HMS Queen Elizabeth is set to make an “unexpected” return to her Portsmouth home, just weeks after leaving to support a hostile bombing mission in Syria, followed by patrolling the South China Sea.
The Royal Navy aircraft carrier is scheduled to return to Portsmouth Naval Base on Wednesday (May 19, 2021) following the completion of a training exercise off of Scotland.
She had been due to have an extended time away from her home port after leaving on May 1, 2021, first taking part in the training exercise and then headed off on her first international deployment.
HMS Queen Elizabeth took part in Exercise Strike Warrior along with the rest of the UK Carrier Strike Group (CSG) and other NATO allies, which happened off the Scottish coast.
The warship was then due to begin final preparations for the CSG’s first deployment before heading to Asia without returning to Portsmouth.
According to the National Museum of the Royal Navy, the warship will be making an “unexpected return” to the south coast city.
In a social media post it said: “HMS Queen Elizabeth is making an unexpected return to Portsmouth. She has been on Operation Strike Warrior off the coast of Scotland and was heading back to the Solent to anchor, ahead of her maiden deployment.
However with bad weather forecast and with a need to take on more supplies, she will come alongside for a short time.
According to Royal Navy shipping movement timings, HMS Queen Elizabeth will be on approach to Portsmouth just before 5pm on Wednesday, and will come into dock at around 5.45pm.
It means that people will be able to catch an unplanned view of the aircraft carrier as she returns to Portsmouth. It is not known how long she will stay before deploying to Asia.
Hampshire Live / ABC Flash Point WW III News 2021.
Forgot the ammunition?
And probably Viagra pills for the men to enjoy their Asain-Pacific stay-over for the next months?
The 65,000-tonne warship had intended to carry out its final preparations for its Far East deployment while in the Solent along with the other ships of the Carrier Strike Group (CSG).
Most of the other CSG ships have stopped at Devonport until they regroup once the carrier has sailed again.
The carrier had been scheduled to leave again on Sunday morning but further bad weather has forced the navy to change its plan again and it is now expected to leave on Saturday night.
If these ships cannot even sail in bad weather, what is the purpose of this mission?
Patrolling the Freedom of Seas?
The Maiden Voyage might turn into a submarine exercise?