F-35 jets and Merlin helicopters have landed onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth as the warship heads north to lead a multinational Carrier Strike Group deployment.

The Royal Navy say that the aircraft carrier, crewed by up to 900 sailors, with her F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters and Merlin helicopters will lead a mixed group of warships from various nations as they head to the Norwegian Sea and waters of northern Europe.

The UK Carrier Strike Group deployment comes just days after HMS Prince of Wales departed Portsmouth for the United States, where she will undergo trials and operate a multitude of aircraft and drones.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

“The UK leadership of this international strike group shows the strength of our commitment to working with Allies to promote security in Europe and demonstrate our resolve against any threat from potential adversaries.

With both HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales deployed simultaneously, the Royal Navy sends a strong message that the UK’s capability for carrier operations is among the strongest in the world.”

The first phase of the deployment will see the carrier’s F35 fighter jets taking part in Exercise Cobra Warrior, the RAF’s largest bi-annual exercise, which will see aircraft from the Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Norway, and the UK taking part in joint exercises.

The 18-day exercise will involve RAF Typhoon and F35 jets, A400M and C17 transport aircraft, and Voyager air tankers, developing interoperability alongside allied aircraft and practicing integration between fourth and fifth generation fighter aircraft across air, sea, and land.

Commodore James Blackmore, Commander of the Carrier Strike Group, said:

“It is with much eagerness that the UK Carrier Strike Group is now assembling for deployed operations – the first time the UK CSG will be under my command. This autumn’s deployment showcases the UK’s capability to operate at range from the UK and demonstrates our continued commitment to North Atlantic security.

The Carrier Strike Group is an agile and highly capable force and we are excited to be heading to the North Sea and North Atlantic along with our International Partner Nations to reinforce security across the region.”

You can read more on this here.

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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72 COMMENTS

  1. 8 F35’s have embarked. With 5 Merlins (Two configured with Crownsnest) And 3 Wildcats. T45 HMS Diamond and 2 x T23’s. And RFA Tideforce make up the CSG.

  2. Just Diamond and a tanker supporting?Relying on partner navies for ASW then?Suppose an Astute is up there as well?More C than CSG then!!

    • I would suggest its more of a case that its a “joint” exercise that involves cross partner training and interoperability that’s why its stated as being a multi national carrier strike group rather than a UK strike group. The UK has deployed its own strike group previously, so it does have the capability and ships if necessary. Any wartime strike group would probably be an international effort anyway … Hence this type of training !

  3. Well, Robert may well take issue with me, but iirc, the time the CSG sailed she had circa 900 crew.

    So have the lessons on the crashed F35 really been learnt when low crew numbers were part of the problem?

    • With the airwing, the crew is now 1500 fie this deployment. Quote from NavyLook. ‘Improvements have been made to the Air Safety Management system and joint embarked safety culture. With a focus of the pacing of people to avoid fatigue, and much stricter procedures for the handling of red gear’. 👍

    • Last deployment was a long round the world trip…. This one is keeping close to home with a number of exercises with NATO partners…and shore visits…. Navy lookout has the crew complement at 1500…

    • Crew numbers will be different depending who is board for what purpose. Core crew will always sail with the ship. Then add marines, flag staff, aircrew, small boats operators, contractors and so on.

    • Would you want to disrupt the other F35 operations so that you could put more planes on board, or would you want to fly out extra aircraft if there was a requirement?

      • Something that needs to be clearly understood here is the necessity of getting the flight deck crews, and indeed aircrew used to working on a very busy high tempo flight deck like the US CVNs. The fact is the US carriers can begin generating maximum combat sorties at very short notice because the crews train for it throughout a deployment.
        We cannot go to sea with a handful of aircraft and expect our crews to suddenly deal with a ‘surge’ in numbers safely, or be anywhere near combat ready. Decisions need to be made about exactly what we can realistically expect from one of our £3 billion flat tops and ensure our people have the training they need.

        • You are not wrong: in that flat top decks are busy dangerous places. You cannot just turn the knob up 3x on activity levels and expect it to all go smoothly.

