HMS Queen Elizabeth and her Carrier Strike Group are off to Scotland for Exercise Strike Warrior.
HMS Diamond will be first away at 0800; HMS Queen Elizabeth last at 1545, either side of HMS Defender and Kent.
Head of Naval Base Operations, Steve Hopper, said in a news release from the Royal Navy:
“We are, encouragingly, slightly ahead of schedule. Whilst two months ago I was having sleepless nights worried that it wouldn’t happen, the people in the base, the people who man the gates, the chaperones who escort the lorries, the jetty managers, crane operators, security and everyone else involved have delivered and the ships will be fully stored and ready to go as planned for which I thank everyone in Team Portsmouth.”
After the exercise, the deployment to the Indo-Pacific will take place. You can read more about that here.
The carrier strike group deployment is the first operational deployment by a Royal Navy aircraft carrier for more than a decade, and will take in visits to 40 countries as it makes its way through the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and into the Pacific to return home around seven months later.
HMS Prince of Wales is also at sea, stay tuned for a 130,000 tonne photo opportunity.
Great to see both carriers about to be at sea. I hope the HMS Warrior webcam is pointing in the right direction for departure 3-4pm.
Hi Frank,
It was just now, but then started scanning around the view. 🙂
I didn’t know about this, so thanks for the heads up. I’ll hopefully be watching to see her sail. 🙂
Cheers CR
WEBCAM sponsored by Russian tourist company so they can have a good view of the Cathederal. Apparently Russians are really interested in UK Cathedrals !!
errrr?
Salisbury poisoning…..
They were sight seeing and at no time did they spraying a weapon of mass destruction on a door handle.
lol I take it you are being sarcastic?
Your right Jonathan. I now remember the head of the tour company, a Mr Putin I believe, saying so at the time.
Tallest spire or biggest clock or something like that apparently its a massive tourist attraction, bucket list No1 if you are from Russia…
Tallest spire and oldest clock.
What’s not to like.
Wasn’t aware of a webcam. Interesting.
FFS. Brief glimpse of a 45 then camera zooms back to the mass of yacht masts and submarine. 🙄
Saw the same….clear view of the 45 going bye…for a moment
http://www.hmswarrior.org/webcam
Fair winds
Does anyone know if the documentary team will be on board? There was talk of them filming the deployment, but I haven’t seen of heard anything recently.
Cheers CR
I haven’t heard but it would be cool if they do film it!
Yes, they’ll be filming the deployment again. 😀
Oh, Goodie, gooddie 🙂 Me looking forward that then…
Cheers CR
Don’t cry for me Argentina.
🎶🎶The truth this we’ll never forgive you.
All through your wild rants….your mad invasions. 🎶🎶
Hi John.
Those words fit the tune really well, you should be a song writer 🙂
Cheers CR
In victory, magnanimity!
Thats a bit twee and counts in sports, but not I would say in war, or anything that involves death and dismemberment.
When people have died all you can have is slow reconciliation and for that you do actual need the belligerent side to admit the other sides right to self determination and to be able to live the way they choose.
Actually, that’s a quote from Winston Churchill….twee as you may find it!
If you are looking for the quote, it is from his introduction to the history of the ‘Second World War’.
I’m not sure how that does not make it twee. Look at what actually happened at the end of after WW2.I’m pretty sure we dismantled every vestige of the regime’s we were at war with, grinding them to dust ( well beyond the actual point of victory) as well as dividing Germany into two separate half’s and executing every individual we identified as war criminals.
As Michael Cheka, the former Australian rugby coach, said after England stuffed them. ‘Look mate, shit happens and sometimes you just have to suck it up’! As Churchill wouldn’t have said! If you still think that it is twee, that’s fair enough….there are plenty that think the words resonate down the ages!
Herodotus, just because a few words may resound down the ages it does not stop them being twee. By is very nature A free twee words do tend to “resonate down the ages”. After aII a great part of being twee is pretty sentimentality and that always tends to connect. So don’t get me wrong words can be lovely things, but to think a few lines can encompass something as complex as both the individual and national gestalt around something as psychologically damaging as War is…well a bit twee. Ive spent a lot of time speaking to veterans of WW2… Read more »
Wouldn’t it have been easier to just say ‘I got it wrong’? Churchill was writing about a better world for the future….his missives were ‘aspirational’…this is what he hopes for! To call his words twee is to dismiss him and half of the Christian world and its values. I’m sure that you have met plenty of people who know how to hate….so have I, and I have always felt deeply sorry for them. Churchill despised cheap jingoism and I agree with him…its an insult to all those Argentinians that died in a conflict not of their making!
Didn’t WSC also say something about Defeat? In defeat, humility?
No Geoff…..the quote is:
In war, resolution; in defeat, defiance; in victory, magnanimity; in peace, good will.
It’s a lovely morning here by the way!
Thanks Herodotus. Also here-24 deg now but chilly evenings. And on the subject of Winston-two quick ones. First-I visited the site of the Armoured Train incident near Estcourt in KZN in July 1963. It occured to me then, that the great man was still alive!! Two-after England My England try “Young Winston”. Simon Ward, Robert Shaw and the delectable Anne Bancroft
Hi Geoff, I’ve seen the young Winston film…..always thought that he was a somewhat irresponsible young man. Fortunately he matured into perhaps the greatest figure of the C20th. It was never a certainty that he would achieve greatness. He was considered a maverick by his contemporaries. Had it not been for the war, he may have passed by as a minor and somewhat inconsequential figure. ‘Time and chance happeneth to all men’ Ecclesiastes!
Thank God for Wiki.😉
I’ve just said well done Pompey on the other post but what the hell…well done Pompey. Brilliant pictures.
Just come across this on the irish media: Any clues: Nuclear submarine surfaces off Irish coast “The huge submarine spotted off the coast of Co. Donegal today may have been carrying nuclear warheads – but probably wasn’t. The sighting of the submarine was made by personnel on board the Marine Institute vessel the RV Celtic Explorer early on Thursday morning…However, not all submarines are the same. The length of this particular vessel was believed to be 150m or more, making it most likely that it is a vanguard class belonging to the United Kingdom. https://www.irishexaminer.com/cms_media/module_img/4875/2437724_4_articlelarge_Image_20210429_155206.jpeg However, the naval source said… Read more »
Noticed that only Kent is armed with harpoons should of been both 23s at least.
The other T23is a Guz ship?
The other t23 sailed from Guzz, would presume shes got the same.
A great sight to behold after all these years. The MoD still needs to beef up the aircraft inventory. At least they have two good carriers to put 60-70 aircraft on.
To get these vessel’s to sea, and prepared for an 8 month deployment takes an astonishing amount of planning. The logistics involved is immense, and another example of why operate aircraft carriers is so demanding. It’s emotional rollercoster ride in the days leading up to leaving the wall. 🇬🇧
It isn’t just difficult for a carrier. Its difficult for all units big and small.
Frigates and destroyers need to ensure all their gear will last through the trip… Things like load testing lifting equipment and Ammo.Make sure the high usage spares are on board and printer paper… You can never have enough printer paper!!!
For a real fun 7 month trip try embarking 200 Royal and a deck full of vehicles on an LPD along with LCU, LCVP all the Ammo for exercises and a shed load of nutty and pot noodles to keep Royal happy!
I used to enjoy the pot noodle machine back on Invincible. Got me through many a red eye watch 😆
Anyone seeing a lot of buffering from the Warrior webcam? Just when we want to savour the big moment!
For those struggling to watch HMS Queen Elizabeth leave on the Warrior webcam there is an alternative here.
Cheers CR
Thanks. Watched it complete with USMC on deck and little sailing boats swanning around as if nothing was happening. Then navy ribs shoot off to get them out of the way. Oh well, it’s a free country I guess.
Hope they stock enough beer for the USMC guys! lol
6 cans? Be enough for you lite drinking light weights
This is why the Save the Royal Naval site changed its name
An interesting read from a USMC perspective regarding the deployment of the 10 F-35Bs on QEC. Likely to be a lot of learning going on by all participants in CSG21.
https://news.usni.org/2021/04/29/blended-u-s-marine-u-k-royal-air-force-air-wing-aboard-hms-queen-elizabeth-will-be-largest-f-35-deployment-to-date
Enjoyed that. Cheers
Good article, cheers for the link!
Very mixed bag in the comments section as well!
I feel so proud. All concerns suddenly fade away.
I read somewhere that the USN destroyer accompanying the Task Group was there to fill a vital gap in air defence lacking in the Type 45’s!?? I thought they were the worlds best with the power to defend a target the size of London alone?? Can anyone fill in the detail here?
Others will know better but if there is a gap they want covered it would probably be anti ballistic capability. Probably more to do with multi national optics. P
I doubt that is the case,the USN is joining the Deployment as a Vital Ally and Friend,it will add to AAW certainly but not to cover a specific gap in capability.
https://twitter.com/TheBrit96/status/1388207405419356160/photo/1
Well I waved them off, did anyone else ? Such an impressive sight, shame about the journey home though.