The Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth departed Portsmouth Naval Base on Saturday at approximately 18:20 BST. The 65,000-tonne vessel has set sail with hundreds of sailors for a pre-planned deployment around the UK and northern Europe.
Over the next three months, the warship and its crew of more than 800 sailors will participate in an intensive training programme, according to the Royal Navy. This deployment is the vessel's first official sailing as Nato's command ship for the Allied Response Force, a designation received in July this year.
The operation will rehearse how an Allied naval force would operate together during a crisis. The Navy stated this work aims to "enhance collective security, deterrence and readiness" among the UK and its allies.
Captain Claire Thompson, HMS Queen Elizabeth's commanding officer, described the deployment as a "key milestone" for both the vessel's Nato role and its "journey back to the Royal Navy's 'very high readiness' aircraft carrier." HMS Queen Elizabeth is scheduled to take on this role from its sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, next year.