- May 4, 2021, 6:17 AM A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B is seen after its arrival aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth on May 3. The aircraft has colorful markings and wears the name of the carrier on its fins. (Photo: U.S. Marine Corps) The Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG), centered around the 65,000-tonne carrier Queen Elizabeth, has left port on schedule. Following a two-week exercise with NATO forces the CSG will head for the Mediterranean and further east on its first operational cruise. This will be the first time that the Royal Navy has undertaken an operational carrier deployment since 2010.