud day for everyone on the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier program and an important reminder of their tremendous dedication and skill in naval engineering."

Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft are of twin-island design. The ships' aft island functions as an airport control tower to coordinate aircraft movements. Both islands, however, are designed to take over the other's role in an emergency.

Queen Elizabeth-class carriers are 920 feet long, 128 feet in the beam at waterline, have a speed of more than 25 knots, and can carry as many as 50 aircraft.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is expected to achieve initial operating capability in 2017.