HMS Queen Elizabeth to leave Portsmouth tomorrow, navy confirms

The 65,000-tonne behemoth is due to leave Portsmouth from 10am, passing the Round Tower at about 10.20am.

Setting sail with her 700-strong ship’s company, the aircraft carrier is due to be at sea for about two months, a Royal Navy spokeswoman said.

The 280m supercarrier is completing tests to land helicopters on her expansive four-acre flight deck.

While alongside in Portsmouth, Queen Elizabeth’s two powerful hangar lifts were put to the test, lifting a helicopters to and from the flight deck.

The lifts are capable of hoisting two F-35b jets from the hangar to the deck in 60 seconds, and can take the weight of all the ship’s crew.

This latest deployment comes ahead of the £3.1bn warship’s flight trials of the new stealth jets, which is due to take place off the east coast of America from the end of October.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is the largest ship ever built for the Royal Navy.

She is based in Portsmouth, having first arrived in the city in August, last year.

Her sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, will also be based in Portsmouth.

She is expected to arrive at some point next year.

Together, both ships have a lifespan of about 50 years.