HMS Queen Elizabeth left Portsmouth today bound for operations in northern European waters with F-35 Lightning jets, say the Royal Navy.

The aircraft carrier recently returned from the United States where she hosted a high-profile security conference between the UK and US in New York, in place of her currently out-of-action sister ship.

HMS Queen Elizabeth has now sailed for the next phase of her autumn programme, which will see her lead a powerful Carrier Striker Group of warships, helicopters and F35B stealth jets on Operation Achillean.

According to a Royal Navy statement:

“The Carrier Strike Group will work closely with NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force allies as the UK underscores its commitment to safeguarding European security. 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. 

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.”

Commodore John Voyce, Portsmouth’s Naval Base Commander, was quoted as saying:

“We wish HMS Queen Elizabeth and all the Carrier Strike Group the best of luck on their upcoming deployment. All at Portsmouth’s Naval Base are proud to support the Royal Navy’s flagship and prepare her for Operation Achillean. We look forward to welcoming her home when it is complete.”

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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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SteveP
SteveP
1 year ago

Anyone know what the numbers are in the air wing and which escorts are with her?

Robert Blay.
Robert Blay.
1 year ago
Reply to  SteveP

She is exercising with the NATO Joint Expeditionary Force.

Esteban
Esteban
1 year ago
Reply to  Robert Blay.

That was not the question asked.

Monkey spanker
Monkey spanker
1 year ago
Reply to  Esteban

Very helpful but you provided even less info. 🙈
Richards given a good idea of what’s in the deployment below.
The press releases are always a bit short on numbers recently.

Last edited 1 year ago by Monkey spanker
Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke
1 year ago
Reply to  Monkey spanker

Wonder why?

Monkey spanker
Monkey spanker
1 year ago

Operational security 😂😂😂

Robert Blay.
Robert Blay.
1 year ago
Reply to  Esteban

8 F35B’s will be on-board QE from 617sqn.

Robert Blay.
Robert Blay.
1 year ago
Reply to  SteveP

Confirmed 8 F35B’s of 617SQN departured RAF Marham the other day QE bound. 👍

SteveP
SteveP
1 year ago
Reply to  Robert Blay.

Cheers mate. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Robert Blay
Robert Blay
1 year ago
Reply to  SteveP

Didn’t want to give false information 👍

Richard Beedall
Richard Beedall
1 year ago

CSG22 was originally intended to include Queen Elizabeth, Defender, Diamond, Kent and an RFA tanker (Tideforce?). That may have changed. Air group wise – obviously QE has already embarked the Merlin MH.2’s of 820 NAS (8 helos?) for ASW, ASaC and SAR duties, plus Merlin Mk.4’s of 845 NAS (3 helos?) for transport and COD. How many of the twelve F-35B’s of 617 Squadron will embark is the big unknown, but 6-8 aircraft seems a reasonable guess. Any less wouldn’t constitute a viable number (e.g. for CAP duties), whilst any more would be an unnecessary maximum effort by the UK’s… Read more »

Nig
Nig
1 year ago

Aren’t there 14 F-35s on the Carrier in the picture?🤷‍♂️

Geoff Roach
Geoff Roach
1 year ago
Reply to  Nig

Picture is from when USMC aircraft were embarked.

SteveP
SteveP
1 year ago

Thanks for all of the detail

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF
1 year ago

Just one T-23 frigate w/ tail? Thought SOP was to include two during every deployment. Would any JEF navy contribution include a frigate w/ tail? Realize it may result in underwhelming performance, but something is generally better than nothing.

Jon
Jon
1 year ago
Reply to  FormerUSAF

Several multi-role allied JEF frigates have ASW facilities including towed arrays, such as the Karel Doorman and Fridtjof Nansen classes. AAW too. I think the Danish navy are planning on increasing their Absalon class ASW capabilities to include that, but I don’t know how far they’ve got.

ISweden’s Gotland class attack subs provide pretty good ASW and there’s a good chance one of those will be in the mix.

Last edited 1 year ago by Jon
Deep32
Deep32
1 year ago
Reply to  Jon

If a Gotland class is taking part, she will more than likely be part of the ‘Opfor’ units. They are far too slow other than short bursts to keep up with a Surface task force of any description Jon.

