Airforces Monthly Magazine July 2021 Issue
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Carrier Strike Group 2021 ‘The MOD states that F-35Bs operating from the Queen Elizabeth will support Operation Shader, fl ying combat missions over Iraq and Syria against Islamic State insurgents in the region’ Back in the carrier business Tim Ripley reports on Carrier n May 1 this year, the Royal Navy got from the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Strike Group 21 as it sets sail back into the carrier strike business with Force and Republic of Korea Navy. on its seven-month mission to Oits new flagship, HMS Queen Elizabeth The build up to this deployment has taken (R08), as it led the service’s largest task group several years. First preparations for it started to the Far East, during which it will in more than a decade out of Her Majesty’s take shape after HMS Queen Elizabeth finally demonstrate the regeneration of Naval Base (HMNB) Portsmouth in Hampshire. took to the sea from the shipyard at Rosyth in the UK’s aircraft carrier and naval The deployment of the 65,000 ton aircraft Fife, Scotland – where she was built – in June strike capability carrier is the culmination of the Royal Navy’s 2017. This was the formal start of the aircraft project to regenerate its fixed-wing strike carrier’s entry-into-service process, which aviation capability, after the 2010 Strategic began with basic sea trials and then gradually Defence and Security Review ordered the built up to more complex evolutions, involving Above: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) – the Royal scrapping of the last Invincible-class carriers, air operations in co-ordination with large task Navy’s new fl agship aircraft carrier – sails as well as the accelerated retirement of the groups of surface vessels and submarines. alongside her sister vessel, HMS Prince of Wales UK’s famed Harrier force. In autumn 2018, HMS Queen Elizabeth (R09), at sea for the fi rst time on May 19, 2021 HMS Queen Elizabeth and the eight other sailed to the east coast of the US, to MOD Crown Copyright/Petty Officer Photographer Jay Allen vessels of her task group are now heading embark Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II Right: A pair of Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning through the Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean fifth-generation short take-off and vertical IIs assigned to the RAF’s No 617 Squadron ‘The and into the eastern Pacific region. Visits to landing (STOVL) multi-role fighters for the first Dambusters’ return to HMS Queen Elizabeth Japan and South Korea will be the highlights time. By autumn 2020, the carrier and her crew following a training sortie on May 15, 2021 MOD Crown Copyright/Petty Officer of this deployment, with the group planning to were ready to participate in the complex Joint Photographer Jay Allen conduct joint exercises with ships and aircraft Warrior exercise off the west coast of Scotland, 92 // July 2021 #400 www.Key.Aero Back in the carrier business prior to the Royal Navy declaring the ship’s initial operating capability (IOC) in January 2021. The naval element The task group, dubbed Carrier Strike Group 2021 (CSG21), involves a mix of surface, sub-surface, support and air assets to allow the force to operate in a self-contained manner. Essentially, CSG21 is a ‘floating air force in a box’. Providing air defence protection for the group are two Royal Navy Type 45 destroyers, HMS Diamond (D34) and HMS Defender (D36), with anti-submarine protection being provided by two British Type 23 frigates, HMS Kent (F78) and HMS Richmond (F239). While at sea, logistical support will be provided by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s (RFA’s) fleet replenishment tanker, RFA Tidespring (A136), and the auxiliary oiler replenishment (AOR)/fleet stores ship, RFA Fort Victoria (A387). At least one Royal Navy Astute-class www.Key.Aero #400 July 2021 // 93 Carrier Strike Group 2021 HMS Queen Elizabeth’s deck crews have spent months training and preparing to co-ordinate the movement of F-35Bs and Merlin helicopters around the fl ight deck MOD Crown Copyright Right: A quartet of Leonardo Helicopters AW159 Wildcat HMA2 maritime utility helicopters from the Fleet Air Arm’s 815 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) depart RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset to join CSG21 MOD Crown Copyright/Leading Photographer Dan Shepherd Far right: The fl ight deck has been specially coated to protect it from the high temperatures generated from the exhaust of the F-35B’s unique Rolls-Royce LiftSystem MOD Crown Copyright submarine is also accompanying CSG21, to The aircraft of CSG21 monitor underwater threats. Aircraft Serial/BuNo Callsign Service Unit Multinational participants in CSG21 comprise On April 27, the following flew up from RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall, to