Royal Navy: HMS Queen Elizabeth to head back to Portsmouth - when
The Royal Navy’s flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth has returned to the Solent after carrying out exercises in the Channel.
She is anchoring at Stokes Bay overnight, which means she will be seen from the Gosport coastline.
Then on Friday, September 13 she will then head into Portsmouth Harbour arriving at the NAB tower first at 12.30pm, and then back again at 7.20pm after a short stint around the Solent until she heads into the harbour and back into the naval base just after 8.10pm.
Her return comes after the ship’s company completed operational sea training despite a tragic incident where a Merlin helicopter was ditched off Dorset during a night-flying exercise last week. Pilot Lt Rhodri Leyshon, 31, died as a result of the incident, with two other members of its crew taken to hospital. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash.
The aircraft carrier has been readying herself for her next deployment following her stint at drydock in Rosyth to carry out repairs, and then after that maintenance, following a propeller shaft fault.
She left Portsmouth on September 2 to take part in the latest exercises as part of that preparation work.