HMS Queen Elizabeth sailed this weekend for three months of training and operations around the United Kingdom and northern Europe, in her new role as NATO’s command ship for the Allied Response Force, the Royal Navy stated.
The 65,000-tonne carrier and her crew of more than 800 will work through an intensive programme alongside allies, having assumed the NATO role in July, which is the first time either Queen Elizabeth-class ship has performed it.
Captain Claire Thompson, the commanding officer, said: “We’ve returned from summer leave rested and ready for the next phase of our training. Sailing this autumn is a key milestone for both our NATO commitment, as the Afloat Command Platform, and also on our journey back to the Royal Navy’s very high readiness aircraft carrier, a duty we will resume from our sister ship HMS Prince of Wales in 2027.”
She said: “Sailing with an embarked battle staff, integration and training is essential whilst relearning the skills required to conduct safe and effective aviation as we ensure that we are prepared to deliver operational activity at the heart of NATO should it be required.”
The ship will undertake advanced training under Flag Officer Sea Training, exercising across the full spectrum of modern naval warfare, and will rehearse how an allied naval force would operate together in a crisis. The programme continues into next year with participation in major NATO exercises, preparing her to take over from HMS Prince of Wales as the flagship and high readiness strike carrier in late 2027.
Queen Elizabeth completed her second planned docking period at Rosyth and returned to Portsmouth in May, and the Royal Navy took charge of the Allied Reaction Force maritime component in July for a twelve-month period.
I saw it pull into Plymouth Sound earlier today. I have to say, it’s seriously impressive just the size of it! T45 inside the breakwater looked big until it arrived..
There are only this things i criticize in the carriers:
– lack of self defence, 3 Phalanx do not cut it.
– it would have been wise to have an angled flight deck also to have another launch option without ski jump.
– may have been better to reduce the bridge to smallest possible like in US carriers to maximize deck space/ops.
Sorry. Forgot you’re a carrier design expert.
Alex, why would you need two launch options with STOVL aircraft? Nothing’s going to go wrong with a ski jump?
Also the twin Island design was in part due to the Diesel engines, as the diesel uptakes need space to be directed away from the flight deck. American Carriers can do a minimal sized Island because Nuclear doesn’t need the same uptakes and intakes. So the choice was really two small islands QE or Trieste style, or a single big Island (with more internal space given over to ducting) ala Cavour.
It could have been designed as some Japanese WW2 carriers.
Yes, and HMS Furious too, but there’s a reason everyone and their dog (including Japan later in the war) moved to funnels and uptakes. In short turbulent hot air and smoke over a flight deck is not ideal for flight operations.
* gas turbine up takes.
It’s both, off the top of my head it’s 2x Gas turbines and 4x Marine Diesels powering an electric motor.
But the large gas turbine uptakes are the reason for the two islands. Not the diesels.
Again pretty sure it’s both as each Island has 3 uptakes, and admittedly I’m guessing, but I imagine the two smaller ones are for diesels and the large one for the gas turbines.
“Alex, why would you need two launch options with STOVL aircraft? Nothing’s going to go wrong with a ski jump?”
Might be a drone.
It was a design option that was considered.
In fact if the sponson was added and the deck painting changed – et voila.
So technically it is possible, anything is possible, the thing is that installing the asymmetric sponson and ballasting the carrier etc is in itself a big projects as it changes the roll rate…which is rather critical to operation parameters…..
Just on the 3 Phalanx’s, we all “know” it was also designed for 4x 30mm but what we all “don’t know” is why these haven’t been added or even an additional pair of 40mm. Considering what other countries have on their carriers the lightness of defensive armaments on the QEs seems very odd and regardless of any accompanying escorts. Rather have more than less.
Pretty sure we do know – £££
Self defence is vital but my concern is lack of escorts and an SSN which is vital for TG ops. for
Be interesting to see the group of ships from NATO operating with it this trip.
The original “Built for and not fitted with.”
Sadly, the not-with-at-present is enough, UK escorts and fast-jet complement.
She is operating 12 jets which is more than enough to fend off any Air Force Russia can get out to sea. She is armed with Merlin and Wildcat helicopters which is what is needed in the high north to deal with Russian submarines and surface ships.
She doesn’t need large numbers of uk escorts, she is a NATO command ship escorted by up to 8 NATO frigates.
Good to know 12 jets is more than sufficient for a NATO exercise.
Pretty sure you just made up that number. Nothing has been announced.
Jim whereabouts did you here about 12 F35 jets for the record?
Is she taking 12 planes? There is no mention of it.
So, it’s now a NATO command vessel, that only takes F35 aircraft, meaning all our hardware and under the command of Europeans, nice to know our tax money is being spent well!