HMS Queen Elizabeth has welcomed 30 NATO Ambassadors in one of the final events of the global Carrier Strike Group deployment.
The Ministry of Defence say here that the officials were joined by the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) General Tim Radford and representatives from Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and the US.
UK Minister for Defence Procurement Jeremy Quin welcomed the NATO delegation to the flight deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth where the visitors watched UK and US F-35 Lightning jets take off.
Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin was quoted as saying:
“CSG21 has opened the next chapter of the UK’s contribution to NATO. The deployment has underlined the breadth, depth and reach of the defence and security partnerships at the heart of the world’s longest enduring Alliance.”
UK’s Permanent Representative to NATO, Dame Sarah MacIntosh said:
“It has been an honour to visit Carrier Strike Group 21 with NATO Ambassadors, as HMS Queen Elizabeth returns home. The Carrier Strike Group is allied by design, and has engaged with over 40 allies and partners across the world during this deployment. We are delighted to have demonstrated Alliance unity in operation.”
The visit comes as CSG21 nears the end of its 7-month deployment.
The Ministry of Defence say that the Carrier Strike Group has travelled over 40,000 nautical miles to the Indo-Pacific and back. Ships and aircraft from the group have operated and exercised with over 40 countries.
Another back slapping piss up for the bigwigs.😡
Isnt that what international collaborations are designed for!?
Bit unfair. Is that all they do? When you go drinking with colleagues and talk shop is all of that worthless? or does it build relationships and let you agree problems etc in a different way?
No. You talk about girls all night and wake-up smelling of urine, sick and kebabs.
Too much information !
In my opinion not unfair at all. During 24+years in the Army I have witnessed all levels of collaboration. It’s at the middle management (Senior Ranks) that stuff is actually done, maybe at the behest of an Officer higher up the food chain who has an idea but no idea of how to implement it. In my current employ I still regularly attend meetings and witness Senior Officers who get hold of the “talking stick” and will not let go. Passing the G and T’s around and watching some aircraft waste fuel for your entertainment is not good for Defence or the tax payer.
Rant over.
cheers
Just made me think of this 🙂 Don’t Pooh-pooh a Pooh-poohing | Blackadder Goes Forth | BBC Comedy Greats – YouTube
Blackadder was very good. Unfortunately it perpetuated a myth. Casualties among senior officers was proportional. Our armies were led from the front as far as was militarily possible. The information is available and it’s quite sobering. Post wars there will always be bores and Blimps. Taking the p**s out of officers is part and parcel of the P.B.I. and better for it.
I was always told that officers decided what needed doing & NCOs/SNCOs got it done on the ground.
Bitter?
Lager man
But QEC’s are central to NATO’s European defence objectives?
So it would be amazing not to showcase them in this way.
Italy is now on the way to being integrated into QEC operations.
With CDG it mean that there are three European based carriers.
Isn’t this what alliances are all about.
To the point made by @Ian M – hopefully this will give top brass some good ideas that the executive ranks can work through and implement. That is after all the point of senior management and coalface guys – they have different roles in instigating -> developing -> executing policy.
Congratulations all round to the Q.E. C.S.G. ship’s companies and air groups.