The UK Carrier Strike Group arrived in the North Pacific in early August. This photo and video essay covers the activities of the group during the subsequent 5 weeks.
The programme was severely disrupted by the worsening COVID situation in South Korea and Japan and some major changes to the planned schedule have been made. Most of the CSG ships had spent around 5 weeks at sea since leaving the Mediterranean, covering over 10,000 nautical miles. The ships arrived at the US Naval base in Guam on 6th August where most of the crews were able to get ashore for some well-deserved downtime.
Shortly after leaving Guam on 14 August, HMS Kent, HMS Defender and HNLMS Evertsen conducted a naval gunfire support (NGS) exercise against a land range on the uninhabited Farallon de Medinilla in the middle of the Marianas while working with US Marines Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs).
HMS Queen Elizabeth completed her first transfer of live munitions from RFA Fort Victoria on 17 August. 14,540kg of munitions were transferred including 16 Paveway IV laser-guided bombs and 41,785kg of mixed food and maintenance stores for the ship.
RFA Fort Victoria arrived in Yokosuka, Japan on 20th August for a 2-day logistic stop berthed adjacent to JS Izumo (Photos: AlsaceClass).
The CSG participated in Large Scale General Exercise (LSGE21), a global command and control exercise, with a regional focus, to enhance integration of the US and its allies in the Indo-Pacific. On 20th Aug, F35 aircraft launched from HMS Queen Elizabeth to USS America, loaded ordnance and fuel before conducting a mission. This is the first time in modern history the US has cross-decked jets utilising a foreign aircraft carrier.
PHOTEX at the conclusion of 12-day Exercise Noble Union held South of Okinawa. Elements of the UK-led carrier strike group operated with USS America-led Expeditionary Strike Group 7 and two ships from Japan’s Maritime Self Defence Force. Participating warships were: HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Defender, HMS Kent, HNLMS Evertsen, USS The Sullivans, USS America, USS New Orleans, JS Ise and JS Asahi. This is period also included participation in Exercise Pacific Crown 21-1 and 21-2 which involved tactical and communications drills.
Breaking off from exercises with the Japanese and the Americans, the CSG focused on bilateral exchanges with South Korea. The Future Pacific Forum event that would have been hosted onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth from 31 Aug – 2 Sept in Busan was postponed due to COVID. Only HMS Astute and HNMLS Evertsen were able to visit South Korea but exercises and discussions were held at sea. COMUKCSG thanked the South Koreans for their “enthusiastic support” for the carrier group.
On 1st Sept, Babcock. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd (HHI) as they seek to co-operate on the Korean CVX Aircraft Carrier Programme. Babcock will provide expertise derived from their participation QEC programme. The British company are also investing further in support facilities in Busan, where they currently assemble equipment for a growing number of South Korean naval programmes.
HMS Diamond finally sailed from Taranto on 31st August after completing rectification of a major engine defect. She broke down in the Mediterranean in early July and the repair work was delayed by positive COVID tests amongst her crew and the contractors. She passed through the Suez Canal on 4th September, heading east to participate in the second half of the CSG deployment.
The visit to Japan was seen as the cornerstone of the deployment with UK-Japanese diplomatic and trade relationships becoming ever stronger. Unfortunately, the effects of the pandemic have hit hard in Japan and there was enormous disappointment that the crew were confined to the ship for the truncated 3-day visit to Yokosuka. A limited number of officials were hosted by HMS Queen Elizabeth including JMSDF officers to discuss F-35B operations from the carrier. Japan is buying 40 F-35Bs and updating their Izumo-class light carriers to operate them. Later leaders from major Japanese industries also visited the ship.
After sailing from Yokosuka, HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Defender, RFA Tidespring and HNLMS Evertsen met up with JS Izumo, JS Ise and HMCS Winnipeg for 3-day exercise Pacific Crown 21-3. The ships conducted officer of the watch manoeuvres, antisubmarine training, joint flying ops and PHOTEX including fly-past with UK, US and Japanese F35B’s, 9th Sept.
Brilliant, utterly fantastic article and Pics, Thanks navy Lookout.
Is there not a TV crew accompanying the CSG? If so, will make for good viewing when it returns I imagine.
I believe that the TV crew, voted to cover Love Island instead……. Well It makes for bigger viewer figures after all…..
Love Island has women with their kit off and the Royal Navy has ships with no kit on. I can see the similarly…?
🙂
I can see how some would be swayed by such alternative content!!!!?
That’s the bloke, cheers.?
Being covered by Chris Thrall, sure to be spot on.
Totally agree, excellent.
Can’t wait to watch the TV program, watched a bit of vigil but what rubbish.
‘Rubbish’ is giving it to much credit!
