Originally Posted by
DogTailRed2
Can someone explain why our carrier is in Portsmouth and we are flying Typhoons out of Cyprus?
I would have thought Yemen would be a great proving ground?
Because there is already a US carrier in-theatre with more than enough aboard to give the Houthi a malleting. Our participation in the operation is primarily symbolic at this point and more efficiently done - at this scale - from Akrotiri than by sailing the CSG and disrupting the on-going build up of the Lightning force.
You don't need F35 to operate over Houthi territory, so you're not really proving anything as yet. Now - if this goes on for any extended period, then a UK CSG taking a turn on-station to free up the USN to move closer to the Gulf might be a useful option.