HMS Queen Elizabeth and her Carrier Strike Group are preparing for a series of engagements with Singapore, India and Oman this autumn, say the Ministry of Defence.

The Carrier Strike Group has already completed four months of activity alongside allies and partners from the editerranean ton the Indo-Pacific region.

“Having passed the midway point of its first operational deployment, the UK Carrier Strike Group is preparing for a return transit through the Indo-Pacific, Middle East and Mediterranean. Since the end of May, the CSG has sailed over 32,000 nautical miles from the UK to Japan undertaking a range of air and maritime operations from the Black Sea to the Philippine Sea.

As a tangible demonstration of the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt, over the past three months, ships from the Strike Group have conducted a series of engagements with regional partners including Brunei, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. In a further demonstration of this international deployment, over the next two weeks the Carrier Strike Group will navigate the South China Sea with ships and aircraft from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States.”

HMS Queen Elizabeth and her Carrier Strike Group.

HMS Queen Elizabeth and her Carrier Strike Group recently entered the South China Sea for the second time, despite Chinese warnings. You can read more about that by clicking the link below.

British aircraft carrier ignores Chinese warnings for second time

Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace said:

“CSG continues to demonstrate our enduring commitment to global security and international alliances, from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle-East and beyond.  Our engagement with our allies and partners will endure long after the CSG’s visits and exercises end, with the permanent deployment of HMS Tamar and HMS Spey to the Indo-Pacific and close cooperation with our Five Powers Defence partners around the world. Exercising and cooperation with like-minded allies is vital to tackle the common threats we face, contributing to a safer and more secure world.”

According to the Ministry of Defence here, later this autumn, the CSG will visit India for joint maritime exercises as well as a programme of diplomatic engagements.

The CSG will conduct other engagements in the region before travelling to the Gulf.

“The Task Group will undertake F35 exercises with Oman and UAE air forces in the Gulf, and maritime training alongside the Royal Navy of Oman. Simultaneously the British Army will be taking part in exercises with Royal Army of Oman units which will link back to the ship to demonstrate interoperability between land and sea forces.”

You can read more about the Carrier Strike Group, including its composition, on the Royal Navy website her.

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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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Mark
Mark
2 years ago

Excellent stuff boys n girls and well done to the boys n girls that built her no sight of a tug being needed anywhere.

Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke
2 years ago
Reply to  Mark

Careful saying things like that……hopefully no fire main leaks….into HV electrical cabinets….

Any news of the dual purpose Russian carrier / submarine? Hopefully soaking up more and more of the Russian defence budget along with model building factory for new carrier designs that is in full swing.

RobW
RobW
2 years ago

Its seems they are still planning on repairing it and bringing back into service in 2023 with upgrades. Its service life is supposed to be extended by 25 years. What a waste of money if you ask me, they would be better off buying more frigates or subs. A sole carrier with outdated aircraft is just a token effort.

Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke
2 years ago
Reply to  RobW

I’d be amazed if it was operational in 2023: although it might be the carrier tug + variant with all motive and electrical power from the tugs. So a floating barge!!

The more money, time and focus they waste on that thing the better.

JohninMK
JohninMK
2 years ago
Reply to  RobW

The Kuznetsov is not a carrier in the way we would look at one. It is a key element in the Northern Fleet’s SSBM submarines’ protection and has no strike function. Whereas our frigates/destroyers are there to protect say the QE, the K is there to protect its anti sub frigates/destroyers that are in turn protecting the SSBM. They are indeed pumping money into their SSN fleet. The K, as shown by its trip to Syria, is not really suited for the role ours are optimised for.

JohninMK
JohninMK
2 years ago

The Kuznetsov is currently alongside with work continuing on her new boilers and weaponry. She is expected to go back into dry dock (after it is built) next summer to complete the work that stopped when the old dock sank. It doesn’t look as if a large amount of money is being spent and progress seems to be ‘steady’. A new carrier does seem to be held up at the model building stage, an activity at which they lead the world.

Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke
2 years ago
Reply to  JohninMK

“New boilers” are never cheap or easy to fit.

You do wonder if they would have been better off with a newer technolog drive train……

JohninMK
JohninMK
2 years ago

Maybe, but I suspect they did the calculations, factoring her likely use over the rest of her life and went for the easiest, lowest risk option. It helps when you have space to just chop holes in the decks for access.

Last edited 2 years ago by JohninMK
Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke
2 years ago
Reply to  JohninMK

Could well be.

She is really just for show: can’t see any real use in keeper her in service.

JohninMK
JohninMK
2 years ago
Reply to  JohninMK
JohninMK
JohninMK
2 years ago

So this is why they entered the South China Sea, not as a provocation (the Chinese didn’t react) but exercising their clear right of transit passage. Home for Christmas perhaps?

Donaldson
Donaldson
2 years ago
Reply to  JohninMK

They come home mid-dec

JohninMK
JohninMK
2 years ago
Reply to  Donaldson

Thanks. Maybe a Daily Mail pull out supplement to celebrate?

Airborne
Airborne
2 years ago

Busy busy busy, well done all involved.

Mickey
Mickey
2 years ago
Reply to  Airborne

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6205366

Stop in India and pick up some tea. 🙂

Dr Charles Howie
Dr Charles Howie
2 years ago

Freedom of navigation is a concept and practice which has provided a uniform governance for behaviour on seas and oceans. It has created conditions for safe travel, and trip wires exist when it is transgressed. In the UK, a trading nation, it’s clearly a keystone to our commerce, but the voyage of CSG21 would have had more legitimacy at home if the UK government had provided an opportunity for Parliament to have their say. I’m sure our Navy is smart enough to play this with a straight bat, but should China indulge in misbehaviour, by accident or design, and the… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Dr Charles Howie