Jets on deck – HMS Queen Elizabeth embarks the largest number of F-35s at sea so far

[Finty]

Some good pics here...

Yesterday two squadrons of F-35B jets took off from RAF Marham and joined HMS QueenElizabeth in the North Sea at the start of the multi-national Carrier Strike Group exercise.

With a total of 14 jets and 8 Merlin helicopters, this is the largest concentration of jets to operate from an RN carrier since 1998 when HMS Invincible embarked 16 Harriers for deployment in the Gulf. This is also the largest air group of fifth-generation fighters to operate from a carrier anywhere in the world until now.

https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/jets-o ... ea-so-far/

[roger4]

Looking good!

[tornado17]

It is indeed but it’s a bad state of affairs when we can only generate 4 out of 15 jets to go on board!! What happened to the 6-8 jets that was mentioned earlier this year?!!

[MRay]

Deleted as incorrect info.

[raameagle]

What’s your source MRay please? According to reports on the RAF Marham page on FC, all ten USMC F-35B departed to the carrier together with four RAF jets!
Regards
Mark

[RubyRoo]

It's definitely 10 USMC and 4 RAF/FAA.

[Reach1985]

Bit of a shambles really if the USMC are delivering well over a 100% more of the jets than we are. No doubt some one in the RN PR dept. Is trying to put a positive spin on this.

[Richard B]

Like most fleets. You will only have half in a fully service condition. Are there some of our new f35 that have gone straight into being spares source .

[Starbuck]

Bit of a shambles really if the USMC are delivering well over a 100% more of the jets than we are. No doubt some one in the RN PR dept. Is trying to put a positive spin on this.

It's a training exercise, there's more marines as they need to get used to how the ship and crew operate which 617 already have done. A few more from Marham may go out for CW, have to wait and see on that. Plus some will be in maintenance back at Marham and 207 SQN have need for jets too.

[Hunter49]

Good job it didnt happen with harriers in the Falklands ? Rob

[Thunder]

Maybe it slipped your attention but Joint Warrior/GROUPEX, isn't a war/conflict. You don't order cutting edge ships and jets on Tuesday and have a fully operational combat capable force on Wednesday, these things take years to come together. This is yet another milestone in what is a long winding road in Britain achieving a great and unique military asset, of which many countries are actually jealous of.

[Agent K]

As Thunder said, it's a planned exercise with planned respective fleets and resource, I wouldn't read too much into it, it's going ahead as planned, with 100% the complement required. A war scenario, when fully up to capability would look somewhat different.

[Malcolm]

Good job it didnt happen with harriers in the Falklands ? Rob

It did. Normal SHAR squadron strength was just 6 aircraft. By the time the fleet sailed from Pompey 899NAS had been robbed of all their aircraft and experienced pilots to reinforce 800NAS(about 9 aircraft) and 801NAS(about 12 aircraft). Any remaining crews then oversaw bringing as many of the remaining aircraft as possible up to operational standard before 809NAS stood up and set off via Ascension and MV Atlantic Conveyor to the South Atlantic.

If a similar situation occurred now, you can bet your bottom dollar that 809NAS would rise from the ashes overnight (quite fitting really as their emblem is a Phoenix) - Any 207Sqn peeps who have passed training would be transferred to 809NAS, and 617Sqn + 809NAS would embark with the vast majority of the UK F35 Fleet.

There was at least one USMC exchange pilot (on 801NAS I think) who was mightily p155ed off when he was told he couldn't go south with the fleet.

[gary1701]

Gents,

The initial complement for the Falklands was 20 airframes, which departed with 12 assigned to Hermes (800 NAS) and 8 on Invincible (801 NAS). 809 was then formed to take the new airframes South and they were split equally between 800 and 801.

Gary

[colt41]

If you look at the photos on board the carrier there are 15 F-35s onboard.?

[toom317]

Which pic shows 15?

[Finty]

If you look at the photos on board the carrier there are 15 F-35s onboard.?

Nope, definitely 14. Unless they’ve got stealth mode switched on...