Aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has arrived in Oslo, the capital city of Norway, for her first-ever visit to the city.

There’s video footage of the arrival courtesy of Norwegian TV channel VG. You can watch it by clicking here.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is leading a powerful Carrier Striker Group of warships, helicopters and F-35B stealth jets on Operation Achillean.

The ship is proving popular in Norway.

https://twitter.com/dlysearchtrends/status/1593816484177903616

According toย a Royal Navy statement:

โ€œThe Carrier Strike Group will work closely with NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force allies as the UK underscores its commitment to safeguarding European security.ย The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) is a coalition of ten like-minded nations, which are dedicated to maintaining the security of northern Europe. This latest deployment builds on a range of operations and exercises with JEF allies this year for the Royal Navy, including maritime patrols in the Baltic Sea.ย 

HMS Queen Elizabeth will be at the centre of the Carrier Strike Group, with the Commander UK Carrier Strike Group, Commodore Angus Essenhigh, and his staff commanding from the aircraft carrier. F-35B Lightning jets from 617 Squadron will carry out flying operations, while helicopters from 820, 845, 815 and 825 Naval Air Squadrons will be undertaking sorties from a bustling flight deck.โ€

Commodore John Voyce, Portsmouthโ€™s Naval Base Commander,ย was quoted as saying:

โ€œWe wish HMS Queen Elizabeth and all the Carrier Strike Group the best of luck on their upcoming deployment. All at Portsmouthโ€™s Naval Base are proud to support the Royal Navyโ€™s flagship and prepare her for Operation Achillean. We look forward to welcoming her home when it is complete.โ€

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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53 COMMENTS

  1. I have said it before but I will say it again, the ability to make port visits with such a massive aircraft carrier is a valuable diplomatic tool that should not be overlooked. Meanwhile the โ€œproperโ€ carrier is stuck out in the middle of the North Sea.

    Itโ€™s got to be a major factor in morale and retention as well which all navyโ€™s but especially the USN and RN are suffering with at the moment.

    • Someone reasonably wise once stated that simply showing up was generally beneficial. At the moment, all countries on NATO’s borders would appreciate some hand holding.

      • norway hopefully happy to see R08. think the uk carrier can generate collaboration between willing countries possibly more so than the mighty american carriers which have their own american escorts.

  5. Nice photo!

    I do see beside the Phalanx there is no 30mm fitted as was planned originally. Does anyone know why they were never installed? Perhaps the RN is going to fit the 40mm bofors that will be used on the Type 31, instead?

    Not to beat a dead horse here but the general consensus was – and remains – that such capital ships as the QE carriers are, are woefully under-armed and removing the 30mm cannons seems to make them even more so…

    Again, just curious as to why they were never installed.

    • I remember that being debated here but I think it remains a mystery.

      Iirc someone said they’d already been paid for, which could suggest they’re to be used elsewhere.

    • As stated on another thread, RN may have chosen not to install 30mm during peacetime, to reduce O&M costs and reduce QE staffing issues. Will attempt to remember the article which stated this.

    • If the carrier’s are to be sent in halms way, then every toy available will be fitted as necessary, same with the escorts. But if the carrier has to use a 30mm, then it’s a very bad day indeed.

      • Scratched my head to think of a situation and opponent and could only think of IRGC in Arabian sea. Something similar to USS Cole. Very long shot but not impossible.

      • Hi Robert,

        Let me be completely honest by saying I am no expert but couldn’t the same be said of the Phalanx itself? I get it’s radar guided and has a much higher volume of fire but wouldn’t the projectile range be similar to a 30mm?

        Before his passing a few years ago, my uncle was career RN for 30yrs and saw action in the Falklands. Later he was a CPO on Southampton. After the Falklands, the Type 42s had Phalanx fitted and he was not very impressed with it. Something to do with a missile the size of a bus travelling at Mach 3 and a pee-shooter…. admittedly, at that time these were probably early variants of Phalanx and maybe it has improved with age?

        In 1994 I did get the amazing opportunity to tour Southampton when she was in drydock. My uncle showed me where Sheffield had been hit – very sobering. I remember too that some of the access panels below the waterline had been removed for maintenance and I was amazed at just how thin the hull plating was. At least to me – a nobody – it appeared way too thin!

        Thank you again Robert.

        • Hi David. Wow, 30 year career, that’s some serious sea time. Phalanx is,still very effective, and has been updated over the years. Others on this site might be able to give a better overview of its capabilities. I think the new Mk4 bofors being purchased for the new T31 will be just as effective. But the best defence for the carrier are its primary weapon systems. Aircraft. And the escorts are the perfect tool for the job when it comes to fleet defence

          • i wish that my ship(Antrim had got it the slug and sea cat were as good as a stone throwing catapult

        • Early Phalanx was very unreliable.

          A number of people ask periodically why it wasnโ€™t fitted in โ€˜82: simple answers was that at that point in time it simply wasnโ€™t that useful.

          It wasnโ€™t until about โ€˜88 that the first useful models were produced.

          The main thing to remember is the closing speed of tungsten sabots and the missile is enormous so the kinetic energy is huge. Plus they are like hail.

          The 40mm fitted to T31 or the 30mm fitted to just about everything else has a greater range than phalanx. Obvs the 40mm has greater range than the 30mm.

