Last week the Commons' Defence Committee looked into Carrier Strike and the F-35B. There is a two hour long video on YouTube. Here are some snippets via Twitter.
Captain Stembridge is a former Sea Harrier pilot, so he knows what is needed to keep the ship and aircrews up to speed. Some predicted a routine embarkation of twelve jets, and an increased number in a crisis. This is only possible with a STOVL carrier and a V/STOL aircraft.
Protecting convoys and sea lines of communication in the North Atlantic and elsewhere is back on the priority list. In addition to her own ASW helicopters, the carrier will direct the activities of those carried by other ships in the task group. Incidentally a WAFU told me that once the Merlin replaced the Sea King in the ASW role, six aircraft was the normal sqaudron size aboard the CVS, but with a Sea King for SAR etc. 820 are currently embarked with six cabs.
The GROUPEX is a demonstration of a capability we have promised to NATO, and is HMS
Queen Elizabeth's first activity where she is contributing to defence missions of deterrence and reassurance.
Junglies will join 820 NAS and the jets - I assume the plan is to normally have them embarked. Two Jungly cabs are embarked at the moment.