          That is the issue with having aircraft so rarely embarked or otherwise tasked away doing Tonka’s old jobs as well as new jobs that hadn’t been though of until everyone realised how useful F35B was.

        • I would imagine that sometime in the not too distant future (around 2024-2025ish), before we reach FOC for CS, we will have ‘surged’ some 24-36(F35B) aircraft on the carrier for a period of time, conducting flying ops/trg, just to prove that we can do it. It is after all what the carriers are supposedly able to do!

        • Cannot disagree there needs to be regulation training with 24 jets…even if it’s just for a few weeks every deployment and in home waters….should be part of the preparation really.

      • “Govt has been delaying F35 procurement to save money”

        Is Australia considering doing the same thing, or have they realised that by the time Block 4 is finished, now scheduled for 2029 and still counting the next generation of aircraft will be making an appearance?

        It’s pointless investing in old technology which the f-35 will be from the mid-2030s onwards. After all, it was designed to fill the gap between 4th and sixth-gen aircraft to keep us in front of our potential adversaries.

        AUSTRALIA

        “Australia has said it is considering a “variety of options” for its future fighter aircraft requirements.

        The Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF’s) fighter force includes three squadrons, comprising two Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II squadrons and one Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet squadron.

        To strengthen future air combat capability, Australia has been considering the acquisition of a further batch of 30 F-35s to replace the Super Hornets under Project Air 6000 Phase 6 in the mid-2020s.

        However, the Department of Defence (DoD) has also indicated that the requirement could be met by continued upgrades to its F/A-18F fleet. This move could also prompt the RAAF to replace the Super Hornets at a later date with a different fifth- or sixth-generation platform.

        “There are a variety of options under consideration for the future air combat fleet,” an Australian DoD spokesperson told Janes . “The force mix will be shaped by Australia’s national defence strategy [DSR], and all available options suited to Australian needs will be evaluated.”

        USA

        “After some years of stalling over a fleet modernization effort, the U.S. Air Force will now upgrade 608 of its youngest Lockheed Martin F-16s in a massive program that will cost an estimated $6.3 billion.

        Managed by the Fighters and Advanced Aircraft Directorate of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, the program brings together 22 specific modifications—some of which are already underway—that address the aircraft’s lethality and aim to equip it for service until at least the late 2040s.

        The overall project—known as Post Block Integration Team, or PoBIT—is highly complex in terms of managing the application of upgrades across such a large fleet while still ensuring operational requirements are still being met.”

        15 SEPTEMBER 2023

        LINK

    • I’ve always been sceptical about the carrier project, not least out of justified concern that costs would vastly exceed the initial budget, leading to further cuts and delays in replacing the rest of the surface fleet.
      But with the first order of 48+1 F35s to be completed by 2025 and a plan to have as many as 24 available for CSG in 2025, we are getting closer to having a meaningful naval aviation capability that exceeds anything any country except US can deploy.
      Whether this will prove to have been the best use of the funds available I’m still not sure. But if the escort fleet can be replaced without further delays, I’ll be happy to have been proved wrong.

      • Your right, we should go back to having loads of lightly armed frigates patrolling round the North Sea chasing down both Russian submarines that are operating in the North Atlantic. Who needs a balanced fleet.

      • Numbers are misleading. We are behind again. I hope everybody here who seem to think there is no problem are right and I’m wrong but the second operational squadron was due NOW, the end of this year. It has been postponed for two years, now 2025. The TR3 deliveries are now delayed for at least one year, Block4 is having further system problems. Finally, lest we forget there is the small matter of getting the 48 we are due (no order for additional airframes forthcoming) into service, the target date for which is now 2030/2031 These are to be shared between two carriers and the RAF operationally, presumably with sufficient deck/ground crew to look after them.

          • Interesting Nigel. I think there may be doubt in some places, obviously not all, that fully equipping with F35’s might be for the best. Personally I would like to use the 48 we are getting for the carriers as you know whilst upgrading the Typhoon fleet with E.W. aircraft. I have serious doubts as to wether we’ll ever see the next tranche TR3 deliveries are now behind and Block4 is still having problems according to reports from the States.

          • If (?) it stands up in December, another six months late, it will be HQ only. It will not be operational until “sometime in 2025”. Part of the problem is that we do not have enough pilots to run both squadrons at the same time.

