American ambassador praises Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth for 'amazing journey'
A TOP American diplomat has lavished a Portsmouth-based warship with praise.
Woody Johnson, the USA’s ambassador to the UK, celebrated HMS Queen Elizabeth’s ‘amazing journey’ in a post on Twitter.
The Republican businessman-turned politician has previously visited Portsmouth and was on board Queen Elizabeth during her commissioning ceremony in 2017.
Taking to Twitter, the diplomat said: ‘It has been amazing to follow the journey of the Royal Navy’s largest and most powerful vessel ever, HMS Queen Elizabeth. I’ll never forget watching it sail into the Hudson river , or watching F35s take off from its deck in the North Sea.’
The £3.2bn warship is the first of two new aircraft carriers built for the Royal Navy, with sister ship HMS Prince Wales currently alongside in Portsmouth.
Mr Johnson’s comments come the 65,000-tonne Queen Elizabeth prepares for her maiden mission to the Far East later this year.
Departing from Portsmouth in May, the vessel will be accompanied by an armada of warships including two Type 23 frigates, two Type 45 destroyers and support ships – as well as a submarine.
Two squadrons of F-35 stealth jets will also be embarked, made up of British and American warplanes.
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