The next phase of Exercise Steadfast Defender 24 has started.
F-35B jets are now exercising in the Arctic skies over Norway, launching from HMS Prince of Wales, to simulate defending NATO from Russian attack.
The next maritime phase of #SteadfastDefender24 begins.
Our @OC617Sqn F-35B jets are now exercising in the Arctic skies over Norway, launching from @HMSPWLS on the coast to simulate defending the territory of our allies inland. pic.twitter.com/3CQL34RaZ1
— UK Carrier Strike Group (@COMUKCSG) March 5, 2024
NATO warships RECENTLY joined HMS Prince of Wales for the start of exercises off the UK coast. The carrier and her task force practised sailing in close formation and learned how different navies operate as they began Joint Warrior – testing the readiness of the UK Carrier Strike Group and its ability to deter threats.
Royal Navy frigate HMS Portland and tankers RFA Tideforce and Tidespring joined Prince of Wales last week and their numbers were bolstered by Royal Canadian ship Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Charlottetown; Spanish Navy Alvaro de Bazan-class air defence frigate SNS Cristobal Colon and Danish Navy Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate HMDS Niels Juel.
HMS Prince of Wales is now under NATO command for the first time since 2022.
Sure this is us? There’s a plane taking off and a couple left on the deck. Spares?😇
yeah – so much for stealth . We are not supposed to be able to see it all -what a jib!
But we’ll probably never see the other hundred originally planned.🙄
Or maybe we’ve taken stealth to a another level and they are invisible. You have to have a laugh or cry 😢
👻👍
I wonder if this has anything to do with the TR3/Block 4 delays. The combination of delaying F/A-XX development and shutting down F/A-18 production may not go well for Navy leadership when they testify to lawmakers. “In terms of what comes at the top of the list, it is readiness. It is people. It is the today issues that we have to get on top of,” Navy Under Secretary Erik Raven told reporters while speaking alongside Reynolds. “Where our guidance directs us to take risk is in future modernization.” Details on what F/A-XX may look like have been thin, aside… Read more »
Hi Nigel, we’ve noticed your practice of sharing entire articles from other sources within your comments, accompanied by links to the original content. Whilst we understand the intention behind this—to add value to the conversation—we must address some important considerations that necessitate a change in this practice. Copyright Concerns: Publishing full texts of articles can infringe upon copyright laws, which protect the original content creators’ rights. Even when the source is credited, reproducing an article in its entirety without explicit permission from the copyright holder can expose our site—and, by extension, its contributors—to potential legal complications. Fair Use and Professional… Read more »
An interesting difference in tone between the go getting U.S. attitude and the it’s delayed, it’s a problem,it’s not our fault attitude of the MOD. The most interesting word is “readiness” which you and I and some others have been banging on about for as long as I can remember. There is no point hiding behind numbers of we’ve got X Y or Z if the they’re not ready for action. Two news items on the F35 this week. To paraphrase one says “Oh dear, more issues” and the other “Lockheed to forge ahead”.The wonders of the press.🙄 Work that… Read more »
one of the QE/PoW benifits can operate closer to sure than big US carriers.
Where they can be hit easier.
But why are they not operating in Scottish waters? Also why are they not armoured?
Firstly, why Scotland? Norway is like Scotland geography but… More? In every way?
Secondly, there’s really no point trying to defend with armour against anti ship missiles. They arrived faster than a shell does and weigh more, with more bang inside. You might as well spend the topweight and money on missiles and CIWS.
Not that we’ve done either.
Think he was being sarcastic, obvious some of the above are under the delusion they are up and coming comics.
Tee hee 👌…. 🙃🕳️
Ha ha… I see what you did there. 👌
Any news on QE repairs and about what occured?
Sailed for Scotland today
Thanks.
QE left Pompey this morning to Scotland.
Glad the guys told us that as Portsmouth’s HMS Warrior harbour cam has been OOS for several days. Hope both the webcam & QE are fixed soon.
I viewed her leaving Via a Live cam that some chap streamed from Spice Island and then on the Ryde Cam…… Warriors cam stopped working a few days back in the wind and rain…. I think a Bearing packed up….
😉
I think it would be a good idea when a NATO warship shoots down a Houthi missile in the red sea they should have some sort of recognition like a star painted on the side of the ship similar to like when a jet fighter shot down another jet fighter in the second world war..I think H.M.S.Dimond are owed a couple of stars so far
HMS Diamond actually has 9 Kills painted on her side…. 9 pictures of 3 different types of weapons destroyed.
Please does anyone know what percentage of time the QE has actually spent being available compared to requiring repairs. I only ever seem to catch bad press. Teething troubles I understand but surely enough is enough. Sad inditment of British workers/ industry
Sadly bud, like most UK “defence” now it is a total clusterfuck.
Unfortunately when you have a ship that size, with that amount of technology on it, which works constantly when it’s out on sea it does happen, no car is 100% fault proof, these machines do need maintenance and sometimes its maintenance that can’t be done at sea! They all come in and out for some tlc, repairs etc, not just ours but every country, The navy hasn’t just been in the red sea, its put 90% of the year usually above Scotland where the main Russian threat is with their subs, and QE 1 is one of our bigger battle… Read more »
Hi Sherrie, thanks for your contribution, I grant that our services are being asked to do far too much with the limited resources they have but here’s the rub, our MOD seem to think that our brave but highly put upon service personnel would be able to cope in conflicts they may find themselves. Training is one thing but no matter how realistic you make it it’s never the same as the real thing. RAF fighters flying nicely past your vessel while you shoot them down doesn’t train you for dodging anti ship missiles. I asked my question because I… Read more »