The Warship: Tour of Duty: What is BBC Navy series about, when will next episode air and how to watch

The Warship:Tour of Duty follows the Royal Navy’s biggest warship HMS Queen Elizabeth as she embarks on her first-ever operational voyage. Featuring dramatic and aggressive encounters with hostile navies, a royal visit from the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and access to all areas of the giant aircraft carrier - the series tells the raw and intimate story of a gruelling seven month voyage to the other side of the world.

When the £3.5bn vessel left Portsmouth back in May 2021, the 1,600 men and women on board had no idea what lay ahead. None could have guessed they were heading out on one of the most unusual deployments in naval history.

The films follow HMS Queen Elizabeth on a 20,000 mile round trip from Portsmouth to the South China Sea as part of a ten-strong taskforce of destroyers, frigates and supply ships. Joining the Queen Elizabeth’s ship’s company are 350 US Marines who help sustain the ship’s squadrons of F35 stealth fighters.

The series began on BBC Two on January 22 and the show contains no-holds-barred access to the ship and ship’s company as viewers witness the tasks, triumphs, and tribulations of officers and ratings alike.

So far in the series, viewers have watched HMS Queen Elizabeth tackle Russian warships and the spread of Covid-19 on board. In the latest episode, which aired on February 12, a convoy of Chinese vessels attempted to intercept Britain’s biggest warship, causing the vessel to take unusual evasive action.

When will the next episode of The Warship: Tour of Duty air?

The fifth episode of the six-part series will air on Sunday, February 19 at 9pm. It will be available to watch on both BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.