British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is to sail to the Arctic Circle in the coming days to support a multinational air transport mission.

The new 70,600 tonne carrier has not yet entered operational service but it’s understood that she is being hurried into service for this mission, with an MoD spokesperson describing the efforts of the crew as those of ‘good girls and boys’.

According to Foreign Office spokesman Nicholas Kringle:

“We’ve received an urgent request for assistance to support a multi-national air transport mission being launched from a currently undisclosed location within the Arctic Circle. As such, HMS Queen Elizabeth is being urgently deployed to provide emergency provisions and a ‘back up’ option should the cargo aircraft involved need to land and refuel.”

This comes not long after it was announced that the Royal Air Force will reportedly be on high alert in the coming days in order to track cargo flights from the Arctic region.

The move has been prompted by an incident around a year ago in which Typhoon aircraft escorted a Lapland registered aircraft (flying from the Arctic region) over the UK’s major cities, the pilot of the craft was said to be under the influence of alcohol and very “festive”, this is especially dangerous due to the sheer volume of cargo the aircraft was carrying. This is expected to happen again.

An MoD spokesman had this to say:

“Interception is part of what the QRA force do. We have to identify and confirm who or what is flying through our airspace or approaching our airspace and since the craft appears at the same time each year, we have a fairly good idea who will be flying but we don’t take any chances.”

The Ministry of Defence used satellites with infra-red sensors to track the aircraft last time this happened, it is understood that the heat from an animals red nose was clearly visible and it was at this point RAF aircraft began escorting the bright red aircraft over every British city, town and village.

UPDATE: We understand the provisions HMS Queen Elizabeth has been loaded with include Brandy and small biscuits.

George Allison
George Allison
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
Twitter

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

31 COMMENTS

  6. Dammnit…. I got to paragraph 2 before the obvious dawned on me.

    Sort of hoped the Elizabeth was being unleashed on the world ahead of schedule.

  8. I’m sure our brave and always accurate and never hysterical media would report that HMS QE’s radar couldn’t detect Santa’s sled, the mince pies on board were leaking and in all respects inferior to those carried by other navies, HMS Qe’s paint had peeled off due to reindeer poop, the ship had listed badly when Santa’s sled flew within 200 yards of it, it had been dented by an ice cube, there was a lack of coal on board to provide fires to keep crew warm and absolutely no hot water bottles for their beds, polar bears had chewed off the Phalanx CIWSs, a whale had gotten frisky with the ship when mistaking it for his mate resulting in sailors having to scrub the deck, the Poundland electronic toys in Santa’s sack being more sophisticated than HMS QE’s EW suite, and the hull breached by a glancing contact with an Eskimo schoolboy in his kayak.

    Merry Xmas to all on the site.

  9. So a short takeoff/rolling landing may need to be undertaken. How does Rudolf perform without the availability of cats’n traps?

  13. A bit off topic, but……………
    Living in Key West Florida – where there never has been a frost- the USS Portland (LPH?)was welcomed into port so the crew can enjoy Christmas. I looked up the cost a whopping billion plus, plus. But and I would say again but if she had been a Foreign Warship on a “goodwill” visit I would have been very worried.
    Therefore a Christmas Question: Why can someone/ some country come up with a similar design and let their/our friends build / share in a similar way that the Bay Class is not a Uk design? There has to be some synergy somewhere? By the way while RFA Mounts Bay – while here – is very impressive the San Antonio class is……… a wee bit more expensive

  14. Go navy!
    Santa rescue needed.
    love it!
    Happy Christmas to all the friends and foes (TH over there in the basement of the Kremlin) on UK defence journal

  15. Ho HO HO. trouble with the drive shafts on QE can be overcome by hitching up Santa,s Team of Reindeer, always a solution to any problem

  16. Merry Christmas everybody. Here’s hoping that Santa brings you all the kit you need for a happy and peaceful holiday.

  17. Didn’t get me this time…as still wary
    (Fell for the previous one big time)
    Merry Christmas to you and yours, have a good one.

  18. Happy Christmas to all.

    My respects especially to all serving and ex forces personnel here. I find expert commentary fascinating and enjoy the knowledgeable comments on this site.

    Thank you.

  20. Yup. A newbie on this site, and the first thing I do is fall for it. Been out since ’79 so my banter radar’s a bit rusty.
    Hello to all of you and be sure to have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and prosperous NEW YEAR.
    Special mentions to those fine folk still serving.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here