Boris says goodbye to the Queen!

One day before the British Carrier Strike Group leaves the UK for East Asia, Boris Johnson has once again Queen Elizabeth visited. Together with Defence Minister Ben Wallace, First Sea Lord Tony Radakin and Chief of Air Staff Mike Wigston, he was informed about the (together with the Prince of Wales), the largest ship in the British fleet, and spoke to crew members during the final preparations for the month-long voyage. In a short speech, the Prime Minister also addressed China: "One of the things we will do is to show our friends in China that we believe in the international laws of the sea and in a confident but non-confrontational way we will emphasise that view."
In recent weeks, a number of ships around the British aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth took part in the Strike Warrior exercise off the east coast of Scotland. The aircraft carrier returned to Portsmouth yesterday for a short stopover to replenish supplies and make final preparations. On Saturday evening, the ships are now due to set course for the east.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson with officers on board the QE

The United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group will then embark on a 28-week deployment. In addition to the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth eight other ships. There are also 32 helicopters and fighter jets. The 3700 soldiers will first make a detour to the Black Sea via the Mediterranean. The journey will then continue through the Suez Canal and the Arabian Sea. After crossing the Strait of Malacca, manoeuvres will take place in the heavily disputed South China Sea. The final destination of the voyage will be Japan. In total, the ships will cover 25,000 nautical miles and visit harbours in 40 countries.
Germany will also be sending a frigate to Asia in August for the first time in 19 years. The frigate selected for this was the Bavariawhich, however, will complete this voyage as a single ship. A meeting with the British Carrier Strike Group and French units also operating in the region is currently not planned. It is also not known at present whether the then acting Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer or even the Chancellor will pay a farewell visit to the ship and crew.

Text: mb; Photos: Royal Navy/Crown Copyright