Heavy winds forecast for the weekend have forced the Royal Navy to bring forward the departure of its flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth for its first operational deployment to the Far East.
The £3 billion aircraft carrier made an unscheduled stop at its home base in Portsmouth on Wednesday after taking part in a major exercise off the coast of Scotland.
The 65,000-tonne warship had intended to carry out its final preparations for the deployment while in the Solent along with the other ships of the Carrier Strike Group (CSG).
The Royal Navy has released images of the first time HMS Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales met at sea – off the coast of north west Scotland following Exercise Strike Warrior 21 on Wednesday
The Prince of Wales, pictured bottom, is undergoing sea trials in preparation of her first operational deployment. HMS Queen Elizabeth is currently in Portsmouth, ready to depart on Saturday night for her first operational cruise to the Far East
HMS Queen Elizabeth has British and US Marine F-35 B Lightening jets aboard for her first operational cruise
However, poor weather conditions, including 50mph winds expected on Friday, forced the navy to change its plan and bring the carrier into port.
The Queen Elizabeth was brought back early from Exercise Strike Warrior to avoid the worst of the weather and most of the other CSG ships have stopped at Devonport until they regroup once the carrier has sailed again.
People lined the walls of Portsmouth Harbour to see the giant warship, with F35B Lightning jets lined up on the flight deck for the first time as it arrived in its home port on Wednesday.
The carrier had been scheduled to leave again on Sunday morning but further bad weather has forced the navy to change its plan again and it is now expected to leave on Saturday night.
HMS Queen Elizabeth pictured entering Portsmouth with her CSG21 air group embarked, as she prepares to lead the UK’s Carrier Strike Group on an operation deployment travelling to the Mediterranean then on to the Philippine Sea
Aircraft from the ‘Chargers’ of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26 and Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 162 fly in formation above the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth as a landing craft air cushion from Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 4, transits alongside during a photo exercise on May 17
The Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth – nicknamed ‘Big Lizzy’ – is welcomed by onlookers as she arrives back at Portsmouth Naval Base in Hampshire on May 19 after exercising with US forces
It will be the first time the carrier has left the port at night, although it has sailed into Portsmouth in the early hours previously.
A MoD spokesman explained that winds had to be taken into account because of the narrow entrance of Portsmouth Harbour as well as the dredged channels for the approaches from the Solent which were created specifically for the carriers.
He said: ‘This is a standard response to a changing weather system.’
It is not the first time the carrier has been forced to change its timings for leaving the narrow entrance of Portsmouth Harbour – in September last year it delayed a sailing because of poor conditions.
Departures were also affected last year after small numbers of the crew tested positive for Covid-19.
Its sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, was kept in port for several months while undergoing repairs for an internal leak which caused £3.3 million worth of damage.
The carrier, with eight RAF and 10 US Marine Corps F35B stealth fighter jets on board, will depart for Asia accompanied by six Royal Navy ships, a submarine, 14 naval helicopters and a company of Royal Marines.
The CSG, which will carry out visits to India, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, will include the US destroyer USS The Sullivans and the Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen.
A total of 3,700 sailors, aviators and marines are involved in the deployment which will cover 25,000 nautical miles.
Thousands of well-wishers and a flotilla of small boats turned out to wave off HMS Queen Elizabeth as it left Portsmouth on May 1 on what was, at the time, understood to be its last sailing from the Hampshire port prior to the deployment.
The Royal Navy aircraft carrier seen arriving back at Portsmouth Naval Base on Wednesday. The carrier, with eight RAF and 10 US Marine Corps F35B stealth fighter jets on board, will depart for Asia accompanied by six Royal Navy ships, a submarine, 14 naval helicopters and a company of Royal Marines
F35B Lightnings on the flight deck of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth as she arrives back in Portsmouth. The poor weather forecast for the coming days, including heavy winds, caused the warship to return to the naval base
People look on as HMS Queen Elizabeth returns to Portsmouth Naval Base. The carrier, which arrived with F35B Lightning jets on its flight deck, is expected to sail for the deployment to the Indo-Pacific region on Sunday
An aerial view of HMS Queen Elizabeth entering Portsmouth with her CSG21 air group embarked. It is understood that the ship has not experienced any mechanical or personnel issue requiring the call to port
The Royal Navy aircraft carrier seen arriving back in Hampshire yesterday. The CSG, which will carry out visits to India, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, will include the US destroyer USS The Sullivans and the Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen
F35B Lightning jets on the flight deck of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier on Wednesday. The MoD has announced that the CSG’s F35B Lightning fast jets operated by the renowned ‘Dambusters’ squadron, or 617 Squadron, will join Operation Shader
F35B Lightning jets, which are multi-role combat aircraft equipped with advanced sensors, mission systems and stealth technology, pictured on the flight deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth yesterday
A total of 3,700 sailors, aviators and marines are involved in the deployment which will cover 25,000 nautical miles.
