Aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth will enter Portsmouth at 10:25am.
HMS Queen Elizabeth will join her sister ship HMS Prince of Wales.
It’s been a busy three months away for the Portsmouth-based carrier which hosted British F-35 Lightning jets for the first time at sea as part of the WESTLANT19 deployment.
Commanding Officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth, Cdre Steve Moorhouse said:
“This has been an extremely successful deployment for HMS Queen Elizabeth. It’s all been about increasing the complexity and tempo of our activity, building the capability of the strike group and testing ourselves in a demanding training environment with our close partners from the US Navy and Marine Corps. Embarking UK F-35B Lightning for the first time and integrating them within the carrier strike group is a significant milestone and we are well set for an equally demanding 2020 and our first operational deployment in 2021.”
Captain James Blackmore, Commander of the Air Group, added:
“The five-week period of operational tests with UK F-35s was significant and historic. As the last pilot to fly Harrier from the deck of HMS Ark Royal in 2010, it filled me with tremendous pride to see UK fixed wing aircraft operate once more from a British carrier.”
Nice
Are there any 4-ringers commanding anything afloat?