HMS Queen Elizabeth has encountered a dangerous foe at sea, a massive inflatable target known as the “Killer Tomato”.
This nickname refers to a large inflatable naval gunnery target. Deployed during surface gunnery training, the Killer Tomato simulates small surface threats. Its bright red, bulbous shape and erratic bobbing in the waves earned it the nickname, a nod to the 1978 cult comedy film Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.
Back to basics.
Our GPMG teams keep their skills sharp with a gunnery serial at sea, using the famous ‘killer tomato’ as their target. pic.twitter.com/zog9XpHLac
— HMS Queen Elizabeth (@HMSQNLZ) July 23, 2025
Live-fire exercises involving inflatable and towed targets allow sailors to build confidence in their weapons and sharpen their judgement under pressure in a safe and controlled setting. Training against physical targets at sea helps bridge the gap between simulator-based learning and operational readiness.
The use of inflatable targets is widespread across the fleet. Frigates, destroyers, and support ships also conduct regular live-fire training against Killer Tomatoes and other gunnery aids such as the towed Hammerhead, remotely controlled fast targets, and static target barges.
These exercises are an integral part of the Royal Navy’s commitment to readiness. They ensure that personnel are not only familiar with their weapons systems but also capable of responding rapidly and accurately in real-world maritime combat scenarios.
Recently, HMS Queen Elizabeth left Portsmouth to begin sea trials, marking the transition from the first to the second phase of a planned overhaul.
The carrier will test new navigation and propulsion systems in UK waters before sailing north to Rosyth for a seven-month dry docking at Babcock Dockyard. The work follows nine months of engineering and crew training in Portsmouth as part of the ship’s mid-life maintenance, described by the Navy as equivalent to a car MOT.
“We have achieved an enormous amount in 2025, with a significant upgrade to our propulsion system being the most notable item amidst a wide range of engineering projects tackled alongside our partners from industry,” said Captain Claire Thompson, the ship’s commanding officer.
“Although HMS Queen Elizabeth is now due a seven-month docking period in Rosyth after a short period of sea trials, my focus remains generating a highly capable team that can take the ship from our docking period and work towards front-line duties.”
Sea trials will be overseen by the Royal Navy’s Fleet Operational Standards and Training (FOST) teams, assessing the crew’s ability to manage emergencies including damage control, fire and flood response.
The docking in Rosyth will allow inspection and upgrades to systems inaccessible while afloat. The ship’s company will be split between accommodation in HMS Caledonia in Fife and facilities in Portsmouth, with sailors expected to engage with Scottish affiliates during the stay.
The maintenance period follows six years of high operational tempo, including a 2021 global deployment to the Indo-Pacific and participation in NATO exercises. The current work is intended to prepare the carrier for its next front-line mission.
Next.
I guess one day someone will actually hit the bloody thing and sink it. Every ship in the RN seems to have tried to.
People are worried about Russia or China or North Korea, but by god it’s the tomatoes that have been flying under the radar for years and now constitute an imminent threat to the freedom and democracy of Western nations! Today, fruits and vegetables are too important to be left to the politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for grocery shopping. I can no longer sit back and allow tomato infiltration, tomato indoctrination, tomato subversion and the international tomato conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids!
VEGANS (they always SHOUT) are slowly taking over the World.
I’ve come over all curious. Would this be with .50 caliber guns? Are they aimed and shot manually during practice or do they use ship’s systems? Do they test soft-kill defences against C-UAV?
Are there flying killer tomatoes yet? I think there should be!
It mentions “Our GPMG Teams” in the article, which is pretty much all they have !
It’s good to know the carriers are well able to defend themselves against Somali pirates.
Where are the BushMaster mounts, that should be doing this?
They are being/have been phased out in favour of the .50 M2’s.
Correction – the DS30M mounts have never been fitted to either Carrier ( yet ),the,50 cals have replaced the MK44 MiniGun in RN service.
Correction no2 – the Article refers to 7.62 GPMG Mounts,not .50 cal M2’s.