OCTOBER 13, 2019
Photo essay: First British jets land onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth – Westlant 19 deployment – Part 3

This afternoon the first British-owned jets landed on HMS Queen Elizabeth off the eastern coast of the US. These are the photos that have been released by the MoD so far, more details to follow.







The first aircraft landed at 1440 GMT (UK Time). Plenty of excited onlookers on the flight deck



An all-British affair. It is interesting to note the aircraft handlers appear to be entirely RN. During 2018 USMC personnel assisted with the first landings.



These trials are aimed at ‘end-to-end’ testing of the aircraft and personnel to ensure the aircraft are compatible with the carrier. The tests will involve mission planning, arming the aircraft using the ship’s Highly Automated Weapon Handling System, flying missions and debriefing on completion.



Flight Commander of 17 (R) Test and Evaluation Squadron, Lt Cdr Matt Fooks-Bale RN after landing on HMS Queen Elizabeth. The other aircraft also came from 17 Squadron based at Edwards Air Force Base in California and was piloted by Wing Commander Adam Curd, RAF.



HMS Dragon in close company.

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Army Photographer Dan Wiepen this week takes us back to his time in Afghanistan. Something Dan enjoys about his role as a photographer is the diversity that he typically experiences. Even a single day on an operational deployment covers a range of opportunity to capture images. His selection of images here come from only a three-day period whilst deployed.

"We'd been on a 5-day operation and the thing I loved about these sorts of jobs were the fact that you had times of work and times of rest; 'in-your-face' shots vs expansive scenes; every conceivable angle from high up to down low. In short, everything you could wish for.

You may like some of them, you may not, and certainly none of them will win you any competitions. But I like looking back to those jobs and, although I have a style that I think makes my images look quite similar, I still think, "yeah, I like the fact that there were so many different subjects to shoot!"
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Wow, impressive training evolution there, that's very real with the missing leg, is that a vet that lost a leg and is on loan as a volunteer ??

Yep, almost certainly. There is a pool of them who support a variety of training exercises. Most are vets but there are a few civvy amputees among them.

Interesting that its a Danish track they're pulling him into...
 
Yep, almost certainly. There is a pool of them who support a variety of training exercises. Most are vets but there are a few civvy amputees among them.

Interesting that its a Danish track they're pulling him into...
Yes, that affair makes that appear quite real I should say! Perhaps no one wanted to deal with it...... My hat's off to the troopers who are helping out with such a unique and noble gesture it is!! notworthy; ,-uk
 
I don't follow this stuff as closely as a lot of you, so forgive me if this is an obvious question - can Portsmouth dock both PoW and QE at the same time or is it one or the other?
 

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