Lovely.
Despite my reservations about the effect the cost of the carriers and F35s has had on our overall defence capability, this is seriously impressive.
Ships with lack of gear! One destroyer major breakdown, most are American F35s… But Apart from that yeah it’s impresive. We are British this stuff used to be our bread and butter.
But it hasn’t been since well before most of the personnel on this deployment joined the services. The system is being rebuilt but it can’t be done properly overnight. In 5/10 years the U.K. will have a fully built out carrier force with all its elements worked up and experienced.
At least, that’s what we are all hoping Tim.
As I’ve made clear many times, I think we were too ambitious with the carriers and their cost has been a major factor in the reduction of other capabilities. But the task force is undeniably impressive. F35 is only the second supersonic aircraft we have ever deployed at sea. The F35 is more British than the Phantoms were.
A quarter of a century ago the idea of two 40,000 tonne carriers replacing the Invincibles seemed ambitious. One only has to look at the twelfth still image in this photo sequence to see where we might have ended up – the image shows an F35 athwart the flight deck of USS America: not a lot of room to manoeuvre there and, even given the modest numbers of F35s we might hope to put to sea, such a cramped flight deck must surely be an impediment to a ship of such a size functioning as an aircraft carrier. Alright, a 40,000 tonne carrier designed from the outset as such – rather than as an assault ship – might have incorporated a sponsoned out flight deck, but nevertheless… Already at times, even on this deployment, the deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth looks a little busy. At some point hence an exercise may be carried out to see how this class of ship manages a ‘full’ complement of three dozen F35s plus all other supporting aircraft. What this will reveal, if and when it is ever conducted, who knows.
By the way, the Phantoms mentioned were uniquely British, with fuselages adapted for Spey engines and a modified undercarriage to suit the ‘smaller’ Audacious (Eagle, Ark Royal) carriers.
Incidentally, if anyone is interested, I submitted a FOI request earlier this year to determine the actual deep load displacement for HMS Queen Elizabeth for CSG21. The answer came back as 65,300 tonnes – less than I expected, given the load, but then the oft quoted figure of 65,000 tonnes must be the minimum ballasted, trimmed displacement – perhaps!
As for the impact of these carriers on the overall defence budget, dare I utter the word ‘Ajax’? The Army needs to replace its IFVs, but the £5.5bn committed to date – unsuccessfully – would buy a fair amount of navy…
Please see below, I corrected myself: I should have referred to the Ajax as an ARV, not IFV…with apologies!
The Army should stick to a 15 ton ARV.
To be easy transportable by aircraft.
Is there an article that shows where this £5.5 billion has been spent ? I just don’t get the figures what with so few actually being built.
£5.5bn is the intended programme cost, although it appears a further £500m may be needed before a solution can be found to rectify the problems, if this proves to be possible at all. There are a number of articles online, I Googled ‘£5.5bn spent on Ajax’, one authoritative read ought to be that in the FT:
https://www.ft.com/content/4d083de1-df5b-4368-973b-247e6249d62c
I merely meant to point out that each of the services from time to time have big ticket items, some make it to the front line with some success whilst others do not.
Thanks for posting the link, is there anything that shows what’s been spent/wasted so far ?
With only 14 Ajax test vehicles delivered so far, for about £3.5Bn in development costs. Full production of Ajax has not began yet.
Submarines took a bigger chunk of the budget over the same time frame.
Surprisingly there is a school of thought that says if we didn’t have the carriers we would have even fewer escorts. Batty I know.
The main trouble with the carriers is that capability went from being a support to operation to the centre of operations. Hindsight is wonderful. Personally I think we should have built a couple of large LHD’s.
The submarine fleet, SSBN and SSN has never been gapped though SSNs are much reduced. The carriers however are in effect a new capability. They go way beyond the Invincibles, which lost their fixed wing in 2010, and even the Eagle class, deleted finally in 1978. Seeing that Ark Royal and Eagle were laid down in WW2, the gap in construction of full scale carriers was 60 years. So I think is fair to look at what overall effect the ‘ new ‘capacity has had on RN numbers.
The carriers however are in effect a new capability.
True. This is something that is not appreciated by many who post on sites like this. As I said above the Invincibles acted in support of the fleet, where as the QE’s are now the centre of fleet. Harrier was a small plane pushed to do remarkable things. F35 is a large proper ‘fighter’. We are where we are. I think war with China will come sooner rather than later. The USN and USMC will find the extra deck space useful.
The submarines were gapped in a sense when the government interrupted the production drum beat which cost much, much more than the supposed savings.
A quarter of a century ago the idea of two 40,000 tonne carriers replacing the Invincibles seemed ambitious. One only has to look at the twelfth still image in this photo sequence to see where we might have ended up – the image shows an F35 athwart the flight deck of USS America: not a lot of room to manoeuvre there and, even given the modest numbers of F35s we might hope to put to sea, such a cramped flight deck must surely be an impediment to a ship of such a size functioning as an aircraft carrier. Alright, a 40,000 tonne carrier designed from the outset as such – rather than as an assault ship – might have incorporated a sponsoned out flight deck, but nevertheless… Already at times, even on this deployment, the deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth looks a little busy. At some point hence an exercise may be carried out to see how this class of ship manages a ‘full’ complement of three dozen F35s plus all other supporting aircraft. What this will reveal, if and when it is ever conducted, who knows.
By the way, the Phantoms mentioned elsewhere were uniquely British, with fuselages adapted for Spey engines and a modified undercarriage to suit the ‘smaller’ Audacious (Eagle, Ark Royal) carriers.
Incidentally, if anyone is interested, I submitted a FOI request earlier this year to determine the actual deep load displacement for HMS Queen Elizabeth for CSG21. The answer came back as 65,300 tonnes – less than I expected, given the load, but then the oft quoted figure of 65,000 tonnes must be the minimum ballasted, trimmed displacement – perhaps!
As for the impact of these carriers on the overall defence budget, dare I utter the word ‘Ajax’? The Army needs to replace its ARVs, but the £5.5bn committed to date – unsuccessfully – would buy a fair amount of navy…
A better view of USS America’s flightdeck illustrating your point.
Indeed! Thank you for that.
As I am fond of saying F35b is far, far more than the USMC needs for CAS. But saying that it is a good deal for us. We have gone from an old Fiesta to a new Mondeo.
I’d say F35B/QEC is technologically more advanced that Mondeo…a lot more advanced…..
F35B + QEC + RM + Chinook + Apache + Albions + Bays is a very, very special package. The spear has a very sharp tip.
Oh. You do realise I was the using cars as a measure of scale and capability to illustrate the difference between SHAR and F35b?
Posted Twice ? strange things happening here lately !
Each of the duplicated items I posted has a glaring error it, the most significant is that in the first I incorrectly referred to Ajax as an IFV whereas it is in fact (in the main) an ARV.
The other error was something I corrected before the first post, but left in the second post when I cut and pasted it in from Notepad. Spot it if you will!
I post infrequently although I do visit Navylookout (/its predecessor) daily. I’m sure there used to be a facility to edit before confirming the upload?
” Athwart” ? I wasn’t being pedantic BTW, I just thought things were a bit funny on here having watched the previous nights silly goings on !!!! The QE class are often quoted at 72,000 Short Tons, which would make the USN GRF class 112,000 tons. Or a Tide class heavier.
Athwart means across a hull.
Oh, Thanks, I never knew.
I try not to use technical or nautical language when posting here.
Great article, thanks!
It looks good the R.N a blue water capable force. In the mean time jihadists are coming across the chanel in large numbers Afgans at the minimum 20000 all potential threats to security of young women esp. This whole deployment is a farce when the actual country is being put at risk by ridiculous lack of control on the U.K borders.
Did we buy the one with the gun this time? I can’t remember. 🙂
Yes mate, Phantoms but not before those pesky Migs whupped arse.
All good then. 🙂
Let’s build a wall around UK and Mexico will pay for it !
It’s time to build a floating sea barrier in the English Channel, then!
The real issue is the impossibility of coping with such numbers, no matter their country of origin. Cameron wanted to reduce net immigration to a few tens of thousands. He failed and resentment about uncontrolled immigration delivered the Brexit vote. The highest pro vote was in Boston which had seen a huge influx of Eastern Europeans.
The question no politician will answer is whether there is any limit on the number this overcrowded country, unable to feed its current population, will admit. The number of potential entrants is practically limitless: most of the world is less safe than the UK.
“Boston” time for another Tea Party then.
Boston is at the heart of the Lincolnshire horticultural growing industry. Did they manage to find any Brits that wanted to pick cabbages?
I’m sure they could. If we stopped paying people that are able to work to sit around and do nothing. If we stop supressing labour costs by importing thousands of unskilled labourers. If we can address the poor work ethic that some (not all!) in our nation has where they feel they’re owed a living.
Sure, maybe the farmers would have to pay a little extra in wages & this would no doubt be passed on to the consumer but… 10p more for a cabbage? Who cares.
That’s one big target
Great article and images/media! As a regular user of USNI Proceedings/USNI News, this level of imagery is fantastic! We would never have this many images on our blogs on this side of the pond. SMH.
Excellent pictures and stories. Most enjoyable for an old salty sea dog like me!