I would suggest a large empty deck and accommodation for any required evacuation - whether from Israel, Gaza or elsewhere depending on events.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_...rew_facilities

A good point but I think an evacuation highly unlikely, however wouldn't Argus and an LPD (oh sorry we don't currently have an active one) make more sense. Are you meaning evacuation of non-residents and/or UK citizens?

I would suggest it would be prudent to have it there to cover those and other contingencies.

I will be watching with interest to see what, if any, deployments are made to Akrotiri. Chinooks would be useful to operate from the deck.

Times reporting deployment of RFAs Argus and Lyme Bay. BBC says two 'Royal Navy' ships plus P8 aircraft, surveillance assets, and company of marines. So an LSD(A) not an LPD:E Argus has 3 Jungly Merlins onboard.
So, looks like Navy Lookout got it right https://www.navylookout.com/royal-na...ions-are-open/

Confirmation of the above - I still think the deck of the QE and Cyprus based Chinooks to do shuttles as required would be an invaluable addition.

A deployment of Chinooks would seem sensible in any case, as both ships can handle them. It would also be interesting to know if they are going to be fully staffed for their medical roles.

From reports they’re currently off Libya where they’ve been assisting humanitarian ops after the earthquake and dam collapse. In which case I would presume they’re fully staffed.

Interesting as according to Vesslfinder they are both currently tied up on the South Mole in Gibraltar with a bunkering tender alongside Argus. Mind you Lyme Bay is also in Portsmouth and St Domingo depending on which tracking site.

F-35B Lightning II joins HMS Prince of Wales 11 Oct 2023
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/455545...s-prince-wales
"WESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 11, 2023)— An F-35B Lightning II fighter jet landed aboard U.K. aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09) today kicking off developmental test phase 3 (DT-3) sea trials aboard Britain’s largest Warship. A test pilot from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Three (VX-23), Naval Air Station Patuxent River (NAS Pax River), Maryland, flew the specially instrumented F-35B to the U.K.’s newest aircraft carrier, which got underway Tuesday from Norfolk Naval Station, Virginia.... ...The pilot and aircraft join a test team of approximately 200 personnel from the Pax River F-35 Integrated Test Force (ITF) embarked for up to four weeks of sea trials off the coast of the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.

“Our team has trained extensively to prepare for this day, and I was honored to bring the capabilities of the F-35B back out to the Prince of Wales,” said F-35B test pilot U.S. Marine Maj. Paul Gucwa, the ITF test team project officer. Maj. Gucwa and two other pilots assigned to the Pax ITF will fly the ITF jets during the flight test. “Our planning, training, and preparations were focused on conducting a successful sea trial and ultimately contributing to the carrier continually developing to keep it at the cutting edge,” Gucwa said...."
Photo: https://d1ldvf68ux039x.cloudfront.ne.../1000w_q95.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....7f70661f9b.jpg

Both Argus and Lyme Bay are capable of acting as lilypads for Chinooks. Do we have any Chinooks in Cyprus?

The tensions with Putin's Russia continue, and our forces are part of the allied response. Just a few days before the horrorific terrorist attacks against Israel on 7 October, the Norwegian Ministry Of Defence released this update:

Carriers are needed for Sea Control in the NATO theatre...

Long way from N Cape to Tel Aviv........................

I thought this more a generic naval issue than just related to Gaza/Israel.

USS Carney Shot Down More Missiles, Drones Over Longer Period

Carney's engagement in the Red Sea highlights some issues for the the Dept of Defense & the US Navy in modern naval warfare.

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1...141485557.html

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/20...ity-for-ships/

https://2n.mit.edu/sites/default/fil...ments/ROVR.pdf

this has been an issue for several years - if someone launches a 100+ drones that cost bugger all and you're trying to intercept them with 48/64/96 missiles that cost hundreds of thousands................. .......

Sadly the murderous mass terror attacks against Israel have complicated the geopolitical situation, alongside the continuing tensions with Russia, China, and Iran. When the US DOD directed the Ford Carrier Strike Group to deploy to the Eastern Mediterranean; former US Navy F-14 Tomcat RIO Cdr Ward Carroll posted this on his YouTube channel:


Interestingly he notes the role of the Aegis equipped cruiser and destroyers and the carrierborne Hawkeyes and Super Hornets in defending against asymmetric threats in the air. I am reminded of a time when HMS Ocean was deployed in the Caribbean:

HMS Ocean double drugs catch in the Caribbean - MercoPress - 20 June 2007

The latest success came after an intense 48 hour period of operations by HMS Ocean working closely with the US Coastguard and other law enforcement agencies in the region. Maintaining constant patrols over the region with Sea King aircraft fitted with state of the art surveillance radar, the ship has been tracking aircraft where there are indications to believe they may be attempting to smuggle cocaine out of South America. A couple of days ago two suspicious aircraft caught the Sea King's attention and the ship launched a Merlin maritime patrol helicopter of Culdrose-based 700M Squadron, to assist. The aircraft were tracked into the territorial waters of one of the Caribbean nations, where local authorities took up the trail. However, on the night of June 24 the Sea King took up the trail on another suspicious aircraft whose behavior indicated that it might be looking to drop its cargo to a boat waiting off the coast. HMS Ocean immediately launched two of its landing craft, crewed by Royal Marines of 9 Assault Squadron, which dashed ahead of the ship to the site of the likely drop. A Merlin also took off to join in the chase, equipped with a Maritime sniper team, skilled at disabling small boats' engines. The Merlin observed the suspect aircraft drop bales into the water, which were picked up by a waiting boat, and dived lower for a closer look. Alarmed by the sudden appearance of the helicopter, the boat's crew threw the bales into the sea and headed straight for the coast. The Merlin set about collecting the bales, soon to be joined by the Royal Marines' landing craft, and a local coast guard craft. In the dark ten bales were recovered (six by HMS Ocean) and a further search of the area at first light by Merlin yielded another five.

Cdr Caroll also mentions the role of the Strike Group's helicopters in keeping tabs on surface craft - I am reminded to the deployment of Merlins aboard RFA Fort Victoria in this exact role in the Northern Arabian Gulf in March 2003, working with frigate and destroyer based Lynxes armed with the urgently procured 0.50 calibre Heavy Machine Gun.

Back in Portsmouth… with the 8 F-35Bs still on board….

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f58e3a9a35.png

She arrived 'just before midnight' according to Portsmouth's The News; she wasn't listed in the KHM Portsmouth's Daily Shipping Movements

Could the F35s launch from dockside if required? I fear the answer is "no". Which implies 8 fewer available of an already derisorily-sized fleet.

Woe, woe, thrice woe.

Yes, been done before.

LB the answer is, yes, it has been done.





Thank you, happy to have my ignorance exposed ..... every day a school day.