Royal Marine sniper in front of HMS Sutherland’s helicopter on Jan. 7, 2019. UK MoD Photo
LONDON — The retirement last year of the Royal Navy’s biggest assault ship – the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean – was accompanied by dire warnings in the British press of the imminent demise of the country’s entire amphibious warfighting capability. Read More
HMS Queen Elizabeth sailing from her home in Portsmouth on Feb. 2, 2019. U.K. MoD Photo
LONDON — The Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers and F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters are spearheading a revival of British sea power unparalleled since the end of the Second World War, the country’s top admiral said on Tuesday. Read More
Two F-35B Lightning II fighter successfully landed onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth on Sept. 25, 2018. Lockheed Martin Photo
The U.K. will remain committed to NATO and to being a high-end defense partner even after it withdraws from the European Union in March, the British defense acquisition chief predicted on Tuesday. Read More
Lt. Cmdr. Luis Alvarez, navigator aboard Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD-2) on Oct. 11, 2018. US Navy Photo
Amphibious warship USS Essex (LHD-2) is now in the Persian Gulf, bringing for the first time a squadron of Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters through the Strait of Hormuz.
Two F-35B Lightning II fighter successfully landed onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth on Sept. 25, 2018. Lockheed Martin Photo
ABOARD HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, OFF THE COAST OF NEW JERSEY – The Royal Navy lays out the intentions of its largest warship to visitors immediately. Read More
Cmdr. Nathan Gray RN, Makes the first ever F-35B Lightning II jet take off from HMS Queen Elizabeth on Sept. 25, 2018. Royal Navy Photo
ABOARD HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, OFF THE COAST OF NEW JERSEY — The Royal Navy took the next step to reestablishing its own carrier force this week when two F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters landed on the deck of its new carrier for the first time . Read More
An F-35B Lightning II, attached to the Wake Island Avengers of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, launches from the flight deck of Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD-2)on Aug. 30, 2018. US Navy Photo
Marines training on the ground on the Horn of Africa will see a new set of wings pulling the classic close air support mission: The F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. Read More
U.K. Secretary of State for Defense Gavin Williamson meeting U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis in London on Nov. 10, 2017. DoD Photo
The United Kingdom is set to its maintain its position as a global power by sea power investments in its new class of Dreadnought nuclear ballistic missile submarine and its new class of frigates, the U.K. Secretary of State for Defence said on Tuesday. Read More
USS Essex departing Naval Station San Diego, Calif. on July 10, 2018. Photo via Facebook
This post has been updated to include a statement from U.S. Pacific Fleet.
THE PENTAGON — The three-ship Essex Amphibious Ready Group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit left San Diego, Calif., on Tuesday with little fanfare for an expected Western Pacific and Middle East deployment, a defense official confirmed to USNI News on Thursday. Read More
HMS Queen Elizabeth sails into her home port of Portsmouth. MoD Photo
LONDON — The U.K.’s new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers should be able to conduct warfighting missions without support from allied forces, an influential parliamentary committee insisted last week. Read More