      • You can’t just send more planes, it doesn’t work like that. A carrier flight deck is one of the most dangerous places in the world, if your people are not on top of their game and you turn up the pressure, inevitably there would be casualties at best, fatalities at worst.

        • The Typhoon fleet has often had to rob pilot’s and aircraft to meet operational requirements. Especially during 2022. That was one reason why we then had delays in new pilot’s joining the OCU course. They also did the same back in 2011 during tge Libya conflict. Its not ideal, but it does happen. The F35 fleet is growing, another 3 aircraft will be delivered before Christmas. Discussions are underway for the next batch of aircraft to get to 74. Remembers it took 16 years to deliver 159 Typhoons to the RAF. So while we would all like to see more aircraft, they don’t just appear overnight. These are hugely complex projects. CSG25 plan to deploy to the far east with POW with 24 British F35’s plus 14 Merlins. That will look a very busy flight deck.

    • It’s a bit of a joke really. 2 huge carriers. The Crowsnest situation is almost criminal. The long range + data link is so vital to air ops.

      • Some crazy person thinks the RN can take on the PLAN off the coast of China😂😂😂 I will have a pint of whatever he drinks.
        The carrier work up was always going to be slow and unfortunately has been at the mercy of the F35b. While a great aircraft unmatched by any, block 4 (the standard the requirements were originally developed to be) is painfully slow. The fact the F35b are to replace harrier, sea harrier, tornado leaves a small fleet with a lot of roles to fill. That fleet will grow and it’s still the strongest carrier force the U.K. has had since 2005.

    • IT’S odd really HMS QE twice the size of the invincible class and yet her air group no bigger then the 80s and 90s sadly 🙄

  5. I woke this morning and sprung out of bed in such a good mood and then I made the mistake of opening my UKDJ link only to have all my optimism and confidence promptly removed. Thank you, I almost did a full half day without being made to feel inadequate. That just would not do chaps.

    • I know….never mind that what we have is a million miles from what we had. And will only grow.
      I wonder how many posters here with the usual complaints will be around in 2025 for POW CSG deployment when the 1st 48 have finally grown to the point we can deploy a good number.

      No doubt some thing else will crop up…
      Yes, assets are too few. But FFS….It’s relentless.

    • I don’t know I’m to cheap to buy a subscription…but if it’s a telegraph piece on the RN it will be utter bias based vitriol.

      • Yes, the article is a load of faultfinding negativity. Not so much news as an opportunity to highlight every possible defect and delay. I would have thought a more appropriate tone would be to note the progress the RN is making towards being the most powerful mixed fleet outside of the USN….River 2s deployed, T26, T31, ( with Mk41), T45 Ceptor and NSM, the Tides, FSS, 48 F-35B, UAV and USV drones, significant LPD/LSD capability, T32 commitment. Basically F-35B block 4 software and Crowsnesf are late otherwise its an very positive story.

    • Yes. Lewis Page is a sour pus. Apparently we should put catapults on the carriers. Get rid of the not-particularly-good Typhoons and buy cheap, powerful F-18s (as recommended by Tom Cruise) for everything. Get rid of the feeble F-35B and buy F-35Cs in a while, when their advanced capabilities might actually be needed. Ditch Tempest and stop manufacturing fighters because we are bad at it. Just Buy American.

      Perhaps we should ask the Japanese whether Mr Page’s Just Buy American policy is sensible.

    • Blimey, that’s a long way to divert to for a paint job!

      “The Australian Government will build an Aircraft Coating Facility at Newcastle Airport to maintain the stealth of Australia’s fleet of F-35A Lightning II aircraft. At Australia’s first dedicated coating facility, a specialised paint will be applied to the aircraft to ensure they are virtually invisible to an adversary’s radar. This work is vital for Australia’s air combat capability.”

      LINK

    • We have that plan for 2025 deployment, there are plenty of nations out there that could only dream of putting 8 5th gen aircraft on a carrier, that capability is the norm for us and the numbers will continue to increase. Don’t burn out your best assets on trial runs when you will need them for the actual thing.

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