embark on HMS Queen Elizabeth. the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, These aircraft arrived while the aircraft carrier was still at HMNB Portsmouth, Hampshire. USS The Sullivans (DDG-68), and the Royal Royal Navy Fleet Netherlands Navy frigate, HNLMS Evertsen Merlin HM2 ZH824 N/A 820 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) Air Arm (RN FAA) (F805). The former adds considerable Merlin HM2 ZH827 N/A RN FAA 820 NAS capabilities to CSG21, including its ability to Merlin HM2 ZH841 N/A RN FAA 820 NAS launch Tomahawk long-range, subsonic land Merlin HM2 ZH857 N/A RN FAA 820 NAS attack cruise missiles and Standard theatre Merlin HM2 Crowsnest ASaC ZH843 N/A RN FAA 820 NAS missile defence munitions. Merlin HM2 Crowsnest ASaC ZH846 N/A RN FAA 820 NAS Merlin HM2 Crowsnest ASaC ZH856 N/A RN FAA 820 NAS The air element The tailored air group embarked on HMS The remainder of the aviation element embarked on the carrier after it had set sail on May 1, joining the ship while at sea. On May 1, four Wildcat HMA2s from RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset, joined the CSG21 task force off England’s Queen Elizabeth includes eight F-35Bs from south coast. These helicopters will operate from accompanying vessels for the duration of the deployment. the Royal Air Force’s No 617 Squadron ‘The Wildcat HMA2 ZZ518 ‘Martlet 1’ RN FAA 815 NAS Dambusters’, which are supplemented by Wildcat HMA2 ZZ530 ‘Martlet 2’ RN FAA 815 NAS ten additional examples from the US Marine Wildcat HMA2 ZZ514 ‘Martlet 3’ RN FAA 815 NAS Corps’ Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 (VMFA-211) ‘Wake Island Avengers’. Wildcat HMA2 ZZ535 ‘Martlet 4’ RN FAA 815 NAS This deployment will also mark the first The first British F-35Bs joined the ship while it was sailing up the Southwest Approaches on May 2. These aircraft came from RAF Marham in Norfolk. operational mission for the Royal Navy Fleet No 617 Squadron ‘The Air Arm’s (FAA’s) Crowsnest-configured F-35B ZM150 ‘016’ ‘Ghost 11’ RAF/RN FAA Dambusters’ AgustaWestland (now Leonardo Helicopters) F-35B ZM154 ‘020’ ‘Ghost 12’ RAF/RN FAA No 617 Sqn ‘The Dambusters’ Merlin HM2, which will provide an airborne F-35B ZM152 ‘018’ ‘Ghost 21’ RAF/RN FAA No 617 Sqn ‘The Dambusters’ surveillance and control (ASaC) role for the task group. Operated by 820 Naval Air F-35B ZM151 ‘017’ ‘Ghost 22’ RAF/RN FAA No 617 Sqn ‘The Dambusters’ Squadron (NAS), three Crowsnest-equipped The first USMC F-35Bs from VMFA-211 ‘Wake Island Avengers’ also embarked on HMS Queen Elizabeth on May 2. These aircraft arrived on the carrier from RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. Merlins have embarked on the Queen Elizabeth. The Royal Navy announced that F-35B 169621 ‘CF-01’ ‘Wake 11’ USMC VMFA-211 the first examples of the Crowsnest platform F-35B 169589 ‘CF-04’ ‘Wake 12’ USMC VMFA-211 – which are also nicknamed ‘baggers’ – had F-35B 169620 ‘CF-00’ ‘Wake 21’ USMC VMFA-211 entered operational service with the FAA on F-35B 169607 ‘CF-07’ ‘Wake 22’ USMC VMFA-211 March 24, 2021. F-35B 169678 ‘CF-05’ ‘Wake 31’ USMC VMFA-211 F-35B 169587 ‘CF-02’ ‘Wake 32’ USMC VMFA-211 All but one of the remaining British/American F-35Bs embarked aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth on May 3. A USMC F-35B – BuNo 169416 ‘CF-03’ (callsign ‘Wake 52’) – was also planned for a May 3 arrival. However, it was delayed, presumably due to a technical problem. It is unconfirmed when it eventually departed RAF Lakenheath. F-35B ZM147 ‘013’ ‘Ghost 31’ RAF/RN FAA No 617 Sqn ‘The Dambusters’ F-35B ZM153 ‘019’ ‘Ghost 32’ RAF/RN FAA No 617 Sqn ‘The Dambusters’ F-35B ZM155 ‘021’ ‘Ghost 41’ RAF/RN FAA No 617 Sqn ‘The Dambusters’ F-35B ZM148 ‘014’ ‘Ghost 42’ RAF/RN FAA No 617 Sqn ‘The Dambusters’ F-35B 169608 ‘CF-07’ ‘Wake 41’ USMC VMFA-211 F-35B 169610 ‘CF-08’ ‘Wake 42’ USMC VMFA-211 F-35B 169614 ‘CF-09’ ‘Wake 51’ USMC VMFA-211 A flight of three Commando Merlin HC4s departed RNAS Yeoviliton to join the task group on May 3. However, Participants of the Carrier Strike Group 2021 these aircraft have not embarked on the aircraft carrier itself and will instead be operated from the Auxiliary Oiler (CSG21) deployment fi rst assembled off the Replenishment ship RFA Fort Victoria, which is one of the support vessels being deployed as part of CSG21. west coast of Scotland to rehearse their Merlin HC4 ZJ129 ‘N’ ‘Furious 1’ RN FAA B Flight, 845 NAS mission to the Far East in October 2020. That month, the task force also took part in Exercise Merlin HC4 Z J127 ‘ L’ ‘Furious 2’ RN FAA B Flight, 845 NAS Joint Warrior MOD Crown Copyright/Leading Merlin HC4 ZJ121 ‘E’ ‘Furious 3’ RN FAA B Flight, 845 NAS Photographer Belinda Alker 94 // July 2021 #400 www.Key.Aero Defending Carrier Strike Group 2021 Projecting airpower against shore targets is the raison d’etre of strike carriers, such as HMS Queen Elizabeth, but big capital ships like this also need to be protected.