United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group 21

The United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) was a British-led naval force that was deployed on Operation Fortis from May to December 2021. The Carrier Strike Group is seen as the beginning of the British Government's tilt towards the Indo-Pacific region in terms of defence and foreign policy, that had been announced in March through the Integrated Review. It was the first strike group deployment for the ''Queen Elizabeth''-class aircraft carriers, and the first operational deployment of the UK Carrier Strike Group since 2011. The deployment was the largest single deployment of F-35 fighter aircraft since the programme started in 2006, and the largest fifth-generation fighter carrier air wing in the world at the time. Furthermore, saw the largest number of personnel embarked since she entered service, and the group contained the largest number of Royal Navy maritime helicopters deployed in over 10 years.

Background

The United Kingdom had been without a wholly-British deployable carrier strike group in almost 40 years; and without a deployable aircraft carrier altogether since 2014, when the final ''Invincible''-class light aircraft carrier was decommissioned – three years ahead of the two replacement carriers.

The UK Carrier Strike Group re-formed in February 2015, with Commodore Jerry Kyd appointed as Commander United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group; only the next year however, Commodore Andrew Betton succeeded him as commander, as Kyd became the first sea-going captain of . HMS ''Queen Elizabeth'' was commissioned on 7 December 2017, and subsequently began the process of operational sea trials and training – including fixed-wing flying trials off the coast of the US. Subsequently, the UK Carrier Strike Group assembled for the first time in September 2019, when the Type 45 destroyer, ; Type 23 frigate, ; and the Tide-class replenishment tanker, RFA ''Tideforce'', came together to partake in NATO's Exercise Cutlass Fury, off the coast of Canada. This exercise also marked the first time that British F-35s (from No. 17 Test and Evaluation Squadron of the Royal Air Force) had landed on the ''Queen Elizabeth''s deck. In September 2020, as part of NATO's Exercise Joint Warrior 2020–2, the full carrier strike group of nine surface vessels and accompanying air wing assembled for the first time in the North Sea, under the command of Commodore Steve Moorhouse. While the carrier strike group disbanded and the ships returned to their respective ports, the F-35Bs undertook further exercises from their base at RAF Marham, including partaking in Exercise Crimson Warrior, in preparation for the group's initial operating capability which was declared on 4 January 2021.

In 2016 the UK had moved a satellite in its Skynet military communications system eastward to extend coverage to east Asia and the western Pacific Ocean, and opened a ground station in Australia.

Deployment preparations

HMS ''Queen Elizabeth'' departed HMNB Portsmouth on 1 March 2021, in order to conduct a period of working-up before deployment. She operated both in the English Channel and the Irish Sea to prepare the members of the ship's company, alongside this she conducted helicopter exercises with the Royal Air Force and the British Army's Army Air Corps to maintain the aircrew for carrier operations. Once finished, the carrier sailed up the British coast to Loch Long in order to embark munitions at the Northern Ammunition Jetty of Defence Munitions Glen Douglas, which had recently been extended by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation in order to accommodate the vessel. The ship was berthed there for five days between 15 and 20 March, before returning to Portsmouth. During her time in Scotland, the vessel also held a memorial service on board for the Second World War escort carrier , which suffered a major internal explosion and sank off Ardrossan in March 1943.

In the middle of April, the Royal Navy began the process of administering COVID-19 vaccines to members of the carrier strike group in preparation for the deployment. The Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace announced on 26 April that every sailor within the strike group would have received two vaccines prior to their departure.

departed Naval Station Mayport on 19 April, bound for the United Kingdom in order to join the carrier strike group for deployment. Between the 26 and 28 April, the 10 F-35B jets of the United States Marine Corps's Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 (VMFA-211) that contribute to the air group, arrived at RAF Lakenheath; the pilots that will operate with the strike group had already started a 14-day isolation period due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 2 May, the first F-35B fighters belonging to VMFA-211 flew from RAF Lakenheath, and joined HMS ''Queen Elizabeth''.

820 Naval Air Squadron spent the week before departure to Exercise Strike Warrior, on conducting dummy launch trials for the Sting Ray torpedo in Falmouth Bay; before its three Crowsnest airborne surveillance and control (ASaC), and four anti-submarine Merlin Mk2 helicopters embarked on the ''Queen Elizabeth'' on 27 April. The strike group's four Lynx Wildcat helicopters of 815 Naval Air Squadron left their base at RNAS Yeovilton on 1 May, and embarked on each of the four Royal Navy escorts. No. 617 Squadron RAF and their 8 F-35B fighters started to fly out of RAF Marham and embark on HMS ''Queen Elizabeth'', on 3 May; before the final British aircraft to join the strike group, three Merlin Mk4s from 845 Naval Air Squadron, departed RNAS Yeovilton and joined RFA ''Fort Victoria'' later that day.