          So it forms a part of a layered system with Phalanx at the core, 30 or 40mm, 57mm (if fitted), decoys, Sea Ceptor, EW / Softkill.

        • At least to you, a nobody? Fuck me David you are hard on yourself! Everybody is somebody, and service in the forces or not, opinions and knowledge is everything, about everything and for everyone. In fact some thoughts and opinions of none or ex serving members are more relevant than most, as you/they are not constrained by the system and by group think ๐Ÿ‘

          • Thank you Airborne – I appreciate it. Although I come from a strong military family, I myself have not served so am always conscious that others who have would know better than I.

            I do want to say to you Airborne – and to everyone else on this site who has served – thank you for your service!

          • Hi David, I’m of the same thought. Dad served in the British and Indian armies, joined at 16 on 1935, demobbed at 26 in 1945. I was nothing much at that age and I still feel a bit lesser than even now I’m in my 50s.
            Those that have been in war and or served are a different breed of people, they value mateship, serving their country and others, their king/queen/government ,culture, values and defending democracy and freedom. I think also, they appreciate life more are less selfish. They still are today.

          • Totally, we should always give thanks for those that have served and are serving, putting their life on the line everyday. As an Aussie-Brit I was pretty proud to see the send off the British people gave the Queen. The value of “values” is still there, sometimes maybe buried a bit.

      • Believe some official was quoted stating essentially that, relatively recently, but damned if I have been able to recall the specific article. A little research assistance from the gallery, please…๐Ÿค”

    • Could be idiocy on the cheap, plain and simple. Even the RFA and FSSs will have 30mm plus Phalanx’s in their defensive mix. Maybe Dragonfire is also on the cards for the carriers sometime. Obviously AShMs, torpedos, hypersonic, ASBMs, drones etc all need to be dealt with something including EW. A couple of RAM/SeaStreak type mounts linked in with Phalanx’s could potentially be added. I don’t think you can afford be found short in volume of SAMs in any future conflict scenarios regardless of your AAW escorts. Look at the hell in Ukraine. And look at the US, French, Italian carriers. Wish they’d also look at adding another 12-24 CAMMs on top of the current 24 T45 upgrade too. Save the Asters for top tier threats.

      • Hi Quentin,

        Navy Lookout had a great article no so long ago outlining the pros and cons of fitting QECs with point defence missile systems. Both sides of the argument can be made effectively but as you pointed out, every other carrier operator in the world has seen fit to add such a system to their carriers – except the RN.

        My question is – why is that? To everyone else, the pros must clearly outweigh the cons but somewhere, someone in the Admiralty (or more likely Whitehall) begs to differ.

        If we can afford (I use that term loosely!) to build two awesome ships at a cost of 6Bn but then can’t afford to add and operate point defence missile systems or 30mm cannons, then there is something seriously wrong with our procurement strategy!

        • Hi David, yes Navy Lookout is a great site with quality articles along with UKDJ. I have no military experience at all, but like you and others I find the carriers, when on their own, glaringly “naked” in terms of defensive armaments. I guess the “experts” must (should) know what they’re doing so we have to trust that. Even adding a fourth Phalanx would help with covetage/backup, that shouldn’t be that difficult either! The new French PA-NG has 4 x 40mm plus Asters. The Portside Phalanx alone has a lot riding on it. I just can’t understand the choice of the day sweet behind this, despite all comments about CSGs, T45s, FOD and not wanting to shoot into vessels next door. Dragonfire maybe planned. There are so many things that must be priorities and maybe this is not one at the moment?

          • * should read: can’t understand their choice… not sure where “choice of the day sweet” came from…must be somewhere in my ๐Ÿ“ฑ… Lol ๐Ÿ˜

          • Fingers mate, grown up fingers on a bloody phone thatโ€™s where it comes from, happens to me a lot ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ‘

          • Morning Airborne, yes I’ve definitely got 10 fat fingers! ๐Ÿ˜ Greetings from Sydney. Sure hope one day the Carriers can visit Sydney harbour. Would be be quite a sight. There’s a nice newly extended wharf at Garden Island Naval base here. Good to see the F35B numbers are increasing and all the new ships coming through. The T26 is looking nice. If it’s a bargain, why not one more for the rule of three? Then one more T31, T32… it’s endless. Will be good to see the RAN Hunter class when built in the next few years.
            I think we’ll need to send the ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ ODI cricket team to boot camp! They’ve all gone soft after winning the T20 ๐Ÿ. Hope they perform better for longer in the next Ashes!

          • Reasonably certain multiple ports in Australia and at least one in NZ will be included in next RN Indo-Pacific tour. Between AUKUS diplomacy and PR meetings w/ Japanese after agreement re Tempest is signed, the social calendar will be quite full. ๐Ÿ˜‰

          • I might hold you to it! Looking forward to the “Tempest” taking to the skies too. But they’d better fix the pilot shortage on the F35Bs first though… ๐Ÿ˜‚ ๐Ÿ˜‚

          • Aye, join the club, though at times the autocorrect feature commits subtle sabotage…,๐Ÿ˜ณ๐Ÿ˜‰

    • given the amount of deck space in the Albions for me, the need for them to be able to protect themselves is as great a need as the carriers

  6. Aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has arrived in Oslo, the capital city of Norway, for her first-ever visit to the city

    – – What does it do there. Will it remain there in Oslo?

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