Royal Navy - Fleet Air Arm: News

HMS Diamond suffers serious defect during Carrier Strike Group deployment

It has emerged that one of the two Type 45 destroyers accompanying the Carrier Strike Group, HMS Diamond has suffered a defect and remains alongside in a Mediterranean port, having not transited the Suez Canal with the rest of the ships.


HMS Diamond visited Alexandria in Egypt in late June before arriving in Larnaca, Cyprus. She sailed on 5th July but did not join the CSG which passed through the canal on the 7th July. Diamond subsequently came alongside at the NATO pier in Augusta, Sicily although the repair may be undertaken at a more suitable port.

A Royal Navy spokesman told Navy Lookout “HMS Diamond has experienced some technical issues and has detached from the Task Group for maintenance, inspection and any necessary repairs. She is expected to re-join the Task Group.” Unofficial sources suggest she has suffered a WR21 gas turbine engine failure and the unit may need to be replaced.


The CSG heading South through the Suez Canal, visible are USS The Sullivans, RFA Fort Victoria, HMS Defender, RFA Tidespring and HMS Kent. Ahead of them were HMS Queen Elizabeth with HNLMS Evertsen given the honour of being the lead ship. HMS Richmond accompanied the Astute class submarine through some hours earlier.
Although there have been well-documented issues with the design of WR21, GTs have the advantage that the compressor and power turbine unit at heart of the engine is designed to be removed and replaced with relative ease using designated access routes. RN vessels have conducted many GT changes in the past while on deployment in overseas ports and the process can take a few weeks. There are teams including Rolls Royce, BAE Systems and RN personnel that can be flown in to deliver engineering support when called upon. (Engineers onboard HMS Invincible even managed to change two gas turbines while at sea in the aftermath of the Falklands conflict).

HMS Diamond previously suffered a major breakdown in the Mediterranean in November 2017 and had to abandon a planned 9-month deployment. This was the result of a problem with the propellor shaft that was finally rectified in dry dock at home in Portsmouth. Assuming the current defect is an unrelated engine failure, this can be remedied without the need for dry-docking.

The RN notes in their statement that “ships will join and leave the Strike Group at different stages of the deployment” and the absence of HMS Diamond will not significantly impact the operations for now. The CSG already has HMS Defender, USS The Sullivans and HNLMS Evertsen providing air defence and warships from other allied nations will also join the group for short periods.


For the most demanding phase of the deployment in the South China Sea COMUKCSG would likely be more concerned about the absence of a Type 45. The RN appears confident that Diamond can be repaired but in the unlikely event that the ship cannot be returned to operational standard, HMS Dragon is the remaining active Type 45 and might be ‘crash deployed’ in extremis.

Further headlines about Type 45s breaking down, especially on a high profile deployment will of course be unwelcome. The RN continues to suffer the legacy of the engines selection made for its destroyers two decades ago. The short-medium term fix, the Equipment Improvement Plan (EIP) has allowed the Type 45s to operate effectively around the globe for many years with some restrictions. It was notable that the BBC reported HMS Defender was making 30 knots for some time in the heat of the Black Sea Summer during the recent interaction with the Russians off Crimea.

The Power Improvement Package (PIP) to finally cure the Type 45s propulsion issues finally started the engineering phase in May 2020 when HMS Dauntless arrived at Cammell Laird. This ‘6-month’ project is now in its 14th month. The new engines were installed relatively quickly by November 2020. COVID has not helped but the integration process is clearly proving way more challenging than anticipated. Once the work on Dauntless has been completed and proven, progress with subsequent ships, beginning with HMS Daring should be faster. Like the PGMU engine upgrades for the Type 23 frigates (only HMS Richmond has been completed), the Type 45 PIP has been far too slow and resulted in avoidable risk to the CSG21 deployment.

Phase 1 of the CSG21 deployment in the Atlantic and Mediterranean appears to have been overwhelmingly successful so far, but every major deployment inevitably will endure setbacks and changes to the programme. This has included the sad death of a sailor on HMS Kent in an apparent suicide. The Sun also reports significant a COVID outbreak onboard some of the ships which may curtail planned port visits for up to 3 weeks.  The RN is well able to adapt and overcome challenges and HMS Diamond will hopefully pass through the Suez canal and eventually rejoin the group.

HMS Queen Elizabeth: Covid outbreak on Navy flagship

An outbreak of Covid-19 has been confirmed on the Royal Navy's flagship, HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The BBC has been told there have been around 100 cases on the aircraft carrier, which is part way through a world tour.

