Aircraft
UK Carrier On Course for First Deployment
HMS Queen Elizabeth has begun operational training of both the ship’s company and aircrew in the build-up to the first operational cruise.
Four F-35Bs from No. 617 Squadron and a single Merlin stand on the flight deck of Queen Elizabeth during carrier trials in June. (Photo: Royal Navy)
Four F-35Bs from No. 617 Squadron and a single Merlin stand on the flight deck of Queen Elizabeth during carrier trials in June. (Photo: Royal Navy)

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.