LONDON (CU)_Britain is once again an official aircraft carrier power, as the Royal Navy announced on Monday (Jan 4) that the country’s Carrier Strike Group centred on Britain’s largest ever warship, is ready for its first operational deployment.
Accordingly, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, a 65,000-ton carrier, and its air assets including fighter jets and helicopters, as well as submarines, supply ships and frigates, are ready to deploy within five days of receiving orders to do so.
UK Defense Minister Jeremy Quin applauded the commitment of the country’s service personnel and industry workforce for their contribution towards this magnificent achievement.
“This is a hugely significant milestone for HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Navy and the whole country. This achievement is a testament to the determination of our service personnel and industry workforce who have delivered this first-rate military capability, a capability held by only a handful of nations,” the Minister said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Commodore Steve Moorehouse, the commander of carrier strike group, also celebrated the event and flaunted his unit’s readiness on Twitter.
“In practical terms, my Strike Group is now at Very High Readiness, meaning we are at 5 days’ notice to deploy, if required, in response to global events & in defence of British interests,” he tweeted.
HMS Queen Elizabeth, arrived at its home port in Portsmouth in August 2017, and since then UK’s defense officials have been suggesting that the carrier’s first deployment would involve the South China Sea.
In 2019, then-UK Defense Minister Gavin Williamson said the carrier would take its fighter jets into a region “China is developing its modern military capability and its commercial power”, adding that UK must be prepared to compete for its interests and values “far, far from home”.
However, Beijing is not too pleased with this approach and ahead of the Royal Navy’s announcement on Monday, Chinese military officials warned London against interference in the region.
Senior Col. Tan Kefei, a spokesman for China’s Defense Ministry, said on New Year’s Eve that “the South China Sea should not become a battleground for big power competition, or a sea full of roaming warships”, adding that the communist regime would take necessary measures “to protect national sovereignty, security, and its developmental interests, as well as safeguard peace and stability in the region”.
HMS Queen Elizabeth, is a £3 billion ship, with a length of 280 meters, displaces 65,000 tons and has a top speed in excess of 25 knots. The country’s largest aircraft carrier is equipped with advanced destroyers, helicopters, frigates, submarines and fifth-generation fighters.
