UK Carrier Strike Group
UK Carrier Strike Group | |
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Merlin Mk3i/4, Chinook HC4/5/6/6A |
The UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) is a
Overview
Role
As a unit within the Royal Navy, the UK Carrier Strike Group's role is to facilitate carrier-enabled power projection (CEPP) in support of the UK's interests. As a self-contained force, it is capable of operating independently or as part of a wider operation. The unit is centred around either of two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, which are designed to carry up to 40 aircraft each, with accompanying surface ships and submarines providing protection from air, surface and undersea threats.[4] Initially, only one carrier strike group was to be maintained,[5] however, under current strategic planning, two carrier strike groups will now be maintained with one held at very high readiness and the other at lower readiness. Both of these groups can surge and form a combined unit if required.[6]
Size and composition
The size and composition of the UKCSG varies depending on operational requirements which are decided upon during
The Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers are designed to carry around 40 aircraft but can carry up to 72 at maximum capacity.
Operational history
2006–2011
The earliest iteration of the UK Carrier Strike Group originally formed in 2006 with Commodore
In 2010, the British government announced that all Harriers would be retired from service, along with HMS Ark Royal. This left Illustrious serving in a helicopter carrier role whilst replacement aircraft carriers and their associated air wings were procured. The UK Carrier Strike Group dissolved in 2011 with Commodore Simon J. Ancona as its final commander.[2] Illustrious later went on to decommission in 2014, three years ahead of her replacement.[21]
2015–present
In 2015, the UKCSG was re-formed with Commodore Jerry Kyd as its commander. Under his direction, the UK CSG battle staff grew to include 22 core one-star battle staff by 2016.[22] Kyd was later succeeded by Commodore Andrew Betton during the same year, who himself was succeeded in 2018 by Commodore Mike Utley, before the current commander, Commodore Stephan Moorhouse, took command in 2019.[2] Prior to the entry into service of HMS Queen Elizabeth and her sister ship Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy cooperated with its allies to preserve and develop its skills in carrier strike group operations. This primarily involved Royal Navy ships and personnel training with U.S. Navy and French carrier strike groups.[23][24]
The current UKCSG assembled at sea for the first time in October 2020 during
Following Exercise Joint Warrior, the UK CSG reached its initial operating capability (IOC) milestone in January 2021. This milestone marked the successful operation of all components of the CSG and made it available for operational deployments for the first time.[27]
Operation Fortis (Carrier Strike Group 21)
On 22 May 2021, following a farewell visit from
Whilst in the Mediterranean, the carrier strike group exercised with the Italian Navy and Air Force, the
In the Gulf of Aden, the carrier strike group met with two U.S. Navy task groups,
During its return trip, the strike group exercised with the Italian Navy in the Mediterranean; HMS Queen Elizabeth set a record by hosting jets from three different nations on a single flightdeck.[40] During its time in the Mediterranean, HMS Queen Elizabeth suffered its first loss of an F-35B when one crashed into the sea following an aborted takeoff. The pilot ejected safely but the aircraft was a complete loss and was subsequently recovered from the seabed two weeks later.[41] The strike group returned to the UK and concluded its deployment on 9 December 2021.[40]
The CSG21 deployment was covered by documentary filmmaker Chris Terrill in a BBC series, named The Warship: Tour of Duty. It aired on 22 January 2023.[42]
Carrier Strike Group 22
Following the conclusion of CSG21, a 2022 deployment was planned with the involvement of both aircraft carriers.
Operation Firedrake (Carrier Strike Group 23)
In September 2023, HMS Queen Elizabeth sailed as the centrepiece of the CSG23 deployment, codenamed Operation Firedrake. The carrier strike group consisted of Queen Elizabeth, with a wholly British air group, alongside HMS Diamond and Norway's HNoMS Otto Sverdrup. In October, HMS Portland and later HMS Kent, joined the carrier group. The group operated in European waters alongside ships from a number of other navies, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway. Part of the deployment saw the carrier strike group operating under the direct command of NATO for the first time.[45]
Exercise Steadfast Defender
In January 2024, the UK announced its participation in
References
- ^ Navy News (PDF) (October 2015 ed.). Royal Navy. p. 14.