Exercise Virtual Warrior

During February 2021, the carrier strike group's warfare staff partook in Exercise Virtual Warrior, a command and control exercise which tested how the ship's crew would react in the event of a crisis on the maiden deployment. The exercise picked right back up from when the group disbanded the previous autumn, and took place at the Maritime Warfare School, at HMS ''Collingwood'' in Fareham, utilising the base's combined simulation training suite.

Exercise Strike Warrior

The strike group departed from their respective ports on 1 May: , , , and HMS ''Queen Elizabeth'' from HMNB Portsmouth; from HMNB Devonport; RFA ''Fort Victoria'', and an submarine from HMNB Clyde; and RFA ''Tidespring'' from Portland Harbour. The vessels then made their way to Scotland to partake in the final exercise before their deployment – the maritime element of NATO's UK-led Exercise Joint Warrior 2021–1, known as Exercise Strike Warrior, which saw the carrier strike group building on and enhancing the scenarios that were tested in the previously held Exercise Virtual Warrior. Taking place between 8 and 19 May, a total of 31 ships, 3 submarines, 150 aircraft, and 13,400 personnel from 10 nations took part in the exercise. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, port visits were restricted to only those needed for operational and logistical reasons, and all personnel were required to isolate for 14 days before embarking onto their respective ships. The over 150 aircraft that were involved in the exercise were based at RAF Lossiemouth, HMS ''Gannet'', and Stornoway Airport. The exercise saw two MV-22B Osprey from the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 stationed on board the land on HMS ''Queen Elizabeth'' for the first time, along with the first launch of a Crowsnest radar-equipped Merlin helicopter from a ''Queen Elizabeth''-class aircraft carrier, and the first Advanced Short Range Air to Air Missiles being fired from a British F-35 fighter – the first missile firings from a British jet at sea for 15 years. Nearing the end of Exercise Strike Warrior the Carrier Strike Group met up with the vessels of Exercise Ragnar Viking that had been taking place off the Norwegian coast, which included the USS ''Iwo Jima'' Amphibious Ready Group, the Royal Navy's Littoral Repsonse Group (North), along with the FS ''Normandie'', , and ; the 15 vessels together conducted a show of force Photo Exercise (PHOTEX).

Final departure

Upon the culmination of Exercise Strike Warrior, the ships of the Carrier Strike Group each returned to port in order to embark the necessary fuel and stores. On the 19 May, on her way back to port, HMS ''Queen Elizabeth'' met up with her sister ship , which is currently undertaking Fleet Operational Sea Training, and sailed together for the first time before taking part in a PHOTEX, and finally parting ways. Originally, the ''Queen Elizabeth'' was scheduled to anchor in The Solent in order to maintain a COVID-secure state, however due to forecasted heavy winds, she instead docked alongside at HMNB Portsmouth with personnel remaining on board. On 21 May 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited HMS ''Queen Elizabeth'' in order to tour the ship and speak to the crew before their departure; followed by Queen Elizabeth II the next day, who also received a tour and spent time talking to crew members.

HNLMS ''Evertsen'' departed from Nieuwe Haven Naval Base in the Netherlands, on 22 May; along with HMS ''Defender'' and HMS ''Kent'', which both sailed from Devonport also on 22 May. HMS ''Queen Elizabeth'' was originally planned to depart Portsmouth on 23 May, however in order to avoid the strong winds that had been forecasted, she instead left port in the evening of the 22 May, along with USS ''The Sullivans''. On 23 May, HMS ''Diamond'', RFA ''Fort Victoria'', and RFA ''Tidespring'' departed from Devonport, Portland, and Loch Striven respectively;Marine Traffic The final ship, HMS ''Richmond,'' left Portsmouth on 24 May. Once the Carrier Strike Group departed from the UK, operational command of the group passed from the Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Jerry Kyd, over to the Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral Ben Key.

Deployment

The plan for the 28 week deployment was for the carrier strike group cover 26,000 nautical miles, and conduct over 70 engagements in 40 different countries.

On 1 May 2021, it was announced that the documentary film maker Chris Terrill will be onboard HMS ''Queen Elizabeth'' for the duration of the deployment, in order to produce a documentary series for the BBC
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