For all the talk of HMS Queen Elizabeth’s warfighting capabilities, the fact remains that for the majority of her service life, she will be a tool of influence, not one of direct action. In this article, Tom Sharpe looks at how this deployment should be communicated so as to maximise its effect.
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Today the RN formally declared IOC for the UK Carrier Strike Group which is now at ‘very high readiness’, available to deploy anywhere in the world at five days notice.More
2020 has been a memorable year for everyone, mainly for the wrong reasons but the Royal Navy has quietly triumphed in adversity. While existential threats continue to grow and the near term still looks difficult, the Naval Service can perhaps look forward more positively to the future than at the start of the year.More
Last week the US Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 concluded two months of training in the UK which included three weeks of air activities embarked on HMS Queen Elizabeth. Speaking to the media, the commanders of the two squadrons were upbeat about a very successful exercise.More
In the first part of this article, we summarised at the political situation and strategic balance in the South China Sea. Here we untangle the confusing statements about whether the UK will send its carrier strike group to the area and take a balanced view about the risks and reward that could accompany such a deployment.
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The UK Carrier Strike group will set sail in May 2021 for a 5 or 6-month deployment. It has not been finally confirmed by government as yet but it seems likely the ships will operate for some of the time in the South China Sea. In this 2-part article, we look at the current situation in the region and examine some of the arguments for and against British re-engagement in the Far East
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(UPDATED) HMS Queen Elizabeth will leave Portsmouth for another period of training next week but it was announced on 23rd April that her departure will be delayed by a few days while the entire ship’s company is tested for COVID-19. At a time when aircraft carriers in other navies have experienced widespread infection amongst their crews, we look at the rationale for sailing and the measures taken by the RN to mitigate risks to its personnel.