- ^ a b c d e f Royal Navy Senior Appointments, 1865- (PDF). Royal Navy. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Fleet Solid Support Ships: Procurement". Hansard. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- ^ "The Carrier Strike Group: Our Nation's Spearhead". Royal Navy. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
- ^ "Integrated Review — in the House of Commons at 12:03 pm on 19th November 2020". Hansard. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- BFBS. 4 December 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
With the Queen Elizabeth class though, the plan has changed considerably and the future Royal Navy will instead focus on being able to create and support two Carrier Strike Groups, with one at very high readiness and the other at slightly lower readiness. [...] Under These ships will work up together and be held in roughly the same operational readiness cycle, so if a crisis happens, they are able to surge out as a formed unit at the same time.
- ^ "British Navy Queen Elizabeth aircrat carrier with its Carrier Strike Group deployed in the North Sea". Navy Recognition. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- BFBS. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ "New ship to support the aircraft carriers arrives in UK". Ministry of Defence. 25 September 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- ^ Allison, Geoge (21 October 2020). "Government confirm new Fleet Solid Support Ships will be built in UK". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Carrier strike strategy and its contribution to UK defence". Parliament. 25 February 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- BFBS. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ Allison, George (28 June 2017). "British supercarrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to deploy to the Pacific". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
- ^ a b Allison, George (9 February 2018). "What kind of aircraft and how many of them will HMS Queen Elizabeth carry?". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ Allison, Geoge (21 October 2016). "How do the new British carriers stack up against the Admiral Kuznetsov?". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ Allison, George (2 April 2021). "Royal Navy looking at fixed-wing carrier based drone for AEW". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Navy Command senior staff CSV". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- ^ "IN PICTURES: Royal Navy's Amphibious Task Group heads for USA". Ministry of Defence. 17 June 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- ^ A Global Force: 2010/11 (PDF). Royal Navy. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ "Royal Navy's HMS Ark Royal to lead global exercises". BBC News. 6 April 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
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- ^ "New Commander UK Carrier Strike Group". Royal Navy. 15 September 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Royal Navy Carrier Strike Group Put to the Test". Royal Navy. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Military Cooperation United Kingdom and France" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ a b "UK Carrier Strike Group Assembles for the First Time". Royal Navy. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- ^ Shelbourne, Mallory (10 November 2020). "Marine F-35 Squadron Details Training Deployment Aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth". USNI News. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Carrier Strike Group hits important milestone". Ministry of Defence. 4 January 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ "Counting down to the UK Carrier Strike Group 2021 deployment". Save The Royal Navy. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- ^ "Carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth Drills with Indian Navy Ahead of More Pacific Exercises". United States Naval Institute. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ "UK Carrier Strike Group heads on historic deployment after royal visit". Royal Navy. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ Donald, David (4 May 2021). "UK Carrier Strike Group Begins Deployment". AIN Online. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ LaGrone, Sam (22 June 2021). "U.K., U.S. F-35Bs Launch Anti-ISIS Strikes from HMS Queen Elizabeth". USNI News. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "Russia deploys carrier-killer Kinzhal missile to Med as HMS Queen Elizabeth sails". The Times. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ "HMS Queen Elizabeth passes through Suez Canal as the UK Carrier Strike Group heads east". Royal Navy. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ "HMS Diamond suffers serious defect during Carrier Strike Group deployment". Navy Lookout. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ "HMS Queen Elizabeth trains with two US Navy task groups". Royal Navy. 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Carrier Strike Group sails with Indian Navy in two-day exercises". Royal Navy. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ "Royal Navy task group sails with three navies near Strait of Malacca". Royal Navy. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ a b c "Carrier Strike Group 21 returns home". medium.com. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ Newdick, Thomas (21 January 2021). "Photo Emerges Of Crashed British F-35B After It Was Hauled Out Of The Mediterranean". TheDrive. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- BFBS. 22 January 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- BFBS. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ "Brief UK Carrier Strike Group 2022 deployment wraps up". Navy Lookout. 4 December 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
- ^ "2023 Carrier Strike Group deployment begins". Navy Lookout. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
- ^ "HMS Prince of Wales replaces HMS Queen Elizabeth on Nato mission". BBC News. 4 February 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
- ^ "Rapid response – HMS Prince of Wales sails to replace her sister ship at short notice". Save The Royal Navy. 10 February 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
- ^ "HMS Prince of Wales sails for key NATO exercise in Norway". Royal Navy. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
- ^ "NATO ships join UK Carrier Strike Group for start of exercise". Royal Navy. 26 February 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- ^ "Carrier Strike Group success as task group completes UK phase of NATO exercise". Royal Navy. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ "NATO task groups come together off Norway coast". Royal Navy. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.