The carrier assumed command-ship duties for NATO’s Allied Response Force in July, the first time either Queen Elizabeth-class vessel has performed the role. Its embarked battle staff will rehearse the command and coordination of a multinational naval force during a potential crisis.
HMS Queen Elizabeth will also complete advanced training under the Royal Navy’s Flag Officer Sea Training organisation. The programme will cover the full range of modern naval warfare and assess the ship’s ability to respond to emerging threats.
“We’ve returned from summer leave rested and ready for the next phase of our training,” said Captain Claire Thompson, the carrier’s commanding officer. “Sailing this autumn is a key milestone for both our NATO commitment, as the Afloat Command Platform and also on our journey back to the Royal Navy’s ‘very high readiness’ aircraft carrier, a duty we will resume from our sister ship HMS Prince of Wales in 2027.”
The training programme will continue into next year and include participation in major NATO exercises. It will prepare HMS Queen Elizabeth to replace HMS Prince of Wales as the UK’s flagship and high-readiness strike carrier in late 2027.
“Sailing with an embarked battle staff, integration and training is essential whilst relearning the skills required to conduct safe and effective aviation as we ensure that we are prepared to deliver operational activity at the heart of NATO should it be required,” Thompson said. Aviation training will form part of the wider effort to prepare the ship for future operational tasking.
The deployment follows confirmation of £240 million in the Defence Investment Plan for the development of new drones for a Hybrid Carrier Air Wing. The investment includes jet-powered drones intended to operate alongside F-35 fighter aircraft.
The carrier’s programme forms part of Britain’s wider contribution to NATO, which includes more than 1,000 British personnel serving at alliance command posts. UK forces also maintain an 800-strong battlegroup in Estonia, deploy Typhoon aircraft over Romania and operate P-8 Poseidon and Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft over the Baltic Sea.
The Defence Investment Plan also confirmed that Britain will join NATO’s Dual Capable Aircraft nuclear mission with F-35A fighters. The UK is the only European member to commit its nuclear deterrent fully to the alliance.
