Britain’s two aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, are currently at sea.
As HMS Queen Elizabeth showcases military might and NATO unity in the North Seas, HMS Prince of Wales ventures into technological frontiers off the USA’s Eastern Seaboard.
HMS Queen Elizabeth: Leading the Carrier Strike Group
Setting sail from Portsmouth, HMS Queen Elizabeth is leading a Carrier Strike Group (CSG). The deployment is expected to involve a slew of rigorous ship movements and aerial exercises. The range of these exercises is vast, encompassing submarine drills, F-35 fighter jet operations, and several other aerial assets.
QNLZ has welcomed a lot of additional people for our upcoming deployment, from the @FleetAirArm, Carrier Strike Group, and @RoyalAirForce!
Could you see a role in the @RoyalNavy?@OC617Sqn @820NAS @847NAS @COMUKCSG #KingsFlagship #UKCSG23 #JEFTogether pic.twitter.com/cnyjflNnpv
— HMS Queen Elizabeth (@HMSQNLZ) September 7, 2023
HMS Prince of Wales: Pushing Naval Aviation Boundaries
HMS Prince of Wales will soon be operating off the Eastern Seaboard of the USA, Prince of Wales is engaged in a series of experiments slated to continue until Christmas. These experiments revolve around cutting-edge technology, including F-35 Lightning stealth fighters, Osprey tilt-rotors, and the advanced Mojave drone.
Captain Richard Hewitt reflected on the ship’s achievements since departing Portsmouth, specifically the success in autonomous drone operations. As per Captain Hewitt, the deployment and operation of drones like these “will become the norm across future Royal Navy Carrier Strike Groups in our 50-year lifespan.”
Earlier drone trials on HMS Prince of Wales, which involved smaller quadcopters and Banshee targets, now seem to be overshadowed by the recent experiments off Cornwall. These trials represent the first stage of an ambitious autumn programme aiming to redefine naval aviation’s boundaries for the UK’s largest warship.
Two carriers at sea with QE operating with an enhanced maintenance crew having learned the lessons from losing an F35?
No mention.
PW operating as a test platform. Not, carrier strike. And not bombed up in case the sh!t hit the fan and she was needed on ops! Or would she embark a USMC Squadron or three?
Let comments begin!
What sh!t hitting the fan are you expecting, just curious. Western Europe in naval terms is very well secured at the moment. The ships our only naval adversary in our continent can put to sea are surrounded by shore launched missiles, jets and submarines and there is a huge barrier of SAMs between us and them.
Being brutally honest, we probably wouldn’t even need a carrier to keep our island secure if a warning Europe did erupt – let alone two.
And you have?
What?
Serious question
1. Have the lessons of the F35 crash been learnt – issues were identified that included much fewer personnel?
2. If events erupted in the SCS, would PW return to the UK to rearm or would she receive a USMC F35 unit (s)?
Legitimate questions.
Yes. Lessons have been very much been learnt. New procedures. New intake blanking covers. And for longer deployments, more manning. The F35 force is in a much better place today compared to 2021. I don’t know why you think it’s going to kick off in the SCS at such short notice. A lot of politics would have to go very wrong before any of that. But for the purpose of your question. The QE is at 48hrs notice to deploy as she is the current on call carrier. POW is at 30 days notice to deploy, hence why she is… Read more »
Dear Robert, thank you very much for a fulsome reply.
David
And you know all this?No you don’t.
What part does the symbol ‘?’ play in grammar?
Anyone know the composition of the QNLZ CSG?
HMS Diamond plus one Tide Class sailing with HMS QE, i do not know of any other ships.
Do you know who is escorting POW?
Apart from meeting up with HMS Dauntless accross the Atlantic none that i have read of, but she will be on extensive Trials and Training so no obvious need.
There is always a need to have an escort with these assets…
Could always be an Astute with it, not that they’d tell us!
