Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
UK’S ENFORCER
» Giant carrier gets super-stealth planes » Captain: We’re ready for any Russian threat
WITH the first of her £100million fighter jets screaming around her, HMS Queen Elizabeth is ready to strike fear into Britain’s enemies.
Super-stealth F-35BS have been roaring on and off the £3billion warship this week in the first of 500 practice runs.
The 932ft carrier, nicknamed Big Lizzie, can scramble the deadly jets at a moment’s notice – delivering four on deck with two huge elevators.
As many as 36 of them can be stored in the bowels of the ship – which goes down nine storeys – along with Wildcat and Merlin helicopters.
And Commanding Officer Jerry Kyd, who was the skipper on HMS Ark Royal when it carried Harriers, said the boost to our forces has come not a moment too soon.
Big Lizzie and her warplanes could be called on at any time to tackle a number of security threats – chief among them an emboldened and increasingly provocative Russia. The way Captain Kyd sees it, he is responsible for a “fouracre piece of UK sovereign real estate you can sail around the world”.
He said: “This has a big part to play in how we project around the world, how we support diplomatic efforts.
“But when you have a strategic asset like this, that is visible, tangible and real, you can send a message – and that is important. People notice aircraft carriers. You only have to look at the Russian aircraft carrier coming down the English Channel last year – it was on the front page of every newspaper in Europe.
“The Americans send aircraft carriers when they want to send a clear signal
politically and diplomatically but at the end of the day you also have the stick behind you.”
On the threat from the Kremlin, he added: “What we’re seeing now is a resurgent Russia, which is presenting a credible threat again to the Western states and the rules-based system. And that must be taken seriously.
“Novichok and Salisbury have again demonstrated you must maintain credible, balanced and ready forces across all three services, not least aircraft carriers at sea to enable us to protect our security of our people at home but also around the world.”
Asked if he thinks the threat from Moscow is worsening, he said: “Yes. We’re seeing increased activity at sea and in the air around the UK and Western Europe, and in the Atlantic.”
The Mirror was among a small number of journalists flown on to Big Lizzie yesterday to witness trials of the F-35BS. We joined it off the US’S East Coast and close to Chesapeake Bay after an hour’s Merlin helicopter flight from Andrews Air Base, outside Washington DC. The ship is on an 11-week training run with the F-35BS alongside US forces, practising takeoffs, landings and communications.
We now have 16 of the Us-made jets, the first of an order of 48.
Air Vice Marshal Harvey Smyth, Air Officer Commanding 1 Group and a former pilot, was on board representing the RAF. He said: “Ten, 12 years ago we were actually quite good pals with Russia and then you see how the world stage changes, which underlines the need to always be prepared with a flexible and agile capability like this and, more importantly, a capability that is world-leading and allows you to always be at the cutting edge.
“These sorts of capabilities give our Government options.”
Asked how Big Lizzie compares with the Russian ship, he said: “There is no comparison. Theirs is so old and limping along. We saw the images of it when it last sailed to the eastern Med. Not only did they lose planes while trying to do that, their aircraft carrier is literally limping along.”
“This carrier is 5th generation, 50 years of service to go, with the world’s best aircraft on board, so it is an apples and oranges comparison.”
The first pilot to land on Big Lizzie was Air Commander Nathan Gray, 41, from Stoke-ontrent. He has flown in operations all over the world, particularly in the Middle East, and he and US Marine Corps pilots have been practising on simulators for six hours a day, over three months, to get used to flying the F-35B. Speaking of how it felt to touch down on Big Lizzie he said: “I was immensely proud. I couldn’t find the words, so I punched the air several times. I had to pinch myself coming around the corner to land. I did it so many times on a simulator for training purposes. I’d been through it thousands of times.
“I went from Pax River, south of DC. It took 20 minutes at 15,000ft.
“When I got overhead of Mum, which is what we call the ship, it was a proud moment.”
Of the actual plane, Commander Gray said: “It has hugely advanced sensors, stealth technology. The F-35 is a quantum leap from anything we have had before.
“With this aircraft, we can go into contested airspace, we can go to work on humanitarian efforts. The F-35 is the most advanced plane in the world. The F-35 is the world-beater.”
And asked about the threat from Russia, Commander Gray added bluntly: “I think anybody who wants to face off with us should be very, very nervous and think twice.”
When you have a strategic asset like this, you can send a message – and that is important COMMANDING OFFICER JERRY KYD ON IMPORTANCE OF CARRIER AND JETS