Royal Navy First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, joined the crew of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) for joint operations over the North Sea on 26 September, underscoring the close operational bond between the U.S. Navy and Royal Navy.
Sir Gwyn took to the skies in an F/A-18F Super Hornet from Strike Fighter Squadron 213, piloted by Lt Cmdr Chris Kapuschansky, as the jet flew over the world’s largest aircraft carrier during its ongoing deployment in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.
The flight was part of a day of engagements aboard Ford focusing on interoperability, carrier operations, and transatlantic maritime integration.
Following the sortie, Sir Gwyn met Rear Adm Paul Lanzilotta, Commander of Carrier Strike Group 12, on the flight deck to discuss shared priorities in North Atlantic and European waters.
The visit came as Ford continues its deployment aimed at supporting the “warfighting effectiveness, lethality and readiness of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa,” while defending allied and partner interests across the region.
I’m sure he enjoyed it although it’s not really newsworthy.
good to see that allies in that part of the world can operate together.
At least he knows what a carrier should look like when fully loaded…. I can just imagine the yank saying look sir that’s what your ships should look like..