I think there will be 8 F35’s on board plus of course a mix of helicopters.. As Paul T said.. HMS Diamond will deployed with the Carrier plus other nations escorts will also be involved.
Sounds like a massive and powerful group. All that’s missing is a tug.
Fe mixed with many other elements of the Periodic Table.
Happy to help, Sir!
No SSN with either I can gather. Last I heard they were all alongside in Devonport or Faslane.
One ssn left a couple of days after that story broke. Who knows where. Typically it’s a secret.
I think we will see more going out as required.
One at sea is an improvement. With two carriers at sea. I suppose there is the not knowing thing for a potential adversary. Simple maths would say we need at least three at sea. One with each carrier and one with the garage onboard. Bit like a conversation I had with a friend who has recently had twins. I am full of admiration for parents with twins or triplets etc. My quandary with twins if they run of in separate directions which one do you save. Most mums say keep a tight hold on them both. A bit difficult if… Read more »
Surely one SSN is out guarding the bomber?
Doubtful. The bomber is so quiet, moving slowly hiding in sea levels that they’re almost undetectable. An SSN would most likely just attract more attention in my view.
They would also have to communicate to stay in same area.
The SSBN captain decides where to go and hide.
A U.K. and french SSBN crashed into each other with neither knowing what they hit. Gives an idea to how hard it’s to find them.
Fascinating. Clearly my info was wrong.
SSBN is a solo run.
Thanks mate. That surprises me.
Such a pity we don’t have enough dedicated squadrons of f35’s to give both ships a permanent complement . Why can’t the f35b,s forn the fleet air arm and buy cheaper f35a,s for the RAF
Any F35s should only be the B variant, we aren’t ordering enough to justify to two aircraft types. When we eventually get up to the 70-80 F35 fleet size carrier strike will be in a good place. We can routinely deploy 24 jets with allowing other F35s for other operations. The fast jet fleet size is too small for the taskings we require of it. Just look at the size of the Saudi fast jet fleet, 3x the size of the RAF! F35 is meant to replace Tornado attack and Harrier fleets. I’m pretty annoyed at the slow Block 4… Read more »
This is my point , low numbers mean we can’t give the carriers a complement each of f35’s , say 24 each . The RAF would benefit from a couple of squadrons of f35a,s as they are cheaper to buy and operate and have greater speed and weapons load . I think a mix of types would complement both services giving greater flexibility. We just need the government to get out the cheque book and fulfil their commitment to buy these aircraft
But the rate of delivery suggests that the delivery of the numbers will take ages. As the only level 1 partner in the project, I’m disappointed that the overall stats suggest that the u.k has no priority to receive them.
As I understand it it’s the UK government dragging their feet with the batch orders
Also the RAF’s air tanker fleet does Not have the right refuel probes for refuelling F-35A, only for B and C versions.
I didn’t realise the types weren’t standard . What a ridiculous situation
B&C are for USN/USMC/RAF/FAA, all use probe and drogue.
A version is for USAF who use boom-type refueling.
Which is why the US has had more F35s on board the QE than the RN. Part of the the learning from the lost plane was that there were insufficient crew per aircraft. The Americans support their planes with many more personnel, so constant tiredness is less of an issue.
The u.s routinely deploys it’s carriers with a full load of aircraft embarked. The world is unstable everywhere and the u.sn is big enough to cover all the bases.wherever a CSG is needed, they can provide one locked and loaded we should never let QE orPOW sail without a full group to accompany them.
It’s amazing that we can fully crew both carriers at the same time as well Darryl
Far too much commonsense there fella it’ll never happen
The RAF need 35b for operation where the conventional runways either don’t exist or are too vulnerable.
Brilliant, now get both of those Flat Tops bristling with the superb F35Bs, by far the most advanced multi role 5th generation aircraft in existence!
No point at the moment, not until block 4 when they become the aircraft they are supposed to be. Might happen around 2040, maybe 2050, definitely by 2060.
By that time they will be approaching obselesence
Treasury allowing that is
2060 they be close to retirement age by then. MOD needs to pull its finger out and get the 35b’s ordered ffs. Even if most are ground based until we get bugs ironed out on carriers. And what about all the Apache helicopters in storage cannot they be deployed on the carriers??
Roll on 2035 eh Debbee, we will be able to use Meteor and Spear 3 with the new engines required of course. Do you happen to know the cost of the upgrades by any chance? 👍🇬🇧 FOC 2035 perhaps? Mar 2023 “WASHINGTON — The Pentagon expects that an engine upgrade offered by Pratt & Whitney for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will be ready to field in fiscal 2030 and officials hope that all customers — foreign and domestic — who fly the jet will pitch in to fund its development, according to a spokesperson for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter” “It is the first time the… Read more »
Don’t you worry Nigel, the global F35 project is to big & successful to fail, if anything F35 is a victim of it’s own success, as sales figures prove, was it the Czech Republic a few months ago who are on the growing list of customers? F35 goes from strength to strength!!
“Do you happen to know the cost of the upgrades by any chance?”
Explain how that solves the question I asked you. Do you have an answer for me?
No I don’t know the costs but I’ve got a feeling your going to tell me, on the other hand the UK is the only level one partner in the program, for every F35 sold we get a cut of the profits, basically lowering the cost of our aircraft, nice!!
👍
The F35 money has already paid for more airframes than the U.K. has bought.
Pity the treasury doesn’t do its funding like that.
Pity there’s hardly any aircraft to go on them,we need the yanks just to fill one aircraft carrier
Or more seriously, hardly any pilots to fly them.
And all our missiles and bombs are in the Ukraine.
When one 5 the Albions are sold, probably to Brazil, for peanuts, we’ll save a fortune on running them and filling crew shortages elsewhere in the fleet. I don’t think the marines will be ecstatic about it.
I don’t know the UK had 5 Albions Class ships! Where did the other 3 three come from?
Anyone know if QE received her 30mm guns?
The F35B is a good choice it does not need to fly from one of the very few RAF airfields we have left.It can fly from any place with a hard runway or a large peace of open HARD concrete
Not a concept that the UK is considering or capable of I am afraid. You are looking down the barrels of the expeditionary concept of the US Marine Corps. Their model is based on capturing or at least securing a piece of real estate very early on in the battle. Then setting a FOB / FARP. Progressively moving aircraft ashore. US Navy seaborne assets are protected at sea by dedicated carrier groups. Not USMC 35B. The UK intend to protect seaborne assets with the 35B. We do not have the luxury of the US. Having operated a FOB and FARP… Read more »
Grand, proof that the royal navy is still a major player on the world seas
Yep. The RN is still one of the only two Rank 2 bluewater navies in the world – as you know! Just us and the French.
[With the USN as Rank 1, of course, just in case anyone thinks I’ve forgotten them!]
[Todd-Lindbergh classification of course].
And still can’t or won’t protect our Channel Border. So what use are they
Bill, Do you think ocean-going aircraft carriers patrol the English Channel turning back migrant dinghies?
Silly question , how do we keep track of our own planes if they are stelf, just qurious.
Ha, about time as well.
It is now time for an enquiry into the diabolical history of these two ridiculous ships without our own aircraft
Pity the government and Royal Navy can’t be honest and say we haven’t got enough people and f35b to
Operate two aircraft carriers hey
That’s about time I painted parts 5 years ago and that was it supposed 2 be finished now that’s it just at sea
Pretty embarrassing really. 2 half assed white elephabts with a couple of planes, and onedestroyer and one very vulnerabke RFA. Probably little ammo and most systems worth a damn inoperable. Never mibd as many commentators here say, tge europeans and the yanks have enough to stop us spending dosh on our own defence. So we can keep housing their migrants in iur shut down military bases. Win win for everyone but us as usual these days. Proud to be British… No more.