A group of stealth fighter jets have left their base in Norfolk to join the largest Nato exercise since the Cold War.
The F-35B Lightning jets are from the joint RAF and Royal Navy 617 “Dambusters” Squadron based at RAF Marham in Norfolk.
The jets landed on the 65,000-tonne Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales in the North Sea this morning.
HMS Prince of Wales will head a UK Carrier Strike Group for the exercise, which will also involve 11 helicopters, Royal Navy escort ships and support vessels from the Royal Fleet Auxilliary.
HMS Prince of Wales previously carried out exercises with F-35B jets during a visit to the eastern US last autumn.
The warship sailed from Portsmouth last week at short notice after its sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth had to cancel its departure after last-minute checks found an issue with its starboard propeller coupling.
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A Royal Navy spokesman said: “It will lead an international taskforce taking part in Steadfast Defender – an exercise across multiple regions and domains from land and sea to air and space.
“Spanning several months and thousands of kilometres, it will see tens of thousands of personnel work together to showcase Nato’s ability to deter enemies and defend allied territory.”
Captain Colin McGannity, Carrier Air Wing and Strike Warfare Commander, added: “It is always an exciting moment when F-35B Lightning join the Carrier Strike Group at sea.
“It’s winter in the north Atlantic and we will face harsh weather and freezing conditions, but we are well prepared and looking forward to demonstrating our readiness to fight, whenever and wherever we get the call.”
HMS Prince of Wales
HMS Prince of Wales was designed alongside its sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2008.
Its construction began in 2011 and it was formally named by the now-Queen Camilla in 2017.
It commenced with sea trials in 2019.
The Royal Navy now says it is one of the most powerful surface warships ever constructed in the UK.
The ship has an expected service life of up to 50 years and can move up to 500 miles each day.
Its flight deck can fit three football pitches on it at 70 metres wide and 280 metres long and holds 45 days’ worth of food in stores.
It carries a minimum of 700 people at a time - rising to 1,600 people with aircraft on board.
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