The British Navy plans to deploy an aircraft carrier strike group near Japan next year with HMS Queen Elizabeth

According to information published by the Japanese site Kyodo News on December 6, 2020, the British Royal Navy plans to deploy an aircraft carrier strike group including the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth in waters near Japan early next year. .
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Aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth of the British Royal Navy. (Image source Wikimedia)

During this deployment, the British Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group along with the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth will conduct joint exercises with the US military and Japan Self-Defense Forces while in areas including off the Nansei Island chain in southwestern Japan.

During the deployment, the British Navy also plans to carry out maintenance on the F-35B stealth fighter jets on board the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. aerospace systems facility. in Aichi prefecture, central Japan.

The UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) is a carrier battle group of the British Royal Navy. The size and composition of the UKCSG varies according to operational requirements which are decided during operational planning. It usually consists of a Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier, two surface escorts (one being a Type 23 frigate for anti-submarine warfare and the other being a Type 45 destroyer for anti-aircraft warfare), a submarine and a fleet tanker. .

In future, escort duties will also be provided by the Royal Navy’s new Type 26 frigate. For replenishment at sea, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary provides its Tide-class fleet tankers, which have been specifically designed to resupply aircraft carriers, in addition to the RFA Fort Victoria for dry stores.

The Queen Elizabeth is a class of two United Kingdom Royal Navy aircraft carriers which are the core elements of the UK Carrier Strike Group. The lead ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, was named on July 4, 2014 and commissioned on December 7, 2017.

The Carrier Air Group (CAG) of the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth consists of up to 24 F-35Bs which will operate from each carrier under normal circumstances, with the capability to operate 36 under extreme circumstances. Fourteen Merlin HM2 naval helicopters will be available with typically nine in anti-submarine configuration and four or five with Crowsnest for airborne early warning. A mix of Royal Navy Commando Helicopter Force Merlin HC4s, Wildcat AH1s, RAF Chinook transports and Army Air Corps Apache attack helicopters may also be included in the CAG.