By René Tebel
It’s a powerful image. The United Kingdom is assembling the largest fleet since the Falklands War. The destination of the newly formed carrier strike group’s first major journey around the aircraft carrier HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH is Japan.
Since 22 May, the United Kingdom has once again been flying its flag around the world. Under the command of the newly built aircraft carrier HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH (Pennant number R08), the largest warship ever built in the UK, Carrier Strike Group 21 transited the Suez Canal after the carrier had been moored in Limassol harbour for a week.
Along the way, the force will be escorted by warships of other nations whose territorial waters the route passes or which are themselves currently on international voyages. In addition, joint exercises with the Indian Navy, Japanese Self-Defense Force and U.S. Navy are planned, as well as participation in Exercise Bersama Lima in September and October, which will mark the 50th anniversary of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) of Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, nicknamed “Big Lizzie” by the British, serves as the Royal Navy’s flagship and lead ship of the naval force. The 284-meter-long colossus with a displacement of 65,500 tons is, together with her sister ship HMS PRINCE OF WALES, the largest warship ever built in the United Kingdom and has a tonnage three times greater than that of the last British Invincible-class aircraft carrier, HMS ARK ROYAL, which was decommissioned in 2011.
HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH can rightly be seen as an innovative ship with which the UK celebrates not least its engineering prowess. A high degree of automation pushes the crew count to 700. Particularly striking about HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH are her two conning towers, known in the trade as islands. They are a striking distinctive feature of the carrier because no other aircraft carrier has such a division. Unlike the French CHARLES DE GAULLES (R 91) and the U.S. carriers of the Nimitz and Gerald Ford classes, the “Big Lizzy” has no nuclear propulsion. Also, the British opted for a jumping ramp for launching the aircraft and against a catapult and arrestor system, which the large nuclear-powered carriers have. This already limits the aircraft types to be used on the British aircraft carrier to the F-35B, whose disadvantage is an operational radius of just over 800 kilometers. The target strength of 24 (or 36) British F-35Bs will be reached by 2025. During the current cruise, 10 United States Marine Corps of these 5th generation multi-role fighters are operating on HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH alongside 8 British F-35Bs.
Also able to take off from the flight deck at the moment are 3 Merlin MK4 command helicopters, 4 Leonardo Wildcat maritime combat helicopters, 7 Leonardo Merlin MK2 anti-submarine helicopters for reconnaissance, surveillance and tracking missions and a Merlin Crownest for airborne early warning and control.
Among the special features of the “Big Lizzi”, however, are equally the lack of its own air defense systems, which is why the carrier is completely dependent on its escort ships and helicopters. They take over the task of air defense, but also that of anti-submarine warfare. For this purpose, the two Type-45 Daring-class guided-missile destroyers HMS DIAMOND (D 34) and HMS DEFENDER (D 36) accompany the carrier, in Royal Navy service since 2011 and 2013, respectively. Its missions include missile defense such as intercepting missiles, fighter aircraft and drones, for which it is equipped with 48 vertical launch systems (VLS) for missiles.
The two Type-23 Duke-class frigates, in turn, are primarily for anti-submarine warfare. Apart from their anti-submarine torpedoes, HMS KENT (F 78) and HMS RICHMOND (F 239) also have anti-air and anti-ship missiles.
The fleet also includes the two supply and refueling ships RFA FORT VICTORIA (A 387) and RFA TIDESPRING (A 136), which only entered service in 2017, and a British Astute-class nuclear submarine. These fighter submarines (SSNs) are considered the largest and most advanced submarines ever built in the United Kingdom. Thanks to their nuclear propulsion, they can once circumnavigate the world underwater. The submarine, which is almost 100 meters long, has torpedo tubes and can also fire up to 38 Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles at land targets.
In addition, two foreign warships are also integrated into the unit: the Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen (F 805) and the USS THE SULLIVANS (DDG 68), a guided missile destroyer of the Arleigh Burke class.
The overview of the carrier group’s composition indicates that the United Kingdom concentrates a good portion of its most advanced technologies in the fleet. Thus, because of the planned transit of the South China Sea, Carrier Strike Group 21 functions as a symbolic show of muscle against the PRC and a sign of alliance loyalty to the United States and its world order. However, the cruise also strengthens the UK’s political ties and, in particular, its security ties with the US, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. In addition, the cruise also offers the opportunity to present the high level of technical development to more than 40 countries around the world. In this way, the fleet also serves as a showcase for the British defense industry and can attract orders.
Finally, however, it should not be overlooked that the Asia voyage of the “Big Lizzie” is aimed at a domestic audience and is intended to demonstrate to the British their greatness and importance – as a sign of a new self-confidence as a freely acting and sovereign state.
Despite this, it is ultimately unlikely that even in wartime Britain could deploy a force in this way. Without greater embedding, the British would probably be no match for hypersonic weapons in distant corners of the world.
Nevertheless: The United Kingdom shows self-confidence and its claim to want to actively shape world politics in the coming decades and to preserve its location as a high-tech nation also by its own efforts.
Author: René Tebel – Doctorate in maritime and cartographic history. He researched and taught at the University of Vienna and is the author of numerous scientific articles. His geopolitical analyses are published mainly in Austria, Switzerland and the Arab world. His research interests include current and future geopolitical hotspots as well as military developments.
(The views expressed in this article belong only to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy or views of World Geostrategic Insights).