Navy rotors prepare for CSG21

摘要

As the Royal Navy's aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) undergoes preparations for a first operational cruise in autumn next year, the media spotlight is focused on the F-35B fifth-generation fighter. Meanwhile, Fleet Air Arm (FAA) personnel are working with Leonardo Helicopters (UK), Lockheed Martin (UK), Thales and MBDA to make sure their helicopters are ready for the six-month Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) tour to the Far East. Today's Royal Navy is being transformed into a force centred around carrier strike, with warships and aircraft conducting carrier-based offensive missions, enforcing no-fly zones, deploying Royal Marine Commandos and delivering humanitarian aid. So the service needs highly capable fixed-wing and rotary platforms. This November will mark the tenth anniversary of HMS Ark Royal's last operational voyage, when Commander Robert Bellfield took the carrier from Glasgow to Newcastle. The event witnessed the last ever carrier operations by RAF and Royal Navy Harriers.