The RN is about to start a multi-national Carrier Strike Group exercise while also deploying the Littoral Response Group. Here we round up the plans for the next few weeks.
UKCSG group assembles
Having been alongside since early July, HMS Queen Elizabeth sailed from Portsmouth on 9th September for a brief workup and for the ship’s company. Departure was twice postponed as a small number of sailors on board (less than 10) tested positive for COVID-19. The RN said those affected have been isolated and are they working with the NHS Test and Trace system to prevent further spread. Ensuring the safety of the ship’s company is an evolving management challenge but the delay should not affect the planned programme too significantly.
She returned home four days later to embark stores, fuel and additional personnel in preparation for the biggest exercise she has yet undertaken. With a large US Marine Corps contingent and other air group personnel, she now has her largest complement yet of around 1,700 people on board.
Around 3,000 naval service personnel in total will involved in the exercise and the vessels that will participate with HMS Queen Elizabeth have been announced as; HMS Defender, HMS Diamond, HMS Kent, HMS Northumberland, RFA Tideforce and RFA Fort Victoria. The US Navy has sent the destroyer, USS The Sullivans and Dutch Navy is represented by the frigate HNLMS Evertsen. Although the warship numbers are modest compared with what those of the past, this is the largest exercise of its kind for around 15 years.
It should be noted that this escort force includes four air defence platforms; two of the highly-regard Type 45s, an AEGIS-equipped Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and a Dutch De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate. An SSN, two towed array sonar-equipped Type 23 frigates together with 6 Merlin Mk 2 helicopters already embarked on the carrier, also make for a potent anti-submarine element.
-
USS The Sullivans, equipped with the AEGIS air defence system. The USN has 68 of these ships (Plus a further 10 under construction) that form the backbone of its fleet. -
HMS Defender conducting training off Plymouth. HMS Richmond in the background. Richmond is scheduled to join the CSG deployment in May 2021 but her place will be taken by HMS Northumberland for the GROUPEX. (Photo © RFA Nostalgia, August 11th) -
HNLMS Evertsen leaves Plymouth, already preparing for the deployment in UK waters. (Photo ©Kevin Kelway, 7th September) -
RFA Fort Victoria passes under the Forth Road Bridge, inbound to Crombie Jetty to load munitions ahead of the exercise (Sept 5th). -
RFA Tideforce alongside in Devonport as she prepares to join the GROUPEX. HMS Dragon astern (Photo @P3arny_B3ar, 13th Sept) -
USMC jets – safely arrived and in the aircraft shelters at RAF Marham -
Happy pilots of VFMA-211 after completing a trans-Atlantic flight from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort to RAF Marham on 3rd September (Photo: USMC)
The carrier Strike GROUPEX is likely to see the carrier conduct her first solid stores replenishment at sea (RAS) with RFA Fort Victoria. HMS Prince of Wales is due to sail for further helicopter training during September and it is possible the two carrier will be seen at sea together for the first time, at least briefly.
The GROUPEX is planned in include between 7 to 10 days of work-up, followed by two weeks of ‘free play’ in combat scenarios. The exercise will be integrated with the bi-annual Exercise Joint Warrior (JW202) which runs from 21 September – 15 October. (The was no Spring JW201 this year). The exercise is likely to take place predominantly in the waters off the North West coast of Scotland.
The USMC arrives
On 3rd September 10 F35-B jets of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 (VMFA-211) crossed the Atlantic and arrived at RAF Marham. The squadron had to undergo a quarantine period, during which they conducted synthetic training in the simulators at Marham to familiarise themselves with the local airspace and procedures. On 10th September they participated in Point Blank 04 with around fifty US, UK, Dutch & Italian aircraft of various types in a complex air exercise over the North Sea.
The USMC aircraft will exercise with their 617 Squadron counterparts before they join HMS Queen Elizabeth at sea. Both squadrons will initially conduct carrier qualification serials to ensure all pilots are proficient to operate from the carrier during both day and night.
