The Royal Navy's new flagship, the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, returned to its home port of Portsmouth on December 9 after its maiden deployment.
During seven months of operations as Carrier Strike Group 21, the escort sailed through the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Western Pacific, working alongside ships from 17 countries and participating in 18 major exercises.
The deployment of the carrier was significant for a number of reasons, including the loss of a British F-35B.
A hub on the sea.
The US and UK F-35Bs were on their way to Queen Elizabeth.
The Royal Navy/LPhot is Belinda Alker.
Since the F-35 program began, Carrier Strike Group 21's mission has been the largest deployment.
There were 18 F-35Bs from the US Marine Corps and the Royal Air Force on board the ship.
During the deployment, British and American F-35Bs flew more than 2,200 hours, completing 1,278 sorties and 44 missions against targets in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
The commander of the US Marine squadron said before the deployment that they had never seen a ship with 18 F-35s out there.
One of the goals of the Carrier Strike Group 21 was to make a bold statement about power projection in the Pacific, a region of increasing importance for the UK.
In a strategy document released in March, the British government said it planned to put more emphasis on the importance of the Indo-Pacific reflecting its importance to many of the most pressing global challenges in the coming decade.
British and American F-35s were not the only ones on the carrier.
The language barrier is being crossed.
The US F-35Bs are in the Mediterranean Sea.
UK Ministry of Defense/LPhot Unaisi.
The Italian F-35Bs landed on the flight deck of the ship in November.
The ability of the US, Italian, and UK F-35Bs to fly to and from one another's decks offers tactical agility and strategic advantage to NATO, according to the commander of the UK Carrier Strike Group.
The ability of the UK's flagship to work with other nations was demonstrated by the fact that all three of the UK's jets were on the carrier.
This ability is very important.
Brian Hudson, an aviation writer and veteran US Air Force avionics technician, told Insider that different air traffic controllers use different terminology, accents, and call signs.
The US Air Force pilots do training on civilian airfields, on airfields operated by other US service branches, and on foreign military airfields just for the experience of dealing with unfamiliar controllers.
The Carrier Strike Group 21 operated alongside F-35s from other armies during its deployment. It wasn't all good news for Britain's new flagship.
Its record has a little bit of a blemish.
The F-35B will be launched from Queen Elizabeth in June of 2021.
The Royal Navy/LPhot Unaisi.
A British pilot was forced to abandon his F-35B during a routine flight in Egypt.
The jet was lost at sea and a frantic search was launched to prevent it from being retrieved by adversaries. The plane was recovered in December.
It was the first accident of the British F-35B, a plane that costs the UK military $165 million.
The F-35B was one of the newest ones in the British fleet according to a research fellow.
The jet's age meant it had lower Block IV upgrade requirements than older airframes, which will increase the jet's already formidable capabilities.
Three of Britain's 23 F-35Bs are still undergoing testing in the US. It has ordered 24 more, which are due for delivery in 25 years.
The UK initially planned to buy 138 F-35Bs, but that was cut to 48 jets. In the UK's defense review in 2021, officials said they would increase the fleet to more than 48.
A global Britain.
The first meeting of the two ships will take place on May 18, 2021.
Jay Allen is a Royal Navy/POPhot.
The UK's renewed emphasis on global military reach is reflected in the fact that the only two carriers of their class are the Queen Elizabeth and the Prince of Wales.
Britain's renewed maritime power was on display despite the loss of an F-35B and the deployment of Carrier Strike Group 21.
The strike group shows the UK's ability to project global influence and send a powerful message about our willingness to act globally, according to the British government.
Constantine Atlamazoglou works on security. He received a master's degree in European affairs from the school.