Several other warships in the fleet accompanying it are also affected.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said all crew on the deployment had received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine and the outbreak was being managed.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is about a quarter of the way through a 28-week deployment leading the Carrier Strike Group (CSG).

It has now entered the Indian Ocean, and the Royal Navy says it is due to continue on its voyage to Japan later this year.

A spokeswoman said mitigation measured on board included masks, social distancing and a track and trace system.

"As part of routine testing, a small number of crew from the Carrier Strike Group have tested positive for Covid-19," she said.

"The Carrier Strike Group will continue to deliver their operational tasks and there are no effects on the deployment."

It is not the first Covid scare on board a Royal Navy ship.

Last year, the crew of HMS Northumberland was forced to return to shore and isolate over Christmas after "a number of suspected Covid cases" on board.

The world tour is HMS Queen Elizabeth's first operational deployment, and will cover 26,000 miles.

The £3bn warship departed from Portsmouth Naval Base in May.

The Queen and the prime minister both went onboard before it headed off for the Indo-Pacific region.

The ship began sea trials in 2017, having replaced HMS Illustrious which was scrapped in 2014.

It has eight RAF and 10 US Marine Corps F35B stealth fighter jets onboard and will be accompanied to Asia by six Royal Navy ships, a submarine, 14 naval helicopters and a company of Royal Marines.

USS Ronald Reagan, HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers train together for first time

The USS Ronald Reagan and the HMS Queen Elizabeth strike groups conducted a large-scale exercise in the Indian Ocean on Monday, marking the first time the two carriers have trained together.

Along with the amphibious ready group led by the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima and the Dutch frigate HNLMS Eversten, the strike groups worked through a variety of training scenarios in the Gulf of Aden, between Yemen, Somaliland and Somalia.

"Our team was proud to operate alongside the UK Carrier Strike Group during this unique opportunity to hone the full scope of our mutual capabilities," said Rear Adm. Will Pennington, commander of the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group and Task Force 50, in a press release Tuesday. "By operating together at sea, we deepen our coalition partnerships and extend our global reach throughout the region's critical waterways."

The exercise focused on the “full spectrum of maritime warfare operations” including anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare tactics.

The ships’ crews in several scenarios practiced precision maneuvering, hunted simulated enemy submarines, defended against simulated air and surface threats and conducted long-range maritime strikes against simulated enemy combatants, the U.S. Navy said.

Lt. Cmdr. Joe Kelly, spokesman for Task Force 50, said in an email Tuesday that the exercise was the first time the Ronald Reagan and Queen Elizabeth had steamed together.

“The aircraft carrier is the ultimate expression of global maritime power,” said Commodore Steve Moorhouse, commander of the United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group, in a Royal Navy press release. “Queen Elizabeth, Ronald Reagan and Iwo Jima symbolize the might of the U.S. and U.K. partnership, and the ease with which our naval and air forces can combine here in the Gulf of Aden, or anywhere else in the world.”

The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group trained in May with the Queen Elizabeth and its strike group conducted off the coast of Scotland.

Monday’s exercise took place during the Ronald Reagan’s deployment to the Middle East, where it has been assisting the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth, on the other hand, is in the middle of its maiden operational tour. The carrier departed Portsmouth, England, in late May. It is expected to visit 40 nations – including India, Japan, South Korea and Singapore – in a deployment spanning 26,000 nautical miles in seven-and-a-half-months.

On Monday, the Queen Elizabeth’s official Twitter page posted a picture of the carrier sailing with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

“Good to sail with the Japanese destroyer Setogiri in the Gulf of Aden,” said the post. “We will see more of the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force as we continue to head East into the Indo-Pacific.”

Royal Navy's Type 45s: Only One Of Six Destroyers Operationally Available

A defence minister has revealed that just one out of the Royal Navy's six Type 45 destroyers is operationally available, with the rest either undergoing maintenance or being fixed.

Royal Navy warship HMS Defender is, at the moment, the only Type 45 on operations.

The warship, currently deployed as part of the Carrier Strike Group (CSG21), was shadowed by Russian vessels and buzzed by jets last month as she sailed through the disputed waters around Crimea.

HMS Diamond has experienced some technical issues and has detached from CSG21 for maintenance, inspection and defect rectification.

HMS Daring and HMS Duncan are currently undergoing planned deep maintenance.

While HMS Dauntless, the first of the Type 45 destroyers to undergo a Power Improvement Project (PIP) upgrade, is expected to return to sea for trials this year.