The carrier air group will include at least 5 UK and 10 USMC jets, plus 6 Merlin helicopters. With 15 jets on board, this will be the largest embarkation of F-35s afloat in the world so far. With deck qualification and familiarisation complete, the jets will participate in ex Joint Warrior which will bring together multiple elements of the Carrier Strike Group to train collaboratively. Aircraft will participate in live and inert weapons training sorties. Merlin Mk 4s of 845 Naval Air Squadron are likely to operate from RFA Fort Victoria and the carrier, while the Type 45s will embark Wildcats of 815 NAS.
There has been some complaint that US jets will outnumber the UK for this Groupex, and potentially for the May 2021 operational deployment. Numbers for next year may be subject to change but COMUKCSG told us in July he expects to deploy with 8 UK and 6 USMC jets. USMC aircraft have been factored into planning for the introduction of the QEC carriers at least as far back as 2014 and Britain should be grateful the USN is helping rebuild carrier aviation skills after a long gap. Access to the USMC accumulated specialist experience in operating F-35B at sea is especially valuable.
For the air group, Joint Warrior will be followed by exercise Crimson Warrior, a flying exercise based at RAF Marham which will see USMC and UK Lightning jets conduct further synthetic and live combat training together. RN helicopters will also participate in this land-based exercise as the ‘CV Wing’ works up more complex flying scenarios.
HMS Queen Elizabeth will return to Portsmouth where she will host the 3rd Atlantic Future Forum from 20-21 October. The AFF, which promotes defence, security, trade and technology partnership between the US and UK, will be chaired by Sir Mark Sedwill and will be a live broadcast and virtual event.
LRG(X)
A further 1,000 sailors and Royal Marines are about to embark on the Littoral Response Group (Experimentation) Deployment. The task group consisting of HMS Albion, RFA Lyme Bay and HMS Dragon will head to the Mediterranean and join HMS Trent working for a while in support of NATO security operation Sea Guardian. Visits to Gibraltar and North Africa are also likely. Led by Commander UK Littoral Strike Group, Cdre Rob Pedre, The group will also include Wildcat helicopters from 815 and 847 NAS and marines from 47 and 42 Cdo and 30 Cdo Information Exploitation Group. The ‘Jungly’ Merlin Mk 4s will be absent from this exercise as there are no appropriate hangar facilities and their aircraft are already deployed in the Caribbean and on GROUPEX.
The LRG will also conduct exercise Olympus Warrior and Autonomous Advance Force 3 off Cyprus. Building on the work done during exercise Cold Response in March, this will be a further opportunity to trial autonomous systems, other new technologies and tactics in support for the Future Commando Force model. The group will later enter the Black Sea for joint exercises and port visits to demonstrate the UK’s support for regional security.
-
-
Procedure alpha as HMS Albion sails from Plymouth on 8th September. As part of the preparation for sailing all ships company tested for COVID and a very small number found to be positive. The ship is scheduled to remain in UK waters for a period before heading to the Mediterranean. (Photo ©Kevin Kelway) -
HMS Dragon on her way into Devonport on 14th September as she prepares for the LRGX deployment. (Photo ©Kevin Kelway) -
RFA Lyme Bay has recently completed maintenance period in Falmouth and will join the LRGX deployment (Photo: @Navylookout, April 2019)
These dual naval operations are politically opportune. The Cummings faction in Whitehall, along with Max Hastings and some blokes that read something on the internet, believe we should be radically shaping our forces away from ‘heavy metal’ and rely entirely on autonomous systems, AI, cyber and other assorted vapourware. This kind of thinking maybe influential in the Integrated Review process and it is important to demonstrate there are credible, deployable conventional platforms that can deliver effects right now. These ‘old fashioned’ ships will still be needed to get the new generation of weapons into the fight. While the RN looks forward, embracing innovation and experimentation it would be a form of madness to dispense with expensively-acquired and proven assets that are already in service.
I wonder how often each day people in today’s RN curse those that agreed to build both the Albions and Bays without proper helicopter facilities?
