HMS Queen Elizabeth: Royal Navy carrier to be 'evaluated' by Flag Officer Sea Training in Plymouth to make sure she is ready to deploy to USA

THE Royal Navy’s future flagship is set to be ‘evaluated' before she can be deployed to the United States for further F-35 flight tests.
HMS Queen Elizabeth as she sailed out of Portsmouth. Picture: Ben Mitchell/PA WireHMS Queen Elizabeth as she sailed out of Portsmouth. Picture: Ben Mitchell/PA Wire
HMS Queen Elizabeth as she sailed out of Portsmouth. Picture: Ben Mitchell/PA Wire

HMS Queen Elizabeth has arrived at HMNB Devonport near Plymouth after leaving Portsmouth last week. 

She has welcomed the Royal Navy’s Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST), which is based out of the navy base in Devon, onboard for evaulation and to train the crew. 

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HMS Queen Elizabeth leaves Portsmouth for sea trials
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HMS QE’s official Twitter account wrote: ‘Today we welcome @FOST onboard to train and evaluate us in order to ensure we are safe, compliant, and capable to deploy on #WESTLANT19

#QNLZdoesFOST #TrainHardFightEasy

‘THE SAFEGUARD RULE IS NOW IN FORCE.’

Since leaving Portsmouth last Monday, HMS Queen Elizabeth has visited Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth and is now visiting HMNB Devonport. 

HMS Queen Elizabeth as she sailed out of Portsmouth. Picture: Ben Mitchell/PA WireHMS Queen Elizabeth as she sailed out of Portsmouth. Picture: Ben Mitchell/PA Wire
HMS Queen Elizabeth as she sailed out of Portsmouth. Picture: Ben Mitchell/PA Wire

Why is she going to America? 

HMS Queen Elizabeth is returning to the eastern seaboard of the United States in the coming weeks for Westlant 19, an international military exercise. 

In February, the Royal Navy confirmed that she would be going back to the USA for operational testing with F-35 jets, following on from the developmental tests conducted last year.

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The aircraft carrier left Portsmouth in August 2018 and sailed to America for Westlant 18, returning in December just in time for the crew to celebrate Christmas with their families. 

The flight tests saw F-35 jets land on her decks for the first time.