Aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth will soon sail with a task group of nine vessels, including a nuclear submarine.

HMS Queen Elizabeth will sail with HMS Kent, HMS Defender, HMS Diamond, HMS Northumberland, RFA Tideforce, RFA Fort Victoria, Dutch Frigate HNLMS Evertsen, American Destroyer USS The Sullivans and an unnamed British nuclear submarine.

Image Crown Copyright 2020.

Why is this happening? – Some background information

This is in preparation for next year when HMS Queen Elizabeth will deploy with two frigates, two destroyers, a nuclear submarine and support vessels.

Commodore Michael Utley, Commander United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group, is reported by Save The Royal Navy here as saying that HMS Queen Elizabeth will be escorted on her ’round the world deployment’ by two Type 45 destroyers, two Type 23 frigates, a nuclear submarine, a Tide-class tanker and RFA Fort Victoria.

Earlier in the year, HMS Queen Elizabeth cleared her penultimate hurdle for front-line duties after ten weeks around the UK, preparing for her maiden deployment in the new year.

“A final package of training in the autumn – working alongside NATO and US allies – will confirm her ability to act as a task group flagship, so that she can lead a potent carrier strike force on front-line operations anywhere in the world.”

The Royal Navy said at the time that in view of the size and complexity of the carrier, she received a dedicated training package, initially off the south coast, to test the ability of all 1,100 men and women on board to deal with everything they might expect to face in peace and war. The training package reached its climax with 18 fictional fire and flood incidents raging simultaneously – with the ship expected to continue flying operations while damage control teams toiled in the carrier’s depths.

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
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21 COMMENTS

  2. You never say anything new in these articles. The following paragraph;
    “The Royal Navy said at the time that in view of the size and complexity of the carrier, she received a dedicated training package, initially off the south coast, to test the ability of all 1,100 men and women on board to deal with everything they might expect to face in peace and war. The training package reached its climax with 18 fictional fire and flood incidents raging simultaneously – with the ship expected to continue flying operations while damage control teams toiled in the carrier’s depths.”

    has been used in 6 articles relating to HMS QE. It’s a little lazy on the journalism front.

    • We’re volunteers doing this in our free time because we enjoy doing it. Could you do better? By all means, we accept new volunteers into the team all the time.

  6. Why did you take my comment down
    I was the first to comment on this
    All i said was on the lines of “be great to see some pics ”
    Then you said the comment was awaiting moderation
    When i ask why you have since taken the comment down yet someone else has made the same comment yet its ok to keep that up
    The mind boggles
    Explain please

  8. Recent parliamentary report I read in Warship World says Crowsnest is way behind delivery & won’t be avaiiable in time, so no AEW unless the USN provides. Also the spares stockpile for the F35s has been reduced making spare a big problem & training time also cut.

    • Not quite true, I was reading a report on Crowsnest this morning, from my understanding there will be three test AEW Merlins available for the 2021 deployment. They will not be fully functioning as they are test units, but systems do need to be tested in an operational enviroment. Full intergration will be 2023, this is when the RAF/FAA will also have 48 F35Bs for deployment.

      So behind schedule yes, impact on full independent operational ability no.

      • I hope you’re right. Still deploying to a high risk area with potentially 1/3 missing CIWS on QE, no modern AShMs & we really need a SAM on the QE too. Escorts can be eliminated or simply tasked/lured away when needed. Even the USN with the largest escort fleet operates 2 SAM systems on their carriers.

        • With the situation of Crowsnest, I seem to be up to date with Government Mod Info. There is one advantage that many don’t think about. Do I want China to know the abilities of Crowsnest, No, do I want China to know the full capablities of SAMPSON, No. So possibly it is good that some systems are under test and some will be hauled in to peace time operation. Sometimes you do not want the enemy to know your capability, then again you don’t always want your friend to know what you can do.
          Anyway three test beds are going on operation then will be tweeked before FOC in 2023.
          My concern is a bit diffrent, point defence, can Sea Ceptor work as a twin quad pack attached to Phalanx if yes bolt it on with its data link aerials and control cabinets. Two quad packs to each Phalanx should give 24-32 Sea Ceptors for first launch ability. The next question would be how to replace a 700 kg quad pack? The QEs have 30 mm guns what if they were to be combined with the five pack LMMs that would mean 30-40 for short range anti air and anti attack boat ability, then the guns would take over. Has the MoD or RN looked at the possibily of combning the 40 mm with the LMM? The 40 mm Mk4 has a anti air capability as well as a anti ship ability out to 12km. If that could work then I recommend that the DS30M be replaced by the 40 mm Mk4 with two quin pack LMMs. My changes would mean that a QE carrier could start to defend itself from 24-32 air targets with CAMM ER, 8 km air and surface targets with the LMM, 45km with a CAMM-ER to 0 m with Phalanx. She would have a layered defence from 45km for a minimum cost.

  9. I know that the first deployment in 2021 should be RN, but to be honest I would like to see a third T23 attached possibly a non tailed T23 to work with the support ships and an Arliegh Burke for the duration of Indian Ocean/ China Seas portion of the deployment. Speaking of the AB class, can someone explain to this idiot here how a ship that is 10ft longer than our T45 has a crew twice the size, a 1000 long tons heavier, more narrow in the beam and twice the amount of missile capability 96 Mk41 launchers to our 48 A 50s. God if the Mk41s were quad packed Sea Ceptors a single AB could take out the air forces of the UK, France and Germany. By the way can Sea Ceptor be quad packed into the A50 VLS? Or can the CAMM ER be quad packed into the A50/Mk41 VLS? As the MoD jointly funded the development of CAMM with MDBA does the MoD get a better price or a share of the profit?
    I have sometimes wondered what would happen if the RN/USN was to combine the AB hull/superstructure and Mk41 VLS fit with the T45 radar suite and automation.

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