First Time Ever: The UK Largest Ship Under the NATO Command
The Royal Navy's aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is undertaking its first voyage under the command of the North Atlantic Block as part of joint exercises called "Neptune Strike."
This information is reported on the Royal Navy's official website.
"Control of HMS Queen Elizabeth and the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) comprised of frigate HMS Kent, destroyer HMS Diamond, aircraft, including F-35B Lightning jets, Wildcat and Merlin helicopters, and support ships was transferred to NATO to create a potent task group able to operate across a vast area from the length and breadth of the Mediterranean and north to the Baltic Sea," the statement said.
In addition, NATO will also command three aircraft carriers – UKCSG aircraft carriers will be in the North Sea, the Italian ITS Cavour and Spanish ESP Juan Carlos in the Mediterranean – knitting together cutting-edge forces ready to shield every inch of the alliance’s airspace, waterways and territory.
"Deterrence and defence of the Euro Atlantic is at the heart of NATO, and our enhanced vigilance activity with Neptune Strike is a clear demonstration of that. This is the first time a UK Carrier Strike Group has been commanded by NATO in my memory, so this is momentous for the UK and the alliance," emphasized Commodore James Blackmore, Commander of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group.
In total, warships from 21 countries will participate in NATO joint exercises, under the direct command and control of the Alliance's Naval Forces. The exercises will wrap up on November 10.
It is worth noting that with the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the North Atlantic Alliance reconsidered security challenges and had to transform its strategy in response to new potential threats from Russia. As a result, a clear plan of action was developed in case of an escalation of confrontation.
In June this year, NATO conducted "Air Defender 23," the largest European-based air exercise in the Alliance's history, involving around 250 aircraft and more than 10,000 military personnel.