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF
1 year ago
Reply to  Jon

Has 2087 been adopted universally across NATO? Apparently designated the gold standard, against which any other system is compared.

Jon
Jon
1 year ago
Reply to  FormerUSAF

I don’t think so. I’ve also read that it’s regarded as a gold standard and it’s pretty widespread, but not only don’t all NATO navies have towed array sonars, even those who do won’t necessarily have 2087. Within JEF, the Norwegians and Brits have them; the Dutch Karel Doormans use a passive one, also from Thales. I haven’t heard what the Absalons will be getting although there’s reports that the Danes have been eying up various towed arrays. Finland will be getting a Norwegian dipping sonar for the Pohjanmaas rather than towed array. Outside JEF, France and Italy have it… Read more »

Deep32
Deep32
1 year ago
Reply to  FormerUSAF

That would largely depend on what the plot for the N Norwegian Sea looked like I imagine. If its relatively quiet then perhaps only one is required, if not then 2 and an Astute, if one isn’t already slated to be part of the exercise at some point in time.

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF
1 year ago
Reply to  Deep32

Thanks, makes sense, forgot SSN deployments are not telegraphed. Would not consider a potential sucker punch from Mad Vlad’s slobbering Orcs entirely beyond the realm of possibility.

geoff.Roach
geoff.Roach
1 year ago

I know I will make myself unpopular with some here but the reason we cannot embark more F35’s is because there aren’t any.

Robert Blay
Robert Blay
1 year ago
Reply to  geoff.Roach

8 F35B’s of 617SQN been embarked.

Geoff Roach
Geoff Roach
1 year ago
Reply to  Robert Blay

As I said, because they’re aren’t any.🙁

Robert Blay
Robert Blay
1 year ago
Reply to  Geoff Roach

We would only deploy a similar number for this type of exercise even if we had 70 or more available. We only deployed 8 Sea Harriers back in the day, did everyone complain about numbers then. Nope.

Geoff Roach
Geoff Roach
1 year ago
Reply to  Robert Blay

Your right of course. That’s why the U.S. and France and China and even Italy only deploy eight aircraft at a time because they don’t to wear them out. Back in the day as you call it we only deployed eight Harriers because that was the number the Invincible’s were designed to take.

Robert Blay
Robert Blay
1 year ago
Reply to  Geoff Roach

China cannot deploy any 5th gen fighters in any number, or anything to the far side of the world and sustain it. We once deployed 17 Harriers on-board Illustrious back in 2002, we did that once. 8 was the norm. As you well know, we will have 48 F35s by 2025, the gov has committed to 74. A decision will be made in 2025 about numbers beyond 74. So that is the plan. The slow pace is frustrating, but regeneration carrier strike is incredibly complicated. A huge pot of cash isn’t going to appear overnight to speed things up. Carrier… Read more »

Andrew
Andrew
1 year ago

Not quite following you….. the carrier will have more jets on it than the Russians can put to sea…

Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrew

We have also put to sea an aircraft carrier which they can’t…..theirs is still in the improvised dry dock.

David Barry
David Barry
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrew

Jets float, who knew?

Sounds a bit UFO to me or Thunderbirds.

Mark franks
Mark franks
1 year ago

Considering there are only 26 F35bs at Marham and not enough pilots to fly them, my guess would be six at a push. I argued sometime ago with few on here when these carriers put to sea over the last 12 months why no fix air wing? I was told ‘its such and such an excersise and F35s aren’t needed’ or they can be rapidly deployed if needed’ Poppycock. The whole programme is an expensive mess as it stands. I’m not anti carrier, neither am I anti F35s. It’s like buying the car of your dreams but not having enough… Read more »

Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke
1 year ago
Reply to  Mark franks

There has got to be a training or exercise purpose to deploying jets?

Otherwise it is a pure waste of resources.

Look at it another way the main issue is generating pilots ATM. That is slowed down by over deploying frames.

Question is: what is more important?