Another example of short sighted penny pinching which hugely damages long term capability
The Albions would have needed another deck layer, which would have made them much heavier and more expensive too.
It depended on the budget for their construction, wether they got a hanger!
I can see how it would have needed work on the Albions. But the Bays could have been built like their Dutch cousins or had a “simple” metal box hangar, workshop and store where the current tent is.
I would agree on a hangar on the Bays but the temporary tent is pretty much over the vehicle lift which constrains the tents usefulness.
If you were to put a hangar on the Bays it would be behind the cranes which would mean moving the diesel exhausts….again.
The tent isnt that near the lift. Its well clear of it. It doesnt restrict anything.
You sure, the lift is just forward of the 2 cranes which put the the forward edge of the lift in the rear of the tent directly in line with the hangar door
The Albions did have aviation facilities at one point in the design. But they were get rid off to save money. And so quite literally one deck was just rubbed out! Hence their appearance.
The Bays are a different story. Unlike their Enforce brethren they were configured to carry cargo not act as an assault ship. What did happen though was the uptake was redesigned radically and extensively supposedly to stop efflux interfering flight operations. This lead to other problems. And nobody is sure what problems they as all the other Enforcers operate helicopters.
If the Albions were to be replaced, which they should be won’t, I would like to see something like the US San Antonio’s big and fast. (A full length flight deck like JMSDF Ōsumi-class tank landing ship too.)
Are the Bays not primary assault ships on the cheap? To a layman it can do everything Albion/Bulwark can minus C2 facilities.
No. They are based on Damen’s Enforcer yes. But their role is to carry cargo.
So they were purchased for what reason then by the Naval Service’s logistics arm?
And Damen aren’t the design authority.
You will get fed up of downvoting before I will get tired of rebutting.
A child like mentality or simple Mental Illness is seldom cured by rebuttals. your Downvoter feels comfortable in this place and probably feels that he/she has a purpose here that satisfies his special needs. Have some counter Upvotes on me.
You would think a site promoting an aim would care about posts with facts being downvoted. It doesn’t. Says a lot about how seriously they take their cause.
Yes X, It’s been the same on many other sites. I came here to help save the Royal Navy but have yet to work out exactly how it possibly can, Not sure who is even seeing this site, or who even takes it seriously enough to present it to those in charge. Lot’s of Armchair Admirals though.
Well I have been down voted again. It makes the site look very stupid.
And the odd Sniper !
they have a well dock, can carry LCUs and LCVPs , loads of Royals and plenty of storage space. They are assault ships on the cheap for taking stuff from point A and delivering it via LCU at B. C4 is very lacking onboard despite the oddles of space on the thrings.
The dock of a Bay can carry one MK10. The rest of the volume is used for outsize cargo like vehicles.
An LPD whose primary role is to carry the initial assault can dock four Mk10’s to move a mass of ‘troops’ and vehicles forward.
One is an RFA ship for logisitcal support.
One is a RN warship for fighting.
As you mention they don’t have the necessary C4 kit because they don’t need it.
Sitting in the Dock of the Bay, I was watching the Tide roll away, Wasting Time. or words to that effect.
Thanks for that info, GB!
Transporting troops by sea isn’t amphibious warfare.
The reason why the Bays’ don’t have hangars. Cargo space.
You can put containers on deck.
The Italians manage all amphibious with San Giorgio Class and eventually the Trieste.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Giorgio-class_amphibious_transport_dock
The French also went for LHD’s
Couldn’t we just put a metal box on the Albions and just have one heli spot instead of two?
Would you not be reducing lift (and mass)?
You have flight deck area or hangar space. A helicopter can lift next to nothing as it is. And the cost of that is a lot per hour on top of the cost of the platform.
Ah right x👍
The orginal plan for the amphib group was
4 bays
2 albions
2 oceans
The 2 oceans having the aviation facilities for the amphib group.
