Image source: topwar.ru
The United Kingdom is sending the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to the Mediterranean. This is reported by The Times. The ship will arrive in the Mediterranean in 2023 at the head of an aircraft carrier strike group.
According to the British press, the aircraft carrier will lead a strike group in the region for the fourth time in the last four years. His presence should demonstrate to Russia the "military might" of the United Kingdom. However, there are still questions about the power of the British fleet: The same edition of The Times writes that the Royal Navy could not deploy the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales together with HMS Queen Elizabeth, because it is under repair.
Recall that HMS Prince of Wales encountered technical problems shortly after it set sail. Since the ship had not yet moved far from the shore, he was ordered to return to the Royal Navy naval base in Portsmouth. The aircraft carrier had to return to base on one propeller. This is not the first such breakdown of an aircraft carrier. Previously, it broke down due to flooding of the engine room.
The British Naval Command pays great attention to the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth. The fleet headquarters draw attention to the fact that F-35 fighter planes can be launched from this aircraft carrier, which can operate, including in the Black Sea area. Recall that the aircraft carrier itself was built in December 2017, and in 2020 it reached full combat readiness. The aircraft carrier can accommodate 12 F-35B fighter planes and 14 helicopters, as well as 250 marines. The crew of the aircraft carrier, together with aviation personnel, is about 1.5 thousand military personnel.
In any case, it is unlikely that the presence of a strike group led by a British aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea will make a really strong impression on the Russian armed forces. Russia also has something to respond to such a "demonstration of power."