Mark franks
Mark franks
1 year ago

No it is not, Most of the training for carrier ops is carried out in the sim, flying training has been a mess for years, The airframes we currently have are not being over deployed. The UK government has said we plan to buy 138 over the lifetime of the programme. What that means is by the time the last jet is delivered the first tranches will have left the fleet. How long is the lifetime of the programme? When the line shuts. It was decided by Blair and then Brown that the Navy would have 2 big carriers, the… Read more »

Sean
Sean
1 year ago
Reply to  Mark franks

26 F35s still means the U.K. has five times as many stealth fighters as Russia has – assuming Ukraine hasn’t shot any down yet…

It terms of carrier programme costs the U.K.‘s is a bargain.

Mark franks
Mark franks
1 year ago
Reply to  Sean

There bigger picture is not just Russia, that is not what the carrier’s where procured for. Its fine if our defence posture becomes North Atlantic centric but we have and will continue to have wider and bigger threats around the globe. The carrier’s are only a bargin if these flat tops are equipped and used for what they are intended for.

Aaron L
Aaron L
1 year ago
Reply to  Mark franks

I think this plays into what I commented about on another story the other day. I think that it’s time the MoD has a serious think about what it is we are doing with our armed forces and what we want them to do.

There just isn’t enough money in the budget to do a bit of everything.

Mark franks
Mark franks
1 year ago
Reply to  Aaron L

Yep! We have been here before, but the Foreign office and are parliamentarians need to stick to the script.

Geoff Roach
Geoff Roach
1 year ago
Reply to  Aaron L

Here, here.

Andrew
Andrew
1 year ago
Reply to  Mark franks

Even a dozen 5th gen fighters deployed anywhere in the world would be an extremely difficult force to defend against….

More F35’s continue to be delivered, so the capability is constantly growing…

Mark franks
Mark franks
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrew

We are expecting a total of 48 Including one attrition 7 of which will be delivered in 2023. Meanwhile back at the ranch we are looking for pilots to fly them.

David Steeper
David Steeper
1 year ago
Reply to  Mark franks

UK to purchase at least 74 F-35 jets | Navy Lookouthttps://www.navylookout.com › uk-to-purchase-at-least…

27 Apr 2022 — The RAF now plans to have 3 frontline F-35B squadrons (4 were originally planned). Each will have a strength of between 12-16 aircraft. Assuming …

David Steeper
David Steeper
1 year ago
Reply to  Mark franks

Navy Lookout 27 April 2022.
UK to purchase at least 74 F35 jets.

Mark Franks
Mark Franks
1 year ago
Reply to  David Steeper

7 being delivered in 2023. When do you think the rest will be delivered?

David Steeper
David Steeper
1 year ago
Reply to  Mark Franks

I tried to include a link to the article but it was rejected by UKDJ. The initial 48 will be delivered by 2025. Funding is already in place for a further 26 wiith no specified date but assumed before 2030. Specifics of further order are vague because they are a matter for negotiation with LM.

Robert Blay
Robert Blay
1 year ago
Reply to  Mark franks

We have 34 F35 pilots according to the defence minister.

Mark Franks
Mark Franks
1 year ago
Reply to  Robert Blay

I’m aware, plus exchange officers. The ratio is not nearly enough and nobody is going through the training programme. It now takes 7 to 8 years to train a pilot in the RAF.

Robert Blay
Robert Blay
1 year ago
Reply to  Mark Franks

People are in the training pipeline. Hawk T2’s are still flying daily.

Mark franks
Mark franks
1 year ago
Reply to  Robert Blay

300 candidates on hold because the flying training system is a bust, compressor blade problems with the T2.

Last edited 1 year ago by Mark franks
Geoff Roach
Geoff Roach
1 year ago
Reply to  Mark franks

Cheers Mark. Keep saying it. Somebody may listen🙂

Mark Franks
Mark Franks
1 year ago
Reply to  Geoff Roach

Thanks Geoff.

Robert Blay
Robert Blay
1 year ago
Reply to  Geoff Roach

May listen to what? Fantasy budgets and procurement. Posting comments on UKDJ isn’t going to change anything.

Geoff Roach
Geoff Roach
1 year ago
Reply to  Robert Blay

Yep ,you’ve got in again RB Where do you get this rubbish of fantasy fleets. You mean aircraft carriers with aircraft.
If you don’t think posting on UKDJ is going to change anything please stop doing it.

MDS
MDS
1 year ago

Have the 30mm guns yet been fitted ? Given experience with drones recently in Ukraine the carriers must have something capable of last minute defence against swarm attackes surely ? And phalanx isnt designed to operate against sea-borne targets.

Paul42
Paul42
1 year ago
Reply to  MDS

The UK has not purchased any of the gun pods yet.

Last edited 1 year ago by Paul42
Robert Blay
Robert Blay
1 year ago
Reply to  MDS

That is why we have layered air defence. If drones are attacking the carrier, then somthing has gone badly wrong. The carrier simply wouldn’t be in the range or area that similar drones used off Ukraine could be of any use.

Jon
Jon
1 year ago

The plan is…. not to tell you the plan.

Steve M
Steve M
1 year ago
Reply to  Jon

first rule about the plan is……….you don’t talk about the plan, the 2nd rule about the plans is follow rule 1

Expat
Expat
1 year ago

US are testing these in the North Atlantic also, coming to a military transport near you soon 🙂

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/special-ops-c-130-tests-pallet-dropped-cruise-missiles-in-the-arctic

Paul42
Paul42
1 year ago

There are multiple reasons as to why we do not have anywhere near enough F35Bs, including Low Rate Production by Lockheed Martin and our desire to procure Block 4 models, in addition to which our pilot training programme is so screwed up we simply don’t have enough pilots to fly those we actually have……. I suspect the number deployed on this occasion is embarrassingly low so its being kept quiet to avoid attracting adverse publicity

Mark franks
Mark franks
1 year ago
Reply to  Paul42

My point exactly. I’m afraid some contributers on here haven’t grasped how ridiculously serious this is.

LongTime
LongTime
1 year ago
Reply to  Paul42

The decision to hold out for block4 makes sense, given LM haven’t confirmed whether current production will be upgradable. Training is in a mess but don’t believe all the doom and gloom. The biggest hurdle by grapevine is carrier work up, obviously 95% is sim based but the last 5% requires a ship and being carrier down isn’t helping with that.

Robert Blay
Robert Blay
1 year ago
Reply to  Paul42

8 F35’s have been deployed. And not one single nation thinks that is embarrassing. Because it’s 8 more than any other nation could dream of putting to sea except the US.

Paul42
Paul42
1 year ago
Reply to  Robert Blay

8 is better than nothing, but bear in mind we only embarked 8 for CSG21 and have received 6 additional airframes since then….hence I would expect a greater number. However, the F35B has the same problem as joint force harrier with the RAF also having its own use for them in land based scenarios like Estonia…7 more are due for delivery in 2023, with all initial order airframes due for delivery by the end of 2025, so a bit of a wait yet before we can put a decent size airwing on a carrier.

Robert Blay
Robert Blay
1 year ago
Reply to  Paul42

We have now fully equipped the OCU with those 6 additional airframes since CSG21. It’s a good thing they are used for land based operations. They are not gaining experience sat around at Marham waitingto go to sea. And not every operational deployment requires the carrier, certainly when its around the EU.

Rec
Rec
1 year ago

Could not the F35B become an RN asset, pilot training done through the US Marines? That would speed up pilot training and increase number on the carrier.

David Steeper
David Steeper
1 year ago
Reply to  Rec

The RN doesn’t have the budget to be sole operator. For the RAF apart from the RAF Regt it has it’s entire budget devoted to aircraft purchase, manning and operation. The RN has the fleet the RM, RFA and Naval air to fund from it’s share of the budget.

LongTime
LongTime
1 year ago
Reply to  Rec

On top of what David said the USMC are also having training rate issues

Mark Franks
Mark Franks
1 year ago
Reply to  Rec

I’m an ex crab. I will say if the RN took over flying training we wouldn’t be in the mess find ourselves.