The deployment has been organised as part of the ‘UK’s tilt to the Indo-Pacific region’ in a bid to ‘bolster deep defence partnerships’ as well as to take part in an exercise to mark the 50th anniversary of the Five Power Defence Arrangements with Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
Commodore Stephen Moorhouse said prior to sailing at the start of the month: ‘This is an amazing capability and pulling that all together with our international partners is a real statement that the Royal Navy is very much in the Premier League.
‘The deployment takes us through the Mediterranean, the Middle East then operating with key partners in the Indo-Pacific just shows the Royal Navy has an ambition to be active on the global stage and operate wherever our politicians may feel fit.’
Colonel Simon Doran, the senior US representative in the CSG, previously said the deployment had been in planning for more than 10 years.
Two people look on and take pictures as the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth arrives back at Portsmouth Naval base in Hampshire. The £3billion aircraft carrier has just taken part in a major exercise off the coast of Scotland
The ship’s company look out from the hangar as the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth arrives back at Portsmouth Naval Base in Hampshire on Wednesday, May 19
People look on as ‘Big Lizzie’ arrives back in Portsmouth. A total 3,700 sailors, aviators and marines are involved in the upcoming deployment which will cover 25,000 nautical miles
The deployment has been organised as part of the ‘UK’s tilt to the Indo-Pacific region’ in a bid to ‘bolster deep defence partnerships’ as well as to take part in an exercise to mark the 50th anniversary of the Five Power Defence Arrangements
F35B Lightnings on the flight deck of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier. Colonel Simon Doran, the senior US representative in the CSG, previously said the deployment had been in planning for more than 10 years
He said: ‘It sends a message to potential adversaries but also to our allies to reinforce should they ever be needed, we will be there, we generally always fight together so to deploy together really helps strengthen our relationship.’
The MoD has announced that the CSG’s F35B Lightning fast jets operated by the renowned ‘Dambusters’ squadron, or 617 Squadron, will join Operation Shader targeting the remnants of so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
The F35B jets are multi-role combat aircraft equipped with advanced sensors, mission systems and stealth technology – enabling them to carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston said: ‘We’re going to conduct operations in support of the Government of Iraq, fighting the remnants of Daesh in Iraq and Syria – and continuing to take the fight to them in their sanctuary where otherwise they would be threatening the streets of the United Kingdom and our allies.’
Thousands of well-wishers and a flotilla of small boats turned out to wave off HMS Queen Elizabeth as it left Portsmouth on May 1 on what was, at the time, understood to be its last sailing from the Hampshire port prior to the deployment.
Inside Britain’s most powerful warship, HMS Queen Elizabeth
At 280 metres long, with a lifespan of half a century and a flight deck of four acres, HMS Queen Elizabeth is Britain’s largest and most powerful warship ever built.
Here are the facts and figures behind the vessel which was officially commissioned into the Royal Navy December 7, 2017
HMS Queen Elizabeth, pictured, weighs some 65,000 tonnes and has a top speed of 25 knots and a four-acre flight deck
- The aircraft carrier weighs 65,000 tonnes and has a top speed in excess of 25 knots.
- A number of ship building yards around the country were involved in the build – these include Govan and Scotstoun in Glasgow, Appledore in Devon, Cammell Laird in Birkenhead, Wirral, A&P on the Tyne in Newcastle and Portsmouth.
- A total of 10,000 people worked on construction of the ship, made up in sections at yards around the UK and transported to Rosyth, Fife, where it was assembled.
- It is the second ship in the Royal Navy to be named Queen Elizabeth.
- The ship has a crew of around 700, that will increase to 1,600 when a full complement of F-35B jets and Crowsnest helicopters are embarked.
- There are 364,000 metres of pipes inside the ship, and from keel to masthead she measures 56 metres, four metres more than Niagara Falls.
- Facilities onboard include a chapel, a medical centre and 12-bed ward, staffed with GPs, a nurse and medical assistants, as well as a dentist and dental nurse.
- There are also five gyms on the warship which include a cardiovascular suite, two free weight rooms and a boxing gym.
- Regular fitness circuit sessions and sporting activities such as basketball and tug of war are held in the hangar and on the flight deck, with weights and other items stored inside the flight deck ramp.
- The Captain of the ship was Angus Essenhigh
- There are five galleys on the warship which is where the food is cooked and those on board eat their meals everyday. This includes two main galleys, the bridge mess and an aircrew refreshment bar.
- The distribution network on board manages enough energy to power 30,000 kettles or 5,500 family homes.
- Its flight deck is 280 metres long and 70 metres wide, enough space for three football pitches.
- The entire ship’s company of 700 can be served a meal within 90 minutes, 45 minutes when at action stations.
- Recreational spaces enjoyed by the crew feature televisions and sofas, as well as popular board games including the traditional Royal Navy game of Uckers.
- Each of the two aircraft lifts on HMS Queen Elizabeth can move two fighter jets from the hangar to the flight deck in 60 seconds.
- The warship has a range of 8,000 to 10,000 nautical miles, and has two propellers – each weighing 33 tonnes and with a combined 80MW output of power – enough to run 1,000 family cars or 50 high speed trains.