HMS Dragon is undergoing a period of planned maintenance in advance of further operational commitments.

Commons Defence Committee chairman Tobias Ellwood suggested the situation was "operationally unacceptable".

Defence Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin told MPs on the committee: "We have two Type 45s embarked with the CSG, Diamond has got current issues but I hope they will be able to be rectified shortly."

Mr Ellwood said: "HMS Defender is now our only current operational Type 45.

"If that ship experiences propulsion problems as we have seen across the Type 45 family, then our carrier group would have to be forced to lean on a NATO ally to ensure that we have destroyer protection.

"That really indicates – bottom line – we need a bigger Navy."

Royal Navy stations two patrol ships permanently in Asia to counter Chinese ambitions

Britain is to base two Royal Navy ships permanently in the Far East to help form a bulwark against Chinese claims over Asian waters.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by the Defence Minister Ben Wallace during a visit to the Japanese capital, Tokyo.

It comes ahead of a planned visit to Japan in September by a Royal Naval strike group led by the new £3 billion flagship aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth.

"Following on from the strike group's inaugural deployment, the United Kingdom will permanently assign two ships in the region from later this year," said Mr Wallace, speaking alongside his Japanese counterpart, Nobuo Kishi.

The announcement is part of a strengthening of security ties with Tokyo, which has expressed alarm in recent months over China's territorial ambitions in the region, including Taiwan.

The Queen Elizabeth is being escorted by two destroyers, two frigates, two support vessels and ships from the United States and the Netherlands.

Its route to Japan goes through the South China Sea, parts of which are claimed by China and South East Asian countries, with stops in India, Singapore and South Korea (see map below).

Britain sees the naval deployment as an assertion of the right of international passage through waters that Beijing regards as part of its backyard, in particular the South China Sea. However, naval chiefs have been wary of being overly-provocative.

In April, The Telegraph disclosed that HMS Queen Elizabeth would avoid a particularly sensitive route through Taiwan Strait, a 100-mile stretch of water separating the island of Taiwan from mainland China. China does not respect Taiwan's claims to independence, and Beijing has hinted in recent years that it has not ruled out re-taking the island by force. Senior Tory MPs, who want Downing Street to take a tougher line with China, said the naval chiefs had been too timid in avoiding the Taiwan Strait.

After their arrival in Japan, the Queen Elizabeth and its escort ships are expected to split up for separate port calls to US and Japanese naval bases along the Japanese archipelago. A close Washington ally, Japan hosts the biggest concentration of American military forces outside the US, including ships, aircraft and thousands of US Marines.

Dr Sidharth Kaushal, a Research Fellow on Sea Power at the Royal United Services Institute, told The Telegraph that the permanent deployment of the two Royal Navy ships was in line with the wider aims of Spring's defence review, which identified China and Russia as key global rivals.

"It's not really a surprise, if one looks at the general tilt to the Indo-Pacific," he said. "The relationship between the UK and China has clearly become more competitive, but Britain is still inclined to hedge its bets on these things, stopping shy of directly confronting China," he said. "The Chinese won't be delighted, but they won't view it as massively inimical to their interests either."

The two ships to be permanently stationed in the Far East will be HMS Spey and HMS Tamar, both 90-metre offshore patrol vessels normally used for maritime policing duties such as anti-piracy and counter-terrorism. Dr Kaushal described them as smaller-scale patrol vessels, and said their presence would be unlikely to unnerve Beijing too much.

UK’s largest warship enters Indian Ocean, to conduct exercises with Indian Navy

Britain has described the maiden voyage of HMS Queen Elizabeth and its task group as the country’s most ambitious naval deployment for two decades, and the warships will also sail to the South China Sea for military drills with the US Navy and Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force
By Rezaul H Laskar
PUBLISHED ON JUL 16, 2021 12:36 PM IST

The UK’s largest warship, the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, and its strike task group has sailed into the Indian Ocean region, where it will conduct joint exercises with the Indian Navy as part of Britain’s efforts to enhance its profile in the Indo-Pacific.

Britain has described the maiden voyage of HMS Queen Elizabeth and its task group as the country’s most ambitious naval deployment for two decades, and the warships will also sail to the South China Sea for military drills with the US Navy and Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force.

UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab said on Friday the carrier group’s deployment “marks the start of a new era of defence cooperation with allies in India and the Indo-Pacific”. He added, “By visiting 40 countries and working alongside our partners, the UK is standing up for democratic values, seizing new trading opportunities and tackling the shared threats we face together.”

