HMS Queen Elizabeth: Royal Navy carrier drops anchor in New York for high-profile visit
THE city that never sleeps is being visited by the Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier this week.
HMS Queen Elizabeth has dropped anchor in the shadow of Manhattan, New York, four years after her previous visit to the US city.
Within sight of the Statue of Liberty, the 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier has travelled to the USA to give renewed vigour to Anglo-American military, political and strategic relations.
The warship is the floating venue for the Atlantic Future Forum – a conference which brings together the brightest minds and most influential thinkers from defence and beyond to strengthen UK and US bonds.
The carrier was welcomed into New York by the United Kingdom’s Ambassador to the United States, Dame Karen Pierce.
‘HMS Queen Elizabeth is not only the United Kingdom’s flagship, but is a fantastic demonstration of the soft power and the close working relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the transatlantic relationship,’ she said.
‘It’s an enormous honour to sail into New York on her. We share an endeavour in remaining the United States’ closest ally and I am very proud of what the ship has achieved for Britain in her deployment to the Indo-Pacific last year.’
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Over the next few days, Captain Ian Feasey, HMS Queen Elizabeth’s commanding officer, will welcome hundreds of guests to the ship, which has been transformed into a unique, world-class conference venue for the forum.
‘It is an amazing privilege to bring HMS Queen Elizabeth back to New York and to be formally welcomed to the United States by His Majesty’s ambassador,’ he said.
‘We are very much looking forward to hosting the fifth Atlantic Future Forum and welcoming onboard senior leaders that embody our deep and special relationship with the United States.’
The carrier’s ship’s company will have the opportunity to get ashore and visit New York, including formally paying their respects at the 9/11 memorial.
Now fully operationa, HMS Queen Elizabeth will return across the Atlantic and spend the remainder of the autumn leading operations and exercises in European waters upon completion of the visit.
She’s joined in New York by her frigate escort, HMS Richmond, which sailed up the Hudson River for a berth on Manhattan Island.