Unfortunately the plan never reach full fruition with one ocean being cancelled. Then recently the other ocean being sold. Also down a bay sold to Australia.
Was this before the MP’s Pension scheme was found to be falling a little short ?
“The Cummings faction in Whitehall, along with Max Hastings and some blokes that read something on the internet, believe we should be radically shaping our forces away from ‘heavy metal’ and rely entirely on autonomous systems, AI, cyber and other assorted vapourware.”
The “some blokes that read something on the internet” line genuinely made me laugh out loud
My solution is simple – put Max on one of his improvised aircraft carriers in a high sea state with an old Harrier and get him to change the engine so he can experience what it is like to try and maintain aircraft with no facilities.
Hopefully he get washed over the side – actually scratch that as it would put someone at risk fishing him out. His burble nonsense puts enough good people at risk without adding to the headcount.
Have you ever tried to physically work on something that requires high levels of precision and skill while you are soaked through and freezing cold Max? Thought not.
Yes, you can do it in extremis but no sane person would want to operate that way. Compare the quality, important for safety and force generation, of doing the work in a hangar on a QEC with weather shelter and where the temperature can be controlled so you can feel things with your hands.
Rant over.
I thought he was still fixated on 4 engine heavy bombers winning the war against Germany.
“Ensuring the safety of the ship’s company is an evolving management challenge”
Good NBC training – avoiding cross contamination etc
Its a lot more complex than NBC protocols. The precautions for just getting onboard as a contractor are formidable. Then there is the isolation protocols for new joiners and leavers. Testing regimes. One of the biggest factors at present is the Ships Companies who can only get onto the immediate jetty area to blow off steam once in a while.
The Dinosaurs of my generation are laughing it off as “life in a blue suit” but the youngsters are a little more sensitive and some are struggling with it.
How many of the UK’s current 17 F35 B’s will embark ? We only seem to see 4 at any one Time. Interesting to read that up to 72 Aircraft can be Carried in “Surge” situations. Hermes was very heavy on our trip South.
5 UK F-35B for the upcoming Groupex / JW202 with 10 USMC F-35B in addition, Then for CSG21 8 UK F-35B with 6 USMC F-35B.
It’ll be a while yet to see QEC with 24 UK F-35Bs.
72 jets seems to border on the theoretical maximum in terms of space, but ignores most other factors. Such as maintenance, deck space, helicopters, the ships ability to sustain such a force and if jets can be stored on the deck for longer periods, exposed to sea water.
I’ve heard a number of 48 jets + 12(ish) helos as a surge force which would still be capable of fighting a war without some serious compromises/inefficiencies. 72 is similar to the Nimitz’s 100 something theoretical maximum.
“Aircraft” includes helicopters and quite possibly Drones, not just Jets. 72 would pretty much be the limit of available Spare Merlins, Wildcats, Chinooks and F35B’s when other ship requirements are taken into account.
I’m not sure having 72 airframes on board would be a good idea in terms of doing anything practical. The choreography of moving anything would be terrible and terribly time consuming.
48 F35B is a massive punch – you would be better off with 48 and extra pilots and maintainers in shifts so you get the most out of the airframes you have in front of you. Plenty of decent accommodation on a QEC. And the ability to rotate airframes off onto a ferry vessel for so they could be shuttled off for deep maintenance on land.
Anythign more is Willy waving a bit like when CDG was loaded out for a photo op. It is in the USN interests for the QEC to be seen as a big hitter as it takes pressure off their carrier rotations. And before anyone say QEC vs Nimitz that isn’t the point. If you are sending something from the gator navy to do aircraft carrier duties then the QEC is a lot more potent in terms of pure mass, force generation and number of aircraft carried.
Therefore I’m sure it will be done at some point when Stateside but it will have zero practical purpose.
In Peacetime, We will probably never have anywhere near “Surge” Conditions so yes, I agree but in times of War, It would prove to be extremely practical to be able to embark such numbers. Think FW 1982.
