The Portsmouth-based warship is currently on standby to serve as flagship of NATO’s leading high readiness naval force—ready to be activated when required—but took a pause in intensive operational training to make the milestone visit to a city with rich naval heritage.
It was HMS Centaur in the summer of 1965 that was the last carrier to make the stop in Belfast, the city in which Second World War carriers HMS Eagle and Glorious were built, as well as namesake warship HMS Belfast.
Those traditions continue today with the historic Harland & Wolff shipyard playing a central role in building the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s new Fleet Solid Support ships.
In Belfast, the ship hosted numerous high-profile engagement events, including welcoming aboard cadets, members of the Royal Navy Association, and families of the Army’s Northern Ireland-based 38th Brigade.
HMS Queen Elizabeth‘s Commanding Officer, Captain Claire Thompson, said: “It has been a huge honor for us to be the first Queen Elizabeth-class carrier to visit Belfast and is a real proof of concept for future visits.
“We will definitely strive to get back within a shorter timeframe than the previous 61-year gap between aircraft carriers.
“Our visit has highlighted the strong maritime heritage the Royal Navy shares with the community and with industry in the city, and has provided an opportunity for a significant number of my sailors to have their first port visit since joining the ship.
“The city’s reaction to having us here has been outstanding; warm and very welcoming, for which we are very grateful.”
HMS Queen Elizabeth is on her journey back to the front line after her first re-certification in Rosyth which will lead to her taking over flagship duties from sister HMS Prince of Wales.
This autumn’s training—split between UK waters and the eastern Atlantic—lays the groundwork for more complex workouts in 2027, including NATO’s Steadfast Defender.
The carrier is NATO’s command ship—the alliance’s crest is emblazoned on her forward island—until mid-2027, and would lead a multinational naval force in a global crisis; a staff has been embarked for the past few weeks getting used to life on board and determining how they would operate if activated.
For the ship’s company, the key task of the autumn is to turn 65,000 tonnes of military hardware into a working aircraft carrier… beginning with resuming air operations.
Before the ship could consider hosting any air power, however, crew had to prove they could deal with emergencies: a crash on deck and recovery of a pilot, and, in the bowels of the carrier, a raging inferno with casualties in one of the engine rooms.
With those ticked off, enter the helicopters.
A Commando Wildcat of 847 Naval Air Squadron at Yeovilton became the first aircraft back on deck since her planned recertification period in dry dock.
It’s been joined by maritime Wildcats from 815 NAS, maritime Merlins from 814 NAS, and Commando Merlins from 845 NAS.
They been put through their paces launching and recovering, refueling on the go (rather than landing, shutting down, filling up, powering up again and taking off), giving aircraft handlers on deck a thorough workout as well as the teams in Flyco and on the bridge—and allowing three pilots to earn their deck landing qualifications.
Most importantly, it ensured the ship earned her certification for daytime rotary aviation operations… the first major building block which will eventually lead to the ship embarking a complex hybrid air wing of F-35B Lighting stealth fighters, helicopters, and drones.
And just for good measure, the gunnery department has been in action testing marksmanship, responses, and night vision of its personnel with bursts of tracer from machine-guns racing into the dark over the Channel under the distant, flickering light of flares.
Hand-in-hand with the military training is keeping fit and healthy, from the new ‘grazing galley’ introduced at the beginning of training to the hangar serving as a huge (mostly) indoor gym for the 800 men and women aboard.
