Royal Navy HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) plane provider has waved goodbye to the American F-35 fighter jets which have sailed with the ship internationally. The American jets and her personnel labored side-by-side the RAF/Royal Navy 617 Squadron, the ‘Dambusters’, finishing up 1,278 sorties, clocking up greater than 2,200 hours in skies across the globe. The US Marine Corps’ VMFA-211 squadron – often called the Wake Island Avengers – which operates the identical B variant because the UK, have now departed the UK Service Strike Group after six months of operations and workout routines. Additionally they carried out 44 missions in assist of the US-led Operation Inherent Resolve – conducting air strikes towards Daesh. HMS Queen Elizabeth is the lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth class of plane carriers and the Fleet Flagship of the Royal Navy
Commodore Steve Moorhouse, Commander UK Service Strike Group, stated: “The CSG21 deployment has seen VMFA-211, a US Marine Corps F-35B squadron, built-in all through. It has been essentially the most tangible demonstration of the UK and US particular relationship and our united efforts to make sure stability, safety and freedom of the seas. Because the UK Service Strike Group says farewell to our Marine Corps colleagues, I want to thank them for his or her dedication, loyalty, professionalism and nice humour. The achievements on this deployment have been ground-breaking and raised the bar when it comes to integration. Because the saying goes; if you wish to go quick, go alone however if you wish to go sturdy then go collectively. Semper fidelis.”
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“Right this moment we bade farewell to Marine Fighter Assault Squadron 211 of the US Marine Corps. The ten F-35B of VMFA-211 undertook their remaining launch from HMS Queen Elizabeth bringing to a detailed 16 months of integration with the UK Service Strike Group. Embarked for the entire of CSG21, forging ever larger hyperlinks between the UK and the US, VMFA-211 and the 200 plus Marines have been an integral a part of the inaugural deployment. Working with a spread of allies, particularly the US, supplies a useful alternative to achieve additional expertise of the extremely succesful Lightning F-35B with Merlin and Wildcat helicopters from the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers,” stated Captain James Blackmore, Royal Navy Air Wing and Strike Warfare Commander.
In addition to the US Marine Corps, US Navy ship USS The Sullivans additionally joined the UK Service Strike Group on its maiden operational deployment. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer left the duty group just lately, returning to Mayport in Florida. The UK Service Strike Group (UKCSG) is a provider battle group of the Royal Navy. It has existed in varied kinds because the mid-2000s. Between 2006 and 2011, the formation centered across the Royal Navy’s Invincible-class plane carriers till the retirement of their Harrier GR9 strike plane in 2011 because of the Strategic Defence and Safety Assessment. The UKCSG subsequently returned in February 2015 forward of the entry into service of the brand new Queen Elizabeth-class plane carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) and HMS Prince of Wales (R09). The goal of the CSG is to facilitate carrier-enabled energy projection.
