UK aircraft carrier heads for Indo-Pacific with eye on China ANI | Updated: May 24, 2021 02:27 IST
London [UK], May 24 (ANI): The UK s carrier strike group, led by HMS Queen Elizabeth, has left for the Indo-Pacific region on a world tour that will last about seven months, carrying the strength of nine ships, 32 aircraft, and 3,700 personnel.
The dispatch of the ship, on Saturday on its maiden operational deployment, is a representation of the Indo-Pacific tilt in the UK s foreign policy. The carrier group is also believed to boost Britain s involvement in the region and to deter China which is asserting its influence in Indo-Pacific, NHK world reported.
UK Carrier Strike Group embarks on historic deployment May 24, 2021, by Naida Hakirevic
Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier and fleet flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth has sailed from Portsmouth for her maiden operational deployment at the heart of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group after a farewell visit from Her Majesty The Queen.
Photo: Royal Navy
The 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier recently completed demanding training to make sure her and the ships that will accompany her on her world mission are ready for any eventuality.
Following the exercises off the Scottish coastline, the ships of the Carrier Strike Group dispersed briefly before sailing for their deployment, which will take them to Japan and back over the next seven-and-a-half-months.
Commodore Steve Moorhouse, Commander UK Carrier Strike Group, said: “HMS Queen Elizabeth, her escorts and her aircraft, will now begin the most important peacetime deployment in a generation. (Pic RN) Led by HMS Queen Elizabeth, the task group will visit 40 nations including India, Japan, Republic of Korea and Singapore in a deployment covering 26,000 nautical miles.(Pic MoD)
UK s Carrier Strike Group headed by HMS QUEEN Elizabeth sailed from Portsmouth for her maiden operational deployment. The 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier recently completed demanding training to make sure her and the ships that will accompany her on her world mission are ready for any eventuality.
autoevolution 24 May 2021, 9:10 UTC ·
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The HMS Queen Elizabeth sailed from Portsmouth, on Saturday, after completing her training within the complex Strike Warrior 21 series of exercises, along with the other ships in the Carrier Strike Group. As she is the leader of this impressive group with an important mission, it was only natural for Her Majesty The Queen to be present at this once-in-a-lifetime event and bid her farewell.
It’s been an intense first half of the year for this Royal ship. After becoming operational at the beginning of the year, the 65,000-ton aircraft carrier recently completed extensive training, in order to be fully prepared for her first mission ever. No less than 20 ships, 150 aircraft and 3 submarines were part of this multinational military exercise, off the Scottish coast.