Earlier in the deployment Russian jets were being intercepted almost every day and now that the Strike Group is back in the Mediterranean Sea it’s happening again.

In fact, it was reported that F-35 jets from HMS Queen Elizabeth intercepted Russian jets in the eastern Mediterranean more than 30 times as part of the Carrier Strike Group. Now that the vessels have returned to the region after sailing to the Pacific and back it appears Russian interest has been renewed.

Speaking to Deborah Haynes of Sky News, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that Russia had shown a renewed interest in HMS Queen Elizabeth and its F-35 jets as they headed home through the Mediterranean.

“It is not a secret the Russians have been very interested in the carrier group both on the way out from the United Kingdom – as she’s sailed and her group towards the Pacific – and now she is back in the Mediterranean,” Mr Wallace said.

You can read more from Sky News here.

HMS Queen Elizabeth recently made history for the first time that three nations have flown jets from the same aircraft carrier with British, American and Italian F-35B jets taking off from the ship.

F-35B Lightning jets from the Italian carrier Cavour have landed, refuelled, and relaunched from HMS Queen Elizabeth.

First time in history three nations jets launch from one ship

HMS Queen Elizabeth is currently in the Mediterranean following months in the Indo-Pacific region as part of her global deployment. As she heads west back to the UK, the ship has continued her busy programme of working with allied nations and partners, say the Royal Navy.

The Royal Navy say that this is the third nation that has landed jets on the carrier.

“On completion of the refuelling, HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH launched an Italian Navy F-35, Italian Air Force F-35, USMC F-35 and finally an F-35B from the UK 617 squadron. The jets then operated in the skies above the two carriers developing their interoperability and mutual understanding of procedures. HMS Queen Elizabeth is the deployed flagship for Carrier Strike Group 21(CSG21). CSG21 will see the ship along with the Strike Group work with over 40 countries from around the world. The Strike Group will operate and exercise with other Countries Navies and Air Forces during the 7-month deployment.”

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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38 COMMENTS

  1. This is not a bad thing really. Let them buzz as much as they want it is all very helpful in providing training to the task force having a ‘real’ enemy flying sorties over them. A good way to keep them on their toes I should think.

  2. One must say that it’s nice to see the Russians have won the private contract to replace the Hawks.

    …it’s not even Friday, Daniele. 😂

  3. The article mentions the Italian Air Force(AMI) operating F-35’s, on the QE, but out of 17 deliveries of F-35’s to AMI, none are B’s, yet, only the Italian Navy(ANI) has received 5 F-35B’s, according to the F-35 database.
    Is this an error in the article?

    • Someone said on the other article that the ‘B’ buy is being split between the Italian Air Force and the Italian Navy. All of the ‘A’ buy is going to the Air Force.

    • If they’ve not yet received any -Bs for the air force, maybe the Navy has leant them one to be flown by and air force pilot?

    • You can see in some of the images the “A M” – for ‘Aeronautica Militare’ painted on the inside of the lift fan cover of the Italian F-35.

  4. After losing one aircraft, I wonder if Russia is employing the same tactics like China to test the reliability of the F-35?

    “The JASDF’s fleet of some 215 F-15J aircraft bears the brunt of scramble tasking,” he wrote.

    “Since 2016, the JASDF have often launched four aircraft for each scramble.
    “These daily scrambles are gradually wearing the F-15J fleet out.

    The concern is that China has some six times more fighters then the JASDF, and could further ramp up intrusions whenever it considers appropriate. The in-service life of Japan’s F-15J fleet is now almost a decision that lies with China,” Layton said.”

    https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/28/asia/japan-china-fighter-jet-scrambles-intl-hnk-dst/index.html

      • “A J-10C multirole fighter aircraft on display at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition 2021. The 25th Air Brigade with the PLA’s ETC has been identified as operating the WS10-powered J-10C variant as of November 2021.

        The People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s (PLAAF’s) 25th Air Brigade, part of the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command (ETC), is replacing its legacy Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group J-7E fighters with J-10C multirole fighter aircraft fitted with locally made Shenyang-Liming WS10 ‘Taihang’-series engines.”

  5. Is there anything to stop the navy having a type 45 lock missiles on the Russian aircraft without firing them?

    Other than common sense.

    • Yes, though with Aster you don’t need a constant lock on an aircraft, as you do with semi-active homing or some of the earlier active radar guided missiles. By looking on to an aircraft you are signalling intent to fire. The pilot of the locked on aircraft will try everything to break the lock, as they won’t know if a missile has been fired at them, until it gets close enough for the missile approach warning system to spot it, or they are lucky enough to visually spot it approaching. If they have an anti-ship missile, they may even fire this to try and break the lock. By “locking” on to an aircraft you will be escalating the situation.

      However, with radar such as Sampson. It has an incredibly fast sweep/scan rate, but it also frequency hopping. This means the radar will track a target, but also hop through a number of frequencies whilst doing so. This makes it really hard for an aircraft’s radar warning receiver to keep track of what is going on. Thereby allowing the ship to technically lock on to the target and keep track of what it is doing.

    • It’s an *incredibly* hostile act.

      Consider it in terms of a rifle or a gun – only point it at something you intend to actually shoot. Conversely, the act of you pointing a gun at someone makes it reasonable for the opposing party to act in self defence and shoot you back.

      Locking onto a jet to “threaten” them is a risky step as well, because mistakes happen, especially under stress.

      Mistakes like USS Vincennes shooting down a passenger jet, a Russian interceptor mistakenly shooting down a Japanese (or Korean) passenger jet have happened in the past.

      Technology will not prevent mistakes from happening, on the other hand, technology can sometimes accelerate the speed at which a mistake happens.

  6. Send any video footage to Greta let her deal with Mr Putin about Jet after burners increasing Gobal warming , But thanks for the free Air Ex Comrade now we are awry of the Capabilites alas not under return fire

  8. it WILL happen at some time these childish sabre rattling antics of the russian forces that an accident occurs russia of all nations should have realiesed by not that its a waste of time and that western nations will at some time call their bluff, thats when things could really turn nasty the u.k csg needs to be on top of its game. when this russian stupidity happens

    • During the Cold War, the Russians used too play a stupid game of Chicken ,with their Surface vessels in the North Atlantic , there was a couple of near misses Bow crossing bloody stupidity

    • I spend 22 years in the US Navy from 1972 to 1994. And sailed on Aircraft Carriers as Flight Deck Crew. It has never stooped. And how we or any allied has not had a mishap is a statement of the professionalism of the US, UK, and all allied forces.

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