Royal Navy hones its tactics to protect HMS Queen Elizabeth from attacks

The Portsmouth-based carrier has been working alongside frigate HMS Kent and her Merlin helicopter to counter any possible threat – including air, submarine, surface fleet and terrorist strike.

The exhaustive five-day exercise, which included training with F-35 stealth fighters, was to ready her for deployment on Exercise Crimson Ocean.

The carrier will be at the heart of a task group of British and allied warships that will include an anti-submarine frigate when she sails next year.

A submarine advisory team of specialist naval reservists were mobilised to join Queen Elizabeth for the exercise for the first time.

‘This marks an important milestone – the beginning of a 50-year partnership,’ commander Ben Horner, of the Maritime Reserves’ Submarine, said.

‘The advisory team are leading the way for those who will support the carrier for many decades to come, supported by our specialist communicators who train and deploy alongside us.’

Lieutenant commander Mark Driscoll, whose job involves controlling both British and NATO submarines, said: ‘The tasking ranges from protecting the strike group and defending the aircraft carrier to land attack missile operations and gathering intelligence.’

HMS Queen Elizabeth is now heading to Norway to join her sister HMS Westminster where the two ships are taking part in NATO annual anti-submarine exercises.

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