HMS Queen Elizabeth, the first of two 65,000-tonne aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy, and her 1,100-strong crew have been busy in 2020 as the work-up toward operational capability progresses. Recently the vessel returned to its home base at Portsmouth after a 70-day Operational Sea Training campaign in UK waters, and is now undergoing planned maintenance ahead of the next round of trials.
Having earlier conducted trials in U.S. waters with U.S.-based aircraft, Queen Elizabeth undertook operations with UK-based F-35 Lightnings for the first time in home waters in January, flown by pilots from the Lightning Force training unit, No. 207 (Reserve) Squadron. Captain Angus Essenhigh had only taken command of the vessel weeks before.
The ship sailed again in late April for Exercise Crimson Ocean, which began with basic crew sea training and inspection, before embarking the Merlin helicopters of 820 Naval Air Squadron in mid-May. After a 48-hour return to Portsmouth to replenish stores and to embark engineers and equipment from the Lightning Force, Queen Elizabeth put to sea again to await the arrival of the F-35Bs.
On June 9 the F-35Bs from the joint RAF/Royal Navy No. 617 Squadron—the famous “Dambusters” unit—landed on the carrier, marking the first time that operational UK jets had flown from the carrier. Following an initial qualification phase, the aircraft began training in more operational tasks, such as launching aircraft to mount combat air patrols to defend the carrier and its strike group, and short-notice launches of up to four aircraft. Queen Elizabeth returned to Portsmouth on July 2.
Now the carrier is being prepared for another phase of work-up in which it will exercise with forces from the U.S. and other NATO allies in a Joint Warrior Group Exercise. As part of the campaign, the vessel’s ability to act as a task group flagship will be put to the test. From the air side, a key component of the exercise will involve the joint embarkation of F-35Bs from both No. 617 Squadron and the U.S. Marine Corps’ 3rd Marine Air Wing. Five UK aircraft will be partnered by 10 from Marine squadron VMFA-211, supported by six Merlins. The U.S. aircraft will deploy to RAF Marham in the late summer for shore-based training with their UK counterparts. The carrier itself will require the addition of some Marines-specific equipment. The Corps has been operating the F-35B from assault carriers since 2018.
Exercise Crimson Warrior is due to follow, involving F-35Bs from both nations undertaking simulated combat operations together from Marham. Meanwhile, the carrier will have its defenses upgraded with the addition of 30-mm cannons and an additional Phalanx close-in weapon system. In March the entire carrier strike group will undergo a final at-sea certification exercise.
All the activity involves preparations for the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to undertake its first operational deployment in May 2021. At present Queen Elizabeth will be accompanied by a submarine, two Type 45 destroyers (Diamond and Defender), two Type 23 frigates (Kent and Richmond), the royal fleet auxiliary Fort Victoria, and a Tide-class tanker. Plans call for the air wing to consist of eight UK F-35Bs and six Marine Corps jets, nine Merlin Mk 2s, and a number of AW159 Wildcat helicopters equipped to fire the Thales Martlet light missile.
Three of the nine Merlin Mk 2s are expected to be fitted with developmental Crowsnest radar sets to give the air wing a measure of airborne early warning capability while the Navy waits for initial operational clearance of the radar equipment, which is scheduled for September. Merlin Mk 4 assault transport helicopters will deploy as part of the CSG for carrier onboard delivery duties, and Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys and CH-53E Sea Stallions may also operate from Queen Elizabeth’s deck at some point during the deployment.
Details of the tasking for the CSG have yet to be finalized, but it is expected to sail to the Mediterranean and further east. The deployment is expected to last from between five and six months.
In the meantime, sister-ship HMS Prince of Wales arrived in Portsmouth in November last year, being commissioned into the Royal Navy in the following month. It is expected to achieve operational capability in 2023.
However, the UK’s carrier strike capability build-up has not all been smooth sailing. In late June the National Audit Office (NAO), a government watchdog, published a report in which it questioned whether the carrier force could realize its full potential due to delays in ordering equipment. In particular, the NAO highlighted the failure to have ordered more F-35Bs, of which only 48 are under contract. That translates to a typical air wing of just 12 aircraft, with the ability to embark 24 in emergencies. As each carrier is designed to operate up to 36, the shortage represents a significant loss of potential airpower.
Another procurement failure concerns the Fleet Solid Support ship program, which is intended to provide three support vessels. No orders have yet been placed, leaving Fort Victoria as the only suitable vessel in the fleet to support modern carriers. Other shortcomings are noted in delays to the Crowsnest radar, and no sign of a replacement for the Merlin Mk 4 for intra-theater transport, which was due to be replaced in that role at the end of next year.