HMS Queen Elizabeth returns to Portsmouth after two-month deployment
The Royal Navy warship has completed her first deployment as a NATO command ship
HMS Queen Elizabeth has arrived home to Portsmouth after a two-month deployment that saw her travel around the UK and northern Europe in her new role as a NATO command ship.
The Royal Navy said the 65,000 tonne warship’s deployment was part of her journey back to the front line after her first re-certification in Rosyth. It said this deployment lays the groundwork for more complex workouts in 2027.
During her deployment she visited Belfast and Gibraltar, as well as undergoing a series of complex exercises.
The aircraft carrier returned to her home port this morning (November 5) and passed the Round Tower at 9am.
She was greeted by friends and family of the ship’s company, who were waving from the Hot Walls and the Round Tower.
Daniella and Phillip Watson were on the Hot Walls with their 6-year-old daughter Armina, having travelled from Newcastle to greet their son Callum, 18, who is a weapons engineer on board the ship.
“It’s been alright, we’ve been texting him a lot,” said Mrs Watson. “It’s his first deployment, he has loved it, he didn’t want to come home!”
“He loved Gibraltar,” said Mr Watson. “He’s been in the Navy since he was 16, he always wanted to join.”
Angharad Billingsley, who was waiting for her husband, Royal Navy and Marine Welfare officer Andy Billingsley, said communication with deployed family members had much improved over the years.
She said: “He’s been in the Navy for 30 years. It’s been a good deployment, we speak when we can, and he’s a lot better than he used to be.
“When they are away, you get into the swing of things. You count down to them coming back, and at this time of year it’s a double positive because he is coming home in time for Christmas.”
The family of weapons engineer, George Warman, 21, were waiting to waive the ship home from the Round Tower.
“He seems to have enjoyed it,” said his father, Chris Warman. “He’s been really positive about it.”
“He’s been really busy so we didn’t speak to him a lot,” said his mother, Jayne Warman. “They won’t get off the boat properly until 4pm, and then we are going to meet up with his brothers later this evening.
“George really wants a Chinese takeaway so that’s what we’ll do. He was happy that this deployment they’ve changed the meals and added a new grazing menu. He said they can eat when they want now, it’s really brought morale up on the ship.”
HMS Queen Elizabeth will soon take on the duties of flagship from her sister vessel HMS Prince of Wales, who is currently undertaking the second phase of Operation Firecrest with the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG).