On Thursday HMS
Queen Elizabeth returned to Portsmouth after ten weeks at sea -
as reported on the RN website:
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.
“Given the sheer size of the ship, Operational Sea Training has been a learning curve for all involved,” said Lieutenant Commander Si Bailey, one of the 46-strong team of assessors on board.
“It’s been a challenging time for HMS Queen Elizabeth, but the ship’s company and embarked personnel have been receptive to the training and advice – and have done so with a smile.”
Having passed that assessment, the carrier shifted to the North Sea to welcome F-35 Lightnings from 617 Squadron, better known as The Dambusters.
It’s the first time operational UK F-35s have worked with Queen Elizabeth and they faced a punishing schedule once aboard, completing a record number of landings on the flight deck.
The future of Carrier Strike is a truly joint effort and the Royal Navy has worked closely with the RAF throughout the development of the carrier.
617 squadron – based at RAF Marham and comprising both Royal Air Force and Royal Navy personnel – progressed from qualifying pilots in the art of landing on and taking off from a moving warship by day and night all the way up to the first ‘four-ship package’: launching four F-35s on a combat sortie in rapid succession.
The fighters shared the flight deck with submarine hunting Merlin helicopters of 820 Naval Air Squadron from RNAS Culdrose. In all the fast jets and helicopters touch down on Queen Elizabeth 830 times in all weathers, at all times of day.
The collective training ended with a five-day test of the ship to defend against threats in the air, on the sea and beneath the waves, herself using F-35s, Merlins and frigate HMS Kent.
It will be nice to see an exercise in which the carrier is the to defend and support other high value units such as amphibious ships or crisis response shipping. Maybe later this year?
On the subject of frigates, helicopters, and ASW, the RN and RAF are involved in
Exercise Dynamic Mongoose.