“This deployment will provide tangible reassurance and security to the UK’s friends and a credible deterrence to those who seek to undermine global security,” the British high commission said in a statement.


The carrier group entered the Indian Ocean region after a series of engagements and operations in the Mediterranean. The 65,000-tonne carrier will participate in the Konkan exercise with warships of the Indian Navy in the Bay of Bengal. The drills are expected to be conducted around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with the involvement of Indian destroyers, submarines and P8I anti-submarine warfare aircraft.

On its way back to the UK later in the year, the carrier group is expected to join another tri-services exercise with the Indian military in the Arabian Sea in October. All three services are expected to participate in this three-day war game.

Britain said HMS Queen Elizabeth’s deployment represents the country’s commitment to deeper diplomatic, economic and security ties with India and in the Indo-Pacific region, and also demonstrates the UK’s support for freedom of passage through vital trading routes and for a free, open and inclusive order in the Indo-Pacific.


Defence secretary Ben Wallace said: “The UK carrier strike group deployment is a major moment for UK defence as we develop this cutting edge capability across the globe. The group is sailing the Indian Ocean and will shortly conduct exercises with the Indian Navy, building on our already strong partnership with an important ally and friend.”

The deployment reflects the UK’s commitment to strengthening existing alliances and forging new partnerships with like-minded countries to face the challenges of the 21st century, he added.

The carrier group sailed into the Indian Ocean shortly after the UK’s posted its first international liaison officer at the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram. The US, Australia, France and Japan also have a presence at the centre, which tracks shipping and monitors threats such as maritime terrorism and piracy in regional waters.


Lieutenant Commander Stephen Smith, who was posted at the centre last month, works with India’s armed forces and liaison officers from the other nations to enhance maritime domain awareness in the region.

As part of its maiden operational deployment, the UK carrier group will sail more than 26,000 nautical miles and engage with 40 countries from the Mediterranean to the Indo-Pacific and back again.

The carrier group’s presence in Indian waters will give the Indian military an opportunity to assess first-hand the capabilities of its fifth generation F-35B Lightning multi-role aircraft, which are jointly manned by the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and US Marine Corps.

The carrier group also serves as the spearhead of the UK’s joint expeditionary capability and a cornerstone of the country’s conventional military deterrent. The group includes six Royal Navy ships and a submarine, a US Navy destroyer, a frigate from the Netherlands and 32 aircraft, and is manned by 3,700 sailors, aviators and marines from the combined forces of the UK, US and the Netherlands.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is the largest surface vessel constructed in the UK. Taller than the Niagara Falls, her propellers generate the power of 50 high-speed trains.

Among the countries with which the UK carrier group will have engagements in the region are Singapore, South Korea and Japan, and these interactions will build on other efforts by Britain to enhance its profile in the Indo-Pacific. These efforts include seeking Asean dialogue partner status, negotiations to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and trade talks with Australia, New Zealand and India.

UK Carrier Strike Group conducts exercise with Republic of Singapore Navy

The UK Carrier Strike Group 2021, led by HMS Queen Elizabeth, has transited through Singapore waters and will return later this year.

From:
British High Commission Singapore
Published
27 July 2021

Ships from the UK’s Carrier Strike Group, led by the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, performed an exercise with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) yesterday (26 July).

The exercise, to advance interoperability and coordination between the two navies, builds on the deep and long-standing defence partnership between the UK and Singapore.

It was also the first time that ships from the Royal Navy’s 5th generation Carrier Strike Group exercised alongside the RSN.

Eight ships were involved in yesterday’s exercise:

HMS Queen Elizabeth, aircraft carrier
HMS Kent, Type 23 anti-submarine frigate
HNLMS Evertsen, De Zeven Provicien-class frigate (Royal Netherlands Navy)
USS The Sullivans, Arleigh Burke-class destroyer (US Navy)
RFA Tidespring, Fast Fleet Tanker
RSS Intrepid Formidable-class frigate (Republic of Singapore Navy)
RSS Unity Independence-class littoral mission vessel (Republic of Singapore Navy)
RSS Resolution Endurance-class landing ship tank (Republic of Singapore Navy)

The Strike Group, which set off on its maiden deployment in May this year and has successfully conducted operations and engagements in the Mediterranean, is now in the Indo-Pacific.

The purpose-built aircraft carrier replenishment ship, RFA (Royal Fleet Auxiliary) Tidespring broke away from the main group on Friday (23 July) for a quick and contactless replenishment pit-stop in Singapore. She will now sustain the group as it proceeds further east.

