Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)
(Dave Jenkins Photo)
HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)arriving at Gibraltar for her first overseas port visit. The 65,000 tonne future flagship was conducting a routine logistics stop having left her home in Portsmouth a week earlier for helicopter trials.
HMS Queen Elizabeth is the lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth class of aircraft carriers built for the Royal Navy. Capable of carrying 60 aircraft including fixed wing, rotary wing and autonomous vehicles,[20] she is named in honour of the first HMS Queen Elizabeth, a World War I era super-dreadnought, which in turn was named after Queen Elizabeth I. The carrier Queen Elizabeth carries her namesake ship’s honours, as well as her Tudor rose-adorned crest and motto.
Queen Elizabeth commenced her sea trials in June 2017,[21] was commissioned on 7 December 2017 and entered service in 2020. Her first seagoing commanding officer was Commodore Jerry Kyd who was appointed in 2014 but did not take command until May 2016, having previously commanded the carriers Ark Royal and Illustrious.
The ship is designed to operate V/STOL aircraft. The air wing will typically consist of F-35B Lightning II multirole fighters and Merlin helicopters for airborne early warning and anti-submarine warfare. The design emphasises flexibility, with accommodation for 250 Royal Marines and the ability to support them with attack helicopters and large troop transports such as Chinooks. She is based at HMNB Portsmouth. Queen Elizabeth will deploy as the central part of a UK Carrier Strike Group with escorts and support ships in order to deliver carrier-enabled power projection. (Wikipedia)
(USN Photo)
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II (Serial No. ZM148) of No. 617 Squadron RAF lands aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) in the Atlantic Ocean on 17 October 2019.
(Nick Goodrum Photo)
HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08), Portsmouth, UK, Sep 2017.
(USN Photo)
HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) underway in the Atlantic Ocean on 17 October 2019. HMS Queen Elizbeth was deployed in support of exercise “WESTLANT 19”, which involved mission planning, arming the aircraft using the ship’s Highly Automated Weapon Handling System, flying missions and debriefing on completion. The first operational deployment for HMS Queen Elizabeth with No. 617 Squadron and a squadron of U.S. Marine Corps Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightnings began in 2021.
(UK MOD Photo)
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning fighters embarked on HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) for the first Carrier Sea Training, 9 June 2020.
(UK MOD Photo)
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning fighters embarked on HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) for the first Carrier Sea Training. Pilots, engineers, cyberspace and mission support staff from No. 617 Squadron, the UK’s operational strike squadron, embarked the carrier during a quick stop in Portsmouth for supplies before the aircraft themselves landed on board, 9 June 2020.
(UK MOD Photo)
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning fighters embarked on HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) for the first Carrier Sea Training. Pilots, engineers, cyberspace and mission support staff from 617 Squadron, the UK’s operational strike squadron, embarked the carrier during a quick stop in Portsmouth for supplies before the aircraft themselves landed on board. The event marked the first time 617 Squadron – famously known as the Dambusters –fully joined HMS Queen Elizabeth as the UK prepared to deploy the next generation squadron of fighter aircraft to operate from the sea, 9 June 2020.
(USN Photo)
HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) arriving at Naval Station Mayport for a port visit, 5 Sep 2018.
(UK MOD Photo)
RN Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning jets onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) for the first time on 13 Oct 2019. HMS Dragon, a Type 45 Destroyer is also seen in the background. Flown by Royal Navy and Royal Air Force pilots, the Lightning jets were embarking on the 65,000 tonne carrier to conduct operational trials off the East Coast of the USA. This followed successful developmental trials the previous year with US Lightning jets, where forces conducted 500 take offs and landings over their 11-week period at sea.
(UK MOD Photo)
A Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter from RNAS Yeovilton flies above HMS Queen Elizabeth during the aircraft carrier’s first entry into Portsmouth Harbour, 16 Aug 2017.
(UK MOD Photo)
A Royal Navy AugustaWestland Merlin HM2 helicopter (Serial No.ZH827) of No. 820 Naval Air Squadron flies over the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) during sea trials off the coast of Scotland on 26 June 2017.
(UK MOD Photo)
RN Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning jets onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) for the first time. HMS Dragon, a Type 45 Destroyer is also seen in the background.
(UK MOD Photo)
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning Jets embarked on HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) for the first Carrier Sea Training. Pilots, engineers, cyberspace and mission support staff from No. 617 Squadron, the UK’s operational strike squadron, embarked the carrier during a quick stop in Portsmouth for supplies before the aircraft themselves landed on board. The event marked the first time No. 617 Squadron – famously known as the Dambusters –fully joined HMS Queen Elizabeth as the UK prepared to deploy the next generation squadron of fighter aircraft to operate from the sea. The F-35 jets that landed on board were be the same aircraft that sailed in 2021 with the ship for her maiden Global Carrier Strike Group 21 deployment.
(UK MOD Photo)
HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) in formation with her Carrier Strike Group during Exercise Westlant 19. The Carrier Strike Group comprises RFA Tideforce in the lead with HMS Northumberland (on her right), USS Truxtun (on her far right), HMS Dragon (on her left), USS Philippine Sea on (her far left) with HMS Queen Elizabeth at the rear.
(UK MOD Photo)
USS America (foreground) an amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy, HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) (centre), and the JS Ise, a Hyūga-class helicopter destroyer of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force whilst in the Philippine Sea. On Tuesday 24 August 2021.
(UK MOD Photo)
Pictured top to bottom are, HMS Northumberland, RFA Tideforce and HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) during Exercise Westlant 19. HMS Queen Elizabeth is the largest warship ever constructed for the Royal Navy. Exercise Westlant 19 put this formidable warship and her embarked F-35 fighter jets through their paces on the USA Eastern Seaboard, 11 Nov 2019.
(UK MOD Photo)
HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) visiting Western Scotland for the first time, 15 March 2021.
(UK MOD Photo)
HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) and her escorts ships arriving at Duqm Port, Oman, 3 Nov 2021.
(USN Photo)
HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) in the North Sea during Exercise Joint Warrior 20-2, 4 Oct 2020.
(UK MOD Photo)
HMS Prince of Wales (R09) and HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) together at sea for the first time, 19 May 2021.
(Royal Navy Photo)
Four Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs of HMS Queen Elizabeth‘s Carrier Strike Group, Portsmouth, UK, 1 Nov 2022.
(ITookSomePhotos Photo)
View of the naval dockyard at Portsmouth, England, from the Spinnaker Tower. In the foreground is the historic ship HMS Warrior. The two aircraft carriers HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth are moored side by side. The historic dockyard, including HMS Victory and the Mary Rose Museum, is visible towards the right of the picture.
(UK MOD Photo)
HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08), accompanied by her support craf), sailing from her home in Portsmouth for the first time since her official commissioning into the Royal Navy in December, on 2 Feb 2018.