Photo essay: HMS Queen Elizabeth Westlant 19 deployment – Part 1
HMS Queen Elizabeth sailed from Portsmouth on the 30th August in company with RFA Tideforce. After some final operational sea training off the coast of North Cornwall, the ships were joined by HMS Dragon and crossed the Atlantic to Canada. This photo and video essay documents the initial part of the Westlant 19 deployment.
Aircraft carrier movements in and out of Portsmouth are becoming more frequent, but will never be entirely routine.Bridge team on HMS Queen Elizabeth concentrating hard during challenging harbour exit.Friends and family of the ship’s company gather on the Round Tower to wave them off. Every Royal Navy deployment involves sailors being separated from their loved ones.Steaming down the Channel in company with French frigate FS La Motte Picquet. Warships from other nations are likely to frequently contribute to the escort of the RN Carrier Strike Group in the future.
Helicopter eye view from 845 Naval Air Squadron Merlin Mk 4 – landing on HMS Queen Elizabeth, just south of the Isle of Wight.
HMS Dragon joins the group – seen reflected in the signal projector on the carrier’s bridge wing.
Royal Marines from Lima Company 42 Commado conduct rapid roping exercises with the assistance of a Merlin Mk4 from 845 NAS.Marines embark via the rear ramp on to Mk4 Merlin.Crash on deck exercises testing the fire fighting and medical response to an emergency.
Wildcat embarked on RFA Tideforce (Photo: Matt Bromage / RFA Tideforce)
(Photo: Matt Bromage / RFA Tideforce)Fine conditions for mid-Atlantic replenishment at sea. HMS Queen Elizabeth visible in the distance. (Photo: Matt Bromage / RFA Tideforce)Dragon chases dolphin. (Photo: Matt Bromage / RFA Tideforce)The carrier’s turn to replenish.
Using the double probe for the first time. The Tide class tankers were designed from the outset to refuel the carriers. Using both rigs, potentially a combined total of 2,000 tonnes of Marine Diesel and/or Aviation fuel can be delivered per hour.The crossing gets a little bit rougher (Photo: Matt Bromage / RFA Tideforce)Procedure alpha on arrival for 5-day visit to Halifax, Canada on 12th September.
Commander UK Carrier Strike Group, Commodore Mike Utley, welcomes Rear Admiral Craig Baines, commander of Canadian Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) on board.Captain Steve Moorhouse hosts the British High Commissioner to Canada, Her Excellency Susan le Jeune d’Allegeershecque on the bridge as the ship arrives.HMS Dragon and RFA Tideforce alongside at the pier in Halifax dockyard. (Photo: Lt Cdr Daniel Rice, RCN)Another meeting of the Queens, RMS Queen Mary sails past on her way into Halifax. These two iconic ships were pictured together last year in New York.HMS Queen Elizabeth anchored the outer harbour for the visit – she is too large to go alongside in the dockyard. (Photo: AeroVision Canada )At anchor (Photo: Clarence Hemeon)Atmospheric visit to the ship night. Note the illumination from the bays for the Passenger Transfer Boats and RIB. (Photo: Sue Molloy)Royal Marines Band Service beating the retreat for a reception held by the British High Commission in the hangar. The ship has hosted various events to cement diplomatic, trade and military ties between the UK and Canada. (Photo: Sue Molloy)RFA Tideforce sailed from Halifax on the 16th September shortly followed by HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Dragon. (Photos: Clarence Hemeon)
HMS Northumberland will join the UKCSG after completing her participation in ASW exercise Cutlass Fury. The group will now head south toward the Caribbean for hot weather trials. UK-owned jets are not expected on board until the second week of October. Another major diplomatic visit to Annapolis, not far from Washington will take place in November.
@STRN: Annapolis is part of Maryland, not Washington. The way you’ve written it makes it sound like next month HMS QE will have transited through the Panama canal, and up past the entire coast of California.
RFA vessels would still be required to go into hostile situations in order to support the combat vessels. The Bay class can carry amphibious assault forces (Tanks etc.). The enemy will draw little distinction between the RFA and the RN so neither should we.
Installing CIWS isn’t exactly a quick job. Should an event happen somewhere in the world where the RN is needed, the reality is that many ships would need to undergo maintenance prior to deployment, it’s nonsensical. If they’re in active service then they should be fit for purpose and ready to defend themselves, that means having CIWS (and other appropriate weapon systems) pre-installed.
Ah but these ships likely aren’t ever going to go into action against an enemy that can shoot back…so a lack of CIWS is understandable.
John Clark
4 years ago
It’s great to see the QE class really getting into their swing.
Great photo essay, as Mike said, these ships are great UK ambassadors for the UK.
GlynH
4 years ago
Why do they keep refuelling lizzy on her starboard side, I was under the impression she had two liquid stations on her port side (one on starboard). The idea being that the starboard side would mainly handle solids via hangers.
RASing from the starboard side of the Carrier enables the ships bridge team to easily observe the evolution something they wouldn’t be able to do if things were the other way round i.e. its safer and easier. This, I would expect will be the preferred method except when:
1. Performing RAS(L) and RAS(S) simultaneously (three ship RAS).
2. RASing large quantities of two seperate grades of fuel (F76 and F44 together) in which case two replenishment rigs will be required (AOs starboard side to CV port side)
Looking forward to more photos like these with the F35s. Keep up the good work.
See POW is out
Beg pardon, ‘fake news’
@STRN: Annapolis is part of Maryland, not Washington. The way you’ve written it makes it sound like next month HMS QE will have transited through the Panama canal, and up past the entire coast of California.
Clarified as suggested.
She’s been working hard! A quick transit up the St Lawrence, followed by a hiking holiday over the Rockies would be just the ticket
Thoroughly enjoyed this article, the great pictures really make it. Many thanks.
Pictures like these demonstrate just how much diplomatic power these ships will have. It is very impressive.
Tideforce still doesn’t have CIWS I see. Sure would be nice if our warships had weapons.
Edited as I’m incorrect. However, Tideforce is a RFA rather than a warship.
RFA vessels would still be required to go into hostile situations in order to support the combat vessels. The Bay class can carry amphibious assault forces (Tanks etc.). The enemy will draw little distinction between the RFA and the RN so neither should we.
RFA ships are warships!
Dragon has no anti ship missiles either!
Tragic isn’t it.
RFAs don’t routinely equip CIWS unless operating East of Suez. As TFCE is operating away from this area, CIWS aren’t needed.
Installing CIWS isn’t exactly a quick job. Should an event happen somewhere in the world where the RN is needed, the reality is that many ships would need to undergo maintenance prior to deployment, it’s nonsensical. If they’re in active service then they should be fit for purpose and ready to defend themselves, that means having CIWS (and other appropriate weapon systems) pre-installed.
Ah but these ships likely aren’t ever going to go into action against an enemy that can shoot back…so a lack of CIWS is understandable.
It’s great to see the QE class really getting into their swing.
Great photo essay, as Mike said, these ships are great UK ambassadors for the UK.
Why do they keep refuelling lizzy on her starboard side, I was under the impression she had two liquid stations on her port side (one on starboard). The idea being that the starboard side would mainly handle solids via hangers.
RASing from the starboard side of the Carrier enables the ships bridge team to easily observe the evolution something they wouldn’t be able to do if things were the other way round i.e. its safer and easier. This, I would expect will be the preferred method except when:
1. Performing RAS(L) and RAS(S) simultaneously (three ship RAS).
2. RASing large quantities of two seperate grades of fuel (F76 and F44 together) in which case two replenishment rigs will be required (AOs starboard side to CV port side)