The Group will next undertake a series of multinational exercises with global allies in the Philippine Sea. Later in the year, the Carrier Strike Group will return to Singapore.

A ship from the Group will also take part in Exercise Bersama Gold - with Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand – this will mark the 50th anniversary of the Five Power Defence Arrangements.

Commodore Steve Moorhouse, Commander United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group, said:

The Royal Navy has huge affection for Singapore based on our history together, but Singapore is also a beacon of enterprise in a region that is growing in strategic importance. The arrival of the Carrier Strike Group in Southeast Asia is a clear sign that the United Kingdom is ready to work with friends and partners, new and old, to strengthen the security and freedoms upon which we mutually depend.

We are grateful to Singapore for supporting an important logistics stop for RFA Tidespring as the Carrier Strike Group continues our programme at sea. We look forward to working with Singapore again in the autumn for Exercise Bersama Gold, which marks the 50th Anniversary of the Five Power Defence Arrangements.

Her Excellency, Kara Owen, British High Commissioner to Singapore, said:

The Carrier Strike Group’s presence is another element of our strategic approach to the Southeast Asia region, alongside our engagement with ASEAN and our activity in support of trade and economic development.

We welcome Singapore’s support for the Carrier Strike Group’s deployment to the region. Our joint exercise showcases our navies’ ability to operate effectively together, underscoring the deep and strong defence and security partnership.

Further information
more information is available in the media pack.
The Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is led by HMS Queen Elizabeth – the most powerful surface vessel in the Royal Navy’s history – and this is her maiden operational deployment.   At 65,000 tonnes, she is the largest surface vessel ever constructed in the UK. Taller than Niagara Falls, her propellers generate the power of 50 high-speed trains.   She leads six Royal Navy ships, a Royal Navy submarine, a US Navy destroyer and a frigate from the Netherlands in the largest concentration of maritime and air power to leave the UK in a generation.

As part of its maiden operational deployment, the CSG will sail over 26,000 nautical miles, engaging with 40 countries from the Mediterranean to the Indo-Pacific and back again.

China warns UK as carrier strike group approaches

China has warned the UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth not to carry out any "improper acts" as it enters the contested South China Sea.

'The People's Liberation Army Navy is at a high state of combat readiness' says the pro-government Global Times, seen as a mouthpiece for the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

China has been closely monitoring the progress eastward of the Carrier Strike Group, which is currently sailing through the South China Sea en route to Japan, while accusing Britain of "still living in its colonial days".

The Royal Navy has been carrying out exercises with the Singaporean navy and Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has made no secret of the intention to conduct a so-called "Freedom of Navigation" exercise through the South China Sea.

Contrary to a 2016 international court ruling, China claims much of that sea as its own and has been busy building artificial reefs and runways, some of them close to the territorial waters of neighbouring states.

Both US and Royal Navy warships have recently challenged China's claims to sovereignty in the South China Sea by purposely sailing through it.

So the question now is: will we see a close encounter similar to the one that took place in the Black Sea in June when the UK's HMS Defender, a Type 45 destroyer, was buzzed by Russian warplanes as it passed close to the disputed Crimean peninsula?

"China is not looking for a direct confrontation with a major US ally in the South China Sea," says Veerle Nouwens, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Insitute (Rusi), a London think tank. "But it will certainly make its intentions clear."

If the UK conducts freedom of navigation exercises through that sea, then Ms Nouwens believes we are likely to see a repeat of what happened when HMS Albion sailed through it in 2018. It was closely shadowed by a Chinese warship from just 200m away, warning it to leave, while Chinese aircraft flew low over the British vessel.

China has been holding extensive military exercises in the region this week, practising beach assaults in a move that has worried some analysts it is preparing to eventually invade Taiwan.

The PLA Navy will use the UK's Carrier Strike Group's presence in the South China Sea "as a chance for practice and for studying the UK's latest warships up close", says the Global Times.

It quotes a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in London as saying: "The threat to freedom of navigation could only come from the one who deploys a carrier strike group to the South China Sea half a world away and flexes its naval muscles to heighten the military tension in that region."

But while the arrival of the Carrier Strike Group in the region has provoked some angry words from Beijing, Rusi's Research Fellow for Naval Power, Sidharth Kaushal, points out that when it comes to naval standoffs, "China's actions have been calibrated as being well below the threshold of anything that would start a shooting war".

The deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth and its escort ships to East Asia is seen as part of the British government's bid to play a more prominent role in global security, as set out in the government's recent Integrated Review.

France, too, as well as other European nations, has been turning its attentions towards the South China Sea as China's growing military and economic power appears unstoppable.

China has recently embarked on a major uplift in its nuclear ballistic missile arsenal, building new launch silos in the remote Xinjiang region. It has also been developing Hypersonic Glide Vehicles, high-velocity missiles that can reach speeds of up to eight times the speed of sound and which have been dubbed "carrier killers".

Warship positions faked including UK aircraft carrier
A carrier strike group led by HMS Queen Elizabeth had its automatic identification system (AIS) position faked, researchers discovered.

AIS is a key maritime safety system used to track vessel movements.

Nearly 100 naval ships may have had their AIS position altered, environmental group SkyTruth found.

The ships included vessels from European and US navies, including 11 from the Royal Navy.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) said there was no "operational impact" on the strike group, which included smaller vessels from the Dutch and Belgian navies, but any manipulation of AIS "could result in a serious incident".

"We are aware of manipulation of AIS tracking data placing carrier strike group vessels in areas where they were not", the MOD said.

It is not the first time the MOD has confirmed the faking of a British warship's track.

In June, AIS data showed HMS Defender and HNLMS Evertsen of the Dutch navy leaving port and heading to a naval base in Sevastopol, in Russian-annexed Crimea.

But photographs showed the ships were still in port at Odessa, Ukraine.

A few days later - when HMS Defender did in fact enter waters near the coast of Crimea - it was shadowed by Russian military planes.

Shore receivers
Onboard AIS systems broadcast a ship's location, course and speed, and show the same data from other vessels.

Commercial vessels above a minimum size must all have AIS transponders, and while naval vessels are not obliged to use the system, they often do so for safety reasons.

US Navy policy, for example, has shifted towards using AIS in busy areas after two collisions in 2017.

There are also satellites and shore-based receivers, which supply data to websites which track ship locations.

The researchers say all the false data appears to come from shore-based receivers.

The research, first reported by Wired, was carried out by SkyTruth, an organisation which uses satellite imagery to uncover environmental harm.

Between 27 August 2020 and 15 July 2021 SkyTruth's Bjorn Bergman found nearly 100 naval vessels with "suspected false AIS tracks" - including one that seemed to show the American destroyer USS Roosevelt four nautical miles inside Russian territorial waters.

By studying satellite imagery of the ships' purported locations, combined with other data, Mr Bergman was able to conclusively identify fake tracks for 15 naval vessels from seven countries, which he believes "reflect a wider pattern of AIS falsification for naval vessels".

Mr Bergman told the BBC he does not know how the fake data got into the databases of AIS ship positions.

He said the main risk was that spoofed vessel tracks would be used to "create or support a false narrative about where warships are operating".

Urgent review
The revelations about AIS come at a time of heightened concern about the security of satellite navigation signals on which many systems, including AIS, depend though GPS has not been implicated in the fake AIS tracks.

Former First Sea Lord, Lord West of Spithead, has recently questioned UK reliance on the GPS system.

Responding to the reports of AIS interference, Lord West told the BBC it needed to be addressed urgently.

"There needs to be a better understanding of the vulnerability and frequency of attack on the AIS system", he said, arguing that it needed to be addressed by a review of position, navigation and timing services being undertaken by government.

From a military standpoint, AIS was mainly useful to let captains know the whereabouts of commercial vessels they needed to protect or track.

However, the military impact was limited: "Warships in times of tension and war would never use AIS," added Lord West.

Mr Bergman said researchers did not know who was responsible, but that whoever did it went to "some trouble to try and make plausible false tracks".

In the aftermath of the faking of HMS Defender's location, defence sources were quoted as suggesting Russian involvement, an analysis which some experts lean towards.

However, Mr Bergman's data also showed two Russian warships with seemingly faked tracks - they were shown entering the territorial waters of Ukraine and Poland in June.

But Mr Bergman told the BBC: "There is a clear focus on showing false tracks in Russian waters or in the waters of Russian-occupied Crimea.

"Two of the almost 100 vessels with suspected false tracks were Russian. The rest were from NATO or NATO-allied countries."

Finty wrote:.........
And a rather more concerning update

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58027363

Warship positions faked including UK aircraft carrier
A carrier strike group led by HMS Queen Elizabeth had its automatic identification system (AIS) position faked, researchers discovered.

AIS is a key maritime safety system used to track vessel movements.
..................

