820 Naval Air Squadron has been honing its skills ahead of HMS Queen Elizabeth sailing into Portsmouth.
They will be on board HMS Queen Elizabeth as she sails into her home port this week following several months of working with the carrier during her sea trials off the coast of Scotland.
Lieutenant Rob Andrews, one of the squadron’s pilots, said:
“This is the first time I have had the chance to both see and operate with the ship and it is still very exciting and hugely rewarding to be one of the first to work from such an impressive ship.
820 NAS has been working with HMS Queen Elizabeth in support of her contractor sea trials. This has seen us operate as a helicopter delivery platform providing essential stores and crew work-up ahead of our more operational role when she is formally commissioned into the fleet.”
According to the Royal Navy:
“820 NAS is the Royal Navy’s oldest and most decorated frontline unit and is made up of roughly 150 men and women – a highly skilled mix of flight crew and engineers.
The Merlin Mk2 is a vastly capable aircraft, with its primary role being for anti-submarine warfare, although it can protect HMS Queen Elizabeth and her task group from a range of sub-surface, surface and air attacks.
Recent years have seen them operate in the Middle East and off the west coast of Africa during the Ebola crisis.”
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon announced on Monday that Britain’s new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is set to enter her new home in Portsmouth in around a week’s time.
Weather conditions mean the exact date of the historic moment is yet to be confirmed. The window for entry will open next Thursday 17 August, with her arrival expected to be no later than the following Tuesday 22 August.
Earlier this week, HMS Queen Elizabeth met up with the USS George HW Bush and her carrier strike group off the coast of Scotland. The Nimitz class US carrier had more than 60 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines on board, who have been working with their US counterparts to test their carrier strike skills ahead of HMS Queen Elizabeth’s entry into service.
“820 NAS is the Royal Navy’s oldest and most decorated frontline unit and is made up of roughly 150 men and women – a highly skilled mix of flight crew and engineers.”
How many helicopters in the squadron? Are they all embarked together with all 150 personnel?
It’s usually 12 Merlin’s in a Squadron but it’s hard to know exactly because they change it so often, Chinooks are 10, sea kings were 8, Typhoons were 12 but now 10.
But 150 Personnel sounds like 12 Merlin’s.
So eventually there will be 9 Merlins from 820 NAS and 4 or 5 Merlins (Crowsnest) from 849 NAS.
Thanks for the info Kieran. She’s slowly coming to life – actually, not that slowly now, thinks seem to be picking up nicely. Exciting.
Hopefully the next step, now that she’s down south and close to where the Phalanx/DS30 expertise is, will be the weapons fit in the not too distant future. Better hurry up and book the slot on that one though because the Tides seem to be flooding in from South Korea at the moment and all wanting their CIWS fitted too :-).
No problem and yes she certainly is, it’s actually one thing the MOD have got right in regards to getting the Helicopters ready in time. 820, 815, 814/829 (merge) and 849 is 4 front line sqn’s, that’s 36 Merlin’s and 12 Wildcats for the Carriers, Frigates & Destroyers. So the surface fleet will have new, well capable, multi-role helicopters on board. Yeah hopefully that’s the next step Julian (to deter any amateur drone pilots haha) it’s all coming along nicely, with Prince of Wales and the type 26’s around the corner, and hopefully an announcement on the type 31, it… Read more »
Very exciting times! It would be nice to get an announcement on the national shipbuilding strategy but I assume the MOD is waiting for decisions on the Type 31, which may be a while.
“”Several months working with the Carrier on sea trials…” ???
Only seven weeks to day by my reckoning!
Yup!