Year of highs and lows for RN CSG 21
HMS Queen Elizabeth arrives at Duqm Port, Oman. (Photo: MoD/ Crown Copyright)
The UK RN returned to aircraft carrier operations in 2021 with an ambitious deployment.
In December 2021, the ships of the RN’s Carrier Strike Group 2021 (CSG 21) returned from the UK after a marathon deployment that saw a string of exercises with partner forces and the unfortunate loss of a short take-off vertical landing F-35B fighter jet.
During the deployment, CSG 21, made up of its multi-national shipping and air wing, toured the globe with a significant leg of the journey dedicated to operating in the Indo-Pacific.
According to MoD figures released in response to a UK parliamentary question on 16 December, the additional operating cost of deploying the CSG is estimated at
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Italy’s U212 Near Future Submarine production builds pace as upgrade plans mature]()
Italy’s U212 Near Future Submarine production builds pace as upgrade plans mature
Andrea Simone Pinna, OCCAR-EA combat system officer for the U212 NFS programme, outlined production progress, new capabilities and plans for the Italian Navy’s next-generation conventional submarine.
-
![How Canada is preparing the future River-class destroyers to endure uncrewed threats]()
How Canada is preparing the future River-class destroyers to endure uncrewed threats
Designed in 2019, Canada's new River-class destroyers are planned to be handed over by the 2050s. The long procurement timeline has cast doubt on whether the platforms will be obsolete for tomorrow’s warfare.
-
![Latest Russian subsea standoff puts pressure on the UK’s seabed defence strategy]()
Latest Russian subsea standoff puts pressure on the UK’s seabed defence strategy
UK defence secretary John Healey’s exposure of a covert Russian deep-sea operation against undersea infrastructure in the Atlantic validates the Royal Navy’s Atlantic Bastion concept but lays bare a capacity gap that autonomous systems, allied integration and sustained investment must close.