Richard Beedall
Richard Beedall
1 year ago

Scarce and very expensive Merlin’s are being grossly misused used for duties such as a plane guard and admiral’s barge. The RN needs to buy a few low cost, easy to maintain, medium-weight, multi-purpose helos as ship flights for the QEC. Maybe some second-hand Dauphin II’s at a few £million each – including refurbishment, essential upgrades and a paint job? The RN already uses two civilian owned Dauphin’s (ZJ164 and ZJ165) to support FOST, and the British Army has at least five. 
https://www.key.aero/article/dauphin-iis-supporting-royal-navys-fost-mission

Last edited 1 year ago by Richard Beedall
Jonathans
Jonathans
1 year ago

But then I suppose you are then adding a whole new logistics and skill set pipeline to the carrier, which costs money. We do have plenty of Wild cat fights that can operate at the lower end.

Jonathans
Jonathans
1 year ago

Well I think being able to put to sea more fifth generation aircraft than any nation other than this US, is not a bad plan. A squadron of 8-12 f35S is more air power than anyone other than the US can put to sea.

Jonathans
Jonathans
1 year ago

Gosh lots of gripping about the air wing on here again and the fact we can only put one squadron on our carrier. so of missing the point that: 1) we are still regenerating our navel fixed wing aviation, so it’s still a bit of a journey and you cannot just get to the end stage of having 3 squadrons in a few years. 1) commentators are not really considering what any of our adversaries are able to generate as navel air wings, Or considering what a threat one squadron of 5 generation fighters actually is to 99% of nations.… Read more »

John Stevens
John Stevens
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonathans

Agree, well said..

Robert Blay
Robert Blay
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonathans

Well said pal. We would all like greater numbers more quickly, but in the real world, it isn’t that simple. And I get sick of people saying everything is ‘Embarrassing’, laughing stock’ and many other equally stupid comments. Pilot training is a frustration, but it will get sorted. And what we have today still has a long way to go, but it eclipses what we could do in the Harrier/Invincible days. And on another level of capability compared to the French with one 42k tonne carrier and 48 Rafale M’s.

Paul42
Paul42
1 year ago
Reply to  Robert Blay

Training was supposed to have been sorted out over 2 years ago, and wasn’t, it is in crisis at the moment. The French carrier with her Hawkeyes and Rafales has already demonstrated its ability to operate as a strike carrier and should not be underestimated.

Robert Blay
Robert Blay
1 year ago
Reply to  Paul42

It’s not being underestimated, but ours will soon surpass it. But if we only had one carrier, and 48 4.5 gen fighters, it would be cries of embarrassment and crisis and boom and gloom. Some are only happy when we are doing ourselves down.

Mark Franks
Mark Franks
1 year ago
Reply to  Paul42

Well said.

Frank62
Frank62
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonathans

Griping Jonathans. What concerns me is operating one of our carriers in the Baltic. Fine in peacetime for exercises but with many allies around the Baltic there’s no need to use a carrier there & in wartime it would be a needless risk.

Jonathans
Jonathans
1 year ago
Reply to  Frank62

Hi frank, I think that’s completely valid, having a carrier whatever it’s airwing, in easy range of land based strike aircraft in enclosed waters could be a very very bad place In case of general unrestricted warfare. But in reality sinking a carrier is a very long way up the escalation scale and you have effectively declared general warfare and Russia knows that only ends two ways ( total destruction of Russia’s armed forces and military industrial complex or total destruction of human civilisation from MAD), the force differential between NATO and Russian is just far to great for anything… Read more »

Mark Franks
Mark Franks
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonathans

Except for China, the Japanese, India. Japan is in the process of adopting 5th generation jets, Chinese are well on the way to at sea fast jet operations. India is also on the way.

Jonathans
Jonathans
1 year ago
Reply to  Mark Franks

No we have a better navel aviation capability than all three of Those nations…not a one has a 70k ton carrier supporting Fifth generation Fighters at squadron level deployment…. China does not have a functional air wing of 5th generation fighters, it’s got a few soviet hand me downs…. japan has no fixed wing aircraft carriers ( some on their helicopters carriers, potentially in the future could take a very small air wing ( possibly) India has the same as China just built what is effectively an old Soviet design. not one of these nations are anywhere close to what… Read more »

Robert Blay
Robert Blay
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonathans

Good reply. 👍 Accurate, and common sense.