The U.S. Navy say that this mission was the first time in modern history the United States has cross-decked aircraft for a mission utilising a foreign aircraft carrier, in this case HMS Queen Elizabeth.
According to the U.S. Navy here, U.S. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 conducted a

first-of-its-kind operation which saw F-35B aircraft launched from HMS Queen Elizabeth land on the amphibious assault ship USS America to load ordnance, refuel, and strike follow-on objectives on August 20th, 2021.

“The operation highlighted the interoperability of the F-35B and the strategic importance of the joint integration between the United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group (UK CSG) and the U.S. Navy Amphibious Ready Group / Marine Expeditionary Unit. This mission was the first time in modern history the United States has cross-decked aircraft for a mission utilizing a foreign aircraft carrier, demonstrating naval partnerships in action.”


U.S. F-35B currently embarked on aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth takes off from the flight deck of amphibious assault ship USS America.
“The evolution underscored our continued effort to shift away from static, built-up airfields towards distributed maritime operations (DMO),” said Col. Simon Doran, U.S. Senior National Representative to the UK CSG.

“Doing so as part of the United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group 21 strengthens our alliances and partnerships through the development of interoperable capabilities, combined operations, theater security cooperation, and capacity-building efforts.”

VMFA-211 Flies Cross-Deck Mission from HMS Queen Elizabeth to USS America

The United Kingdom and the United States of America have been proving interoperability between their ships and strike fighter squadrons while at sea.

F-35B jets from 617 Squadron and from United States Marine Corps squadron VMFA 211 are embarked on the Royal Navy flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth and they have been conducting sorties with the aircraft of amphibious assault ship USS America.

The Royal Navy said in a news release:

“F-35B jets from the United States Marine Corps Squadron VMFA 211 are embarked on the Royal Navy flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth. As part of joint exercising between the UK Carrier Strike Group and the US Expeditionary Strike Group 7, two of the jets flew to the US Navy amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) to cross-deck, the first time ever that F-35B jets from a different squadron have landed on the different deck.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is the deployed flag ship for Carrier Strike Group 21(CSG21). CSG21 will see the ship along with the Strike Group work with over 40 countries from around the world. The Strike Group will operate and exercise with other Countries Navies and Air Forces during the 7 month deployment.

The Strike Group includes ships from the United States Navy, The Dutch Navy, and Marines from the US Marine Corps. As well as UK Frigates, Destroyers, a submarine, two RFA supply ships and air assets from 617 Sqn, 820 NAS, 815 NAS and 845 NAS. This will be the largest deployment of Fifth Generation Fighter Jets in history.”

HMS Queen Elizabeth Conducts Combined Exercise With ROK Navy

he Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy conducted a combined naval exercise with the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom on August 30, in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) near the Korean Peninsula.
Daehan Lee 31 Aug 2021

The UK carrier strike group of HMS Queen Elizabeth and the ROK amphibious ship Dokdo along with an Aegis destroyer and submarines participated into the exercise for the first time in the history of their bilateral relations, even though it is the third time that a UK aircraft carrier visits South Korea since last visits of light aircraft carriers, HMS Invincible in 1992 and HMS Illustrious in 1997.

The exercise focused on SAREX which was mainly about humanitarian search and rescue and maritime replenishment and supply at sea. The carrier strike group (CSG21) was comprised of 8 ships which are 2 destroyers, 2 frigates, 2 support ships and 1 submarine, including a ship from the US and Royal Netherlands Navies respectively.


During the SAREX, HMS Queen Elizabeth that carries 8 British F-35Bs and 10 American F-35Bs and helicopters demonstrated landings and take-offs. However, it was reported that the US and other countries did not join the ROK-UK exercise.

“The UK Carrier Strike Group 21 led by HMS Queen Elizabeth begins multi-dimensional exchanges with the ROK Navy in Korean territorial waters as of today. The CSG21 will closely cooperate with the Korean Navy to test interoperability and share exemplary models.”




Statement by the embassy of the United Kingdom in Seoul
The ROK Navy seeks to possess a 30,000t light aircraft carrier, but it has faced criticism from the public regarding its capabilities. It was why the Korean Navy spared some time to take a tour at the British carrier, since the Navy was unable to promote the necessity of its indigenous aircraft carrier by taking advantage of the CSG21’s visit to Korea because of COVID-19. A well-informed military source told the media that “Since the Navy plans to carry Vertical Landing and Take-off (VTOL) aircrafts on its CVX, this exercise will be a good opportunity for us to learn structure, automated systems of the British carrier and how F-35Bs are operated there.”

