HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH Will Form Part of Readiness Initiative
British Prime Minister Theresa May announced on 4 June that HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, the Royal Navy’s flagship, will form part of NATO’s Readiness Initiative when she becomes operational.
“Be it projecting influence for peace, standing ready to fight, or delivering vital aid around the world, HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and her sister ship HMS PRINCE OF WALES, will fly the flag of a Global Britain. Nothing symbolises the leading role that we play in NATO more than our nation’s future flagship being ready to respond to any challenge that the Alliance may face,” commented Defence Minister Penny Mordaunt.
At the Defence Ministers’ meeting in June, Allies committed, by 2020, to having 30 battalions, 30 air squadrons, and 30 naval combat vessels ready to use within 30 days. This was reinforced by Allied Heads of State and Government at the NATO Summit in July.
HMS QUEEN ELZABETH remains set to be deployed on global operations from 2021 and when HMS PRINCE OF WALES joins her in the fleet in the near future, the UK will have one carrier available at very high readiness at all times.