HMS Queen Elizabeth sails for jet trials
HMS Queen Elizabeth has sailed for flight trials with UK F-35 Lightning jets in UK waters.
The joint Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Lightning Force Training squadron, 207 Squadron, will conduct the trials, flying aircraft to and from the decks, day and night from their base at RAF Marham.
Six pilots, both navy and air force, will carry out their aircraft carrier qualification during the trials.
The trials will give crew practise in landing on the 4.5-acre deck in a range of conditions, as well as testing the ship’s crew and systems in operating with the jets that the ship, and her sister, HMS Prince of Wales, were specifically built to fly.
Lieutenant Commander Richard Turrell, Flight Deck Officer on HMS Queen Elizabeth, said: ‘This is a fantastic opportunity to further integrate and qualify United Kingdom F-35 pilots, ground crews and aircraft on board HMS Queen Elizabeth in UK waters.
‘My team are excited to get to sea and continue the development of our ship to air wing partnership throughout 2020 and beyond to deploying with full carrier strike capability in 2021.’
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