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Sailors were welcomed home today as the Royal Navy’s two giant aircraft carriers worth £3billion each docked together, stern to bow, for the first time at their home base of Portsmouth.
The 65,000-tonne warship HMS Queen Elizabeth has arrived at the Hampshire naval base three weeks before Christmas after a three-month deployment to the US for test flights of her F-35B Lightning jets.
She manoeuvred into place alongside sister ship HMS Prince of Wales, which arrived for the first time last month at Portsmouth and will be commissioned later this month by Prince Charles and Camilla on December 10.
At the same time, two of her escorts, HMS Northumberland and RFA Tideforce, returned to warm welcomes in Devonport in Plymouth – and made their way to their respective homes at RNAS Culdrose and Yeovilton.
As the ship sailed into the harbour this morning, the crew tweeted: ‘What a beautiful morning for our entry. It’s hard to believe just weeks ago we were flying F-35’s from these decks for the very first time. Home is in clear view.’
HMS Queen Elizabeth enters Portsmouth Harbour today (left) to dock alongside sister carrier HMS Prince of Wales (right)
HMS Queen Elizabeth (right) arrives in Portsmouth today to come alongside its identical sister ship HMS Prince of Wales
HMS Queen Elizabeth joins HMS Prince of Wales for the first time at the Royal Navy dockyard in Portsmouth today
Lynsey Allen (centre) from Lee-on-the-Solent, with her daughters Florence, two, (pink jacket) and Lottie, four, (glasses) wave home husband Commander Chris Allen arriving on board HMS Queen Elizabeth at Portsmouth Naval Base this morning
Sailors excitedly wave from HMS Queen Elizabeth today as their ship arrives at Portsmouth Naval Base in Hampshire
Officers wave to families as HMS Queen Elizabeth arrives in Portsmouth today to come alongside HMS Prince of Wales
HMS Queen Elizabeth (right) arrives in Portsmouth today to come alongside its identical sister ship HMS Prince of Wales
Charlie Keane with children Theo, nine, and Molly, five, look out for father Lieutenant Commander Joseph Keane at Portsmouth today
Aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth enters Portsmouth Harbour to tie up alongside sister carrier HMS Prince of Wales today
People watch from the shore as HMS Queen Elizabeth approaches Portsmouth Harbour this morning
Identical twins Luke and Kurtis Williams, 29, who both serve as leading airmen on HMS Queen Elizabeth – which itself is identical to twin HMS Prince of Wales – were welcomed by their family as they arrived in their home city.
Kurtis, who was met by his son, Harry, jokingly said that having a twin on board had its perks as they could pretend to be each other, adding: ‘He does the duties so I’ve got perks as I don’t have to do as many.’
Luke said: ‘Everyone seems to know us. They think we go around the galley twice.’
The Queen Elizabeth, which can carry up to 40 aircraft and has been dubbed ‘Big Lizzie’, and her carrier strike group sailed from the UK in August to carry out the flight tests involving UK jets for the first time.
Commodore Steve Moorhouse, commanding officer of Queen Elizabeth, said: ‘Homecomings are always a special occasion, but to be returning to Portsmouth, with HMS Prince of Wales welcoming us home makes this a particularly special occasion. This has been an extremely successful deployment for HMS Queen Elizabeth.
‘Embarking UK F-35B Lightning for the first time and integrating them within the carrier strike group is a significant milestone and we are well set for an equally demanding 2020 and our first operational deployment in 2021.’
Sailors from HMS Northumberland are welcomed home in Plymouth today after three months escorting HMS Queen Elizabeth
A sailor from HMS Northumberland is welcomed home to Plymouth today after three months escorting HMS Queen Elizabeth
The crew of HMS Northumberland and their families smile as they are reunited in Plymouth today in time for Christmas
Officers from HMS Northumberland smile and wave as they are welcomed home at Devonport in Plymouth this morning
Families greet sailors as they arrive home in Plymouth today after three months serving on board HMS Northumberland
Captain James Blackmore, commander of the air group for the UK carrier strike group, said: ‘The five-week period of Operational Tests with UK F-35Bs from the UK Lightning force was significant and historic.
‘As the last pilot to fly Harrier from the deck of HMS Ark Royal in 2010, it filled me with tremendous pride to see UK fixed-wing aircraft operate once more from a British carrier.’
The HMS Queen Elizabeth was launched in 2014, while HMS Prince of Wales was launched in 2017. Major upgrade work has been carried out on the jetties at Portsmouth so that the two giant ships can berth next to each other.
During their 50-year service, the two 919ft (280m) long aircraft carriers can be pressed into action for various work such as high-intensity war fighting or providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
Crowds at the Hot Walls and Round Tower near the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour to watch HMS Queen Elizabeth today
The 65,000-tonne warship manoeuvred into place alongside its sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, in Portsmouth today
HMS Queen Elizabeth (front) arrives into Portsmouth this morning, with HMS Prince of Wales alongside her to the rear
HMS Queen Elizabeth (front) is seen alongside her sister ship HMS Prince of Wales for the first time at Portsmouth today
The flight deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth comes in at an enormous four acres, equivalent to two football pitches
HMS Queen Elizabeth passes by the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth as it arrives home for Christmas this morning
Both ships were constructed in Rosyth, Scotland. HMS Queen Elizabeth is the largest and most powerful vessel ever constructed for the Royal Navy. The enormous warship is capable of carrying up to 40 aircraft.
The flight deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth comes in at four acres, equivalent to two football pitches, and will be used to launch the brand new F35s jet. Four jets can be moved from the hangar to the flight deck in one minute.
As well as state-of-the-art weaponry and communications systems, HMS Queen Elizabeth has five gyms, a chapel and a medical centre. She has a top speed of 32 knots (59 km/h) and a range of 10,000 nautical miles (19,000km).
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