HMS Queen Elizabeth Departs Portsmouth to Lead NATO Response Force

HMS Queen Elizabeth left Portsmouth on September 5, 2026. She sailed with more than 800 crew. The carrier is heading to the North Sea and Baltic region on a three-month deployment. She will command the NATO Allied Response Force, the first time a Queen Elizabeth-class carrier has taken that role.

The deployment follows a major refit at Portsmouth, returning the carrier to operational service. The strike group includes destroyer and frigate escorts. Fixed-wing air assets are expected to join once the group reaches its operating areas.

On MarineRadar, HMS Queen Elizabeth drew 4.5 times the normal search volume in the 24 hours around the departure, reaching 11 unique device lookups on September 5. Search attention has tracked the carrier since her refit schedule became public.

The Queen Elizabeth-class makes up the core of UK carrier strike capability. Italy's Giuseppe Garibaldi departed for Indonesia in August to commission as KRI Gajah Mada, one of several carrier transfers among partner navies this year.