Is this the same AI champion Cummings who’s lorded abilities don’t currently seem to stretch to saving AIM from being sold done the river, but do not stop him utilising his position of influence to bully those lesser mortals who come within his Whitehall orbit? The same saviour Cummings who developed a prediliction for praising genocidal Soviet tyrants subsequent to having spent time in Russia?
The same one who thinks going for a drive while suffering vision problems is a safe way of testing one’s eyesight
With his family in the car, no less- top bloke
Should have said ARM, of course. Either way, it’s almost certainly now Nvidia – batted around the markets like a shuttlecock by companies that don’t give a toss for ‘commitments’.
Ultimately, the worst offenders are our own Institutional ‘Investors’ who sell world renowned British concerns for the fastest buck they can pocket. ‘Investors’ mostly run by the privileged elite to which Cummings and his ilk belong; a section of our society that has consistently proven itself among the most self-centred and patriotically suspect over decades, secrets included.
However, the Goverment could still show more backbone and legislate against their shenanigans where our priceless national assets are involved.
Regards
Does anyone know how many US personnel will be on board?
I don’t think Britain could have a better partner on the F35b than the USA 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 And their Marines, it’s a shame we British don’t have Royal Marine F35b pilots but we should have. We should be So proud that USA took the global power/superpower role of the UK after WW2. We are two nations that share more in common than any other nations bar Some of the commonwealth nations.
USA 🇺🇸, Canada 🇨🇦 ,OZ 🇦🇺, New Zealand 🇳🇿 ,UK 🇬🇧, are the best nations on earth and arguably the most popular and the nations all other nations civilians want to immigrate to.
We British should be proud of our nation, too many UK citizens these days want to slag off and call us British Racist and a horrible nation!!!… these people clearly don’t understand the UK has done more good for the world than bad, and it’s by a huge Margins that the UK has done good. The lists actually far too large with all the British achievements… Just the British Vaccine creation has saved hundreds of millions alone! And penicillin!!. Two things of tens of thousands that Britain gave the World….
I find it interesting that for HMS Queen Elizabeth’s Deployment there will be a ‘Hat Trick’ if you like of AAW Assets – USN AB with US Manufactured Radars and Weapons,HNLMS Evertsen with European Manufactured Radars but with US Weapons,and finally the Royal Navy Type 45’s with both European Manufactured Radars and Weapons,and with only the AB fitted with CEC is it still possible for all the different Systems to co-ordinate with each other ?.
Are any of the trio link 16 compatible?
All are
It’s about time Link-16 was replaced with something with a broader bandwidth that can handle the amount of data, oh wait that’s CEC – duh!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-54175481 a bright future for shipbuilding?
I hope so & just hope it’s not just political guff like the number of COVID-19 tests per day.
IMO with unemployment high every opportunity should be taken to employ people on government projects including military & hopefully up skill parts of the population as well.
In the day the government built fishing boats for the Navy which could be used for fishing when peace came. In those days we had a huge fishing fleet; admittedly some were fishing Iceland’s waters for cod. Most of the deep sea boats were requisitioned into the RN as minesweepers etc.
Just another thing to add, the USMC F-35s are from the Wake Island Avengers, who are the first unit to fly combat missions from an amphibious assault ship and drop live ordnance with the B-model, over Syria and Iraq last year. It’ll be good to have the most combat experienced F-35B pilots exercising with us, even if that experience is still relatively limited at the moment due to the newness of the platform.
Excellent to see a well balanced carrier battle group being prepared that shows off the integration with other NATO assets while demonstrating sovereign capabilities.
I really hope this capability is not sacrificed on the alter of ‘agile’ (too light to fight), ‘flexible’ (good at nothing in particular), cyber (important but a nebulous field that can only do so much) and what ever buzzwords are in fashion. I’m not into fantasy fleets, but there is actual metal in the water that can actually deliver proper effects whether against, land, sea, sub sea or air targets. Let’s not ruin it after waiting so long to see it come to fruition (since arguably omegas were painted on phantoms).
The future is rubber boats didn’t you know?!