HMS Queen Elizabeth Conducts Combined Exercise with ROK Navy 2
Royal Navy picture.
Aside from the ROK’s obsession with CVX, there have been analyses that the UK dispatching its CSG21 intends to be integrated into the US-led anti-China circle as a key ally, bandwagoning to the US grand strategy in response to the rise of the People’s Liberation Army – Navy (PLAN)’s influence in the Indo-Pacific and in order to show off influence that might diminish after Brexit. The North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted furiously by releasing a statement on its website saying, “It is no doubt that the UK’s attempt to find the cause of regional tensions from us is provocative and contradictory in the sense that it is the UK sending warships to this far Asia-Pacific”. In response to this, the UK Ministry of Defence countered that “the UK is ready to work with friends and partners to strengthen the security and freedoms upon which we mutually depend”.

The UK came to kill two birds with one stone in terms of national interests. First of all, it can now publicly show the solidarity between allies such as the US, Japan, and South Korea through combined naval exercises targeting the Chinese PLAN that pursues maritime expansion towards the Pacific. Also, the UK used this opportunity to solidify its stance that favors the multilateral bond with liberal democratic states that share common values regardless of distance between Europe and Asia. The UK government even announced a new security policy last March that it will prioritize the Indo-Pacific region by cooperating with like-minded states to counteract against China’s provocations near the South and East China Seas.

Secondly, the UK can expect more cooperation and benefits in its defense industry, considering that the government and British companies promote their carriers’ combat system and air control capabilities to South Korea, which come from BAE Systems, while attempting to export relevant aircraft carrier technologies for the Korean CVX project.

The ROK Defense Minister Seo Wook and the UK Defence Minister Ben Wallace clarified in the bilateral talk that “The deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth will be the largest sea and air forces maneuvering far from the UK in thirty years. HMS Tamar and HMS Spey will be deployed at all time after our aircraft carrier comes back to the UK.”

“Profound thanks to Commander UK CSG and all on HMS Queen Elizabeth for hosting superbly informative visit for key partners from South Korea’s National Assembly and ROK Navy (whose support has been top-class).”

HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth are both at sea with British F-35 jets onboard.
HMS Prince of Wales departed Portsmouth earlier this week whilst HMS Queen Elizabeth is on a global deployment.

HMS Prince of Wales left Portsmouth to perform training with F-35 Lightning jets and to undertake the vessels first participation in the largest military exercise in the UK, Joint Warrior, off the Scottish coast.

“The first will pave the way for front-line carrier operations, the second will test her ability to work alongside other naval, Air Force and Army assets and broader task group operations,” according to the Royal Navy.


HMS Queen Elizabeth is now in Japan.

As part of her maiden operational deployment, the Ministry of Defence say that HMS Queen Elizabeth and her Carrier Strike Group will sail over 26,000 nautical miles, engaging with 40 countries from the Mediterranean to the Indo-Pacific and back again.

“This deployment will provide tangible reassurance and security to our friends and a credible deterrence to those who seek to undermine global security.”


The group comprises nine ships, 32 aircraft and one submarine and is manned by 3,700 sailors, aviators and marines from the combined forces of the UK, US and the Netherlands.

Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Kaha and replenishment tanker HMNZS Aotearoa will sail with HMS Queen Elizabeth and her Carrier Strike Group.

According to a statement from the Royal New Zealand Navy:

“The New Zealand Defence Force is to participate in an international defence exercise in South East Asia and will also interact with the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG) as it conducts engagement activities in the Indo-Pacific region.

Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Kaha and replenishment tanker HMNZS Aotearoa, with a Seasprite helicopter on board, have this week departed Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf for the next 2-3 months at sea.

Aircrew on a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion will join the naval Task Group for Bersama Gold 21, a major exercise on the international calendar marking the 50th anniversary of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA). The Orion will also interact with the UK CSG.”

As part of its maiden operational deployment, the Ministry of Defence say that HMS Queen Elizabeth and her Carrier Strike Group will sail over 26,000 nautical miles, engaging with 40 countries from the Mediterranean to the Indo-Pacific and back again.

“This deployment will provide tangible reassurance and security to our friends and a credible deterrence to those who seek to undermine global security.”

The group comprises nine ships, 32 aircraft and one submarine and is manned by 3,700 sailors, aviators and marines from the combined forces of the UK, US and the Netherlands.

PapaDragon wrote:
Looks pretty but kinda light on armaments maybe?