WATCH: HMS Queen Elizabeth meets US carrier off Scottish coast

AHEAD of her first entry to Portsmouth, HMS Queen Elizabeth has met up with the USS George HW Bush and her carrier strike group off the coast of Scotland.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Aug 2017, 14:52 BST
Updated 12th Sep 2017, 12:13 BST
HMS Queen Elizabeth and the USS George H W Bush. To Starboard of HMS Queen Elizabeth and to the front, HMS Westminster and to the rear HMS Iron Duke. To Port of the George W Bush, to the rear USS Donald Cook and Fwd USS Philippine Sea. To the rear of the George W Bush is the HMNOWS Helge Ingstad. Picture by: LPhot Ioan RobertsHMS Queen Elizabeth and the USS George H W Bush. To Starboard of HMS Queen Elizabeth and to the front, HMS Westminster and to the rear HMS Iron Duke. To Port of the George W Bush, to the rear USS Donald Cook and Fwd USS Philippine Sea. To the rear of the George W Bush is the HMNOWS Helge Ingstad. Picture by: LPhot Ioan Roberts
HMS Queen Elizabeth and the USS George H W Bush. To Starboard of HMS Queen Elizabeth and to the front, HMS Westminster and to the rear HMS Iron Duke. To Port of the George W Bush, to the rear USS Donald Cook and Fwd USS Philippine Sea. To the rear of the George W Bush is the HMNOWS Helge Ingstad. Picture by: LPhot Ioan Roberts

The Nimitz-class US carrier has more than 60 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines on board, who have been working with their US counterparts to hone carrier strike skills ahead of the aircraft carrier’s entry into service.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon announced yesterday Britain’s new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest warship ever built for the Royal Navy, is set to enter her new home in Portsmouth in around two weeks.

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Weather conditions mean the exact date of the historic moment is yet to be confirmed, the window for entry will open next Thursday with her arrival expected to be no later than Tuesday, August 22.

HMS Queen Elizabeth and the USS George H W Bush. To Starboard of HMS Queen Elizabeth and to the front, HMS Westminster and to the rear HMS Iron Duke. To Port of the George W Bush, to the rear USS Donald Cook and Fwd USS Philippine Sea. To the rear of the George W Bush is the HMNOWS Helge Ingstad. Picture by: LPhot Ioan RobertsHMS Queen Elizabeth and the USS George H W Bush. To Starboard of HMS Queen Elizabeth and to the front, HMS Westminster and to the rear HMS Iron Duke. To Port of the George W Bush, to the rear USS Donald Cook and Fwd USS Philippine Sea. To the rear of the George W Bush is the HMNOWS Helge Ingstad. Picture by: LPhot Ioan Roberts
HMS Queen Elizabeth and the USS George H W Bush. To Starboard of HMS Queen Elizabeth and to the front, HMS Westminster and to the rear HMS Iron Duke. To Port of the George W Bush, to the rear USS Donald Cook and Fwd USS Philippine Sea. To the rear of the George W Bush is the HMNOWS Helge Ingstad. Picture by: LPhot Ioan Roberts

The series of war games have seen the commander of the UK Carrier Strike Group, Commodore Andrew Betton, and his team direct jets, firepower and personnel across the task group for the last 10 days to ensure readiness for the UK’s own carrier strike capability.

During a pause in the exercise’s high tempo activities, there was a chance for HMS Queen Elizabeth to join the carrier strike group for a brief period as she continues her own contractor sea trials ahead of her much-anticipated first entry into her new home port in Portsmouth, expected to be in just under two weeks.

Captain Jerry Kyd, HMS Queen Elizabeth’s Commanding Officer, said: ‘The USS George HW Bush battle group is an awesome embodiment of maritime power projection.

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‘And given that the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group Commander and his staff are embedded on board the US carrier for Saxon Warrior shows the closeness of our relationship with the US Navy and the importance that both nations place on the delivery of the UK’s Carrier Strike programme.

HMS Queen Elizabeth and the USS George H W Bush. To Starboard of HMS Queen Elizabeth and to the front, HMS Westminster and to the rear HMS Iron Duke. To Port of the George W Bush, to the rear USS Donald Cook and Fwd USS Philippine Sea. To the rear of the George W Bush is the HMNOWS Helge Ingstad. Picture by: LPhot Ioan RobertsHMS Queen Elizabeth and the USS George H W Bush. To Starboard of HMS Queen Elizabeth and to the front, HMS Westminster and to the rear HMS Iron Duke. To Port of the George W Bush, to the rear USS Donald Cook and Fwd USS Philippine Sea. To the rear of the George W Bush is the HMNOWS Helge Ingstad. Picture by: LPhot Ioan Roberts
HMS Queen Elizabeth and the USS George H W Bush. To Starboard of HMS Queen Elizabeth and to the front, HMS Westminster and to the rear HMS Iron Duke. To Port of the George W Bush, to the rear USS Donald Cook and Fwd USS Philippine Sea. To the rear of the George W Bush is the HMNOWS Helge Ingstad. Picture by: LPhot Ioan Roberts

‘HMS Queen Elizabeth is at the start of her journey to generate to full warfighting capability, but we are working hard to ready ourselves to take our place in operations and the line of battle alongside our closest allies.’

As well as the USS George HW Bush, the group includes two Portsmouth-based Type 23 frigates, HMS Westminster and HMS Iron Duke, destroyer USS Donald Cook, missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the Norwegian frigate HNoMS Helge Ingstad.

There are 15 ships from across Nato taking part in the exercise, called Exercise Saxon Warrior, with more than 100 aircraft and nearly 10,000 people.

Related topics:PortsmouthHMS Queen ElizabethRoyal Navy