--- title: "British Carrier Joins U.S. Amphibious Forces In North Atlantic In A Vision Of What’s To Come" description: "For the first time, the flagship of the Royal Navy is working with a full-size Amphibious Ready Group." date: "2021-05-19" modified: "2021-05-19" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/40687/british-carrier-joins-u-s-amphibious-forces-in-north-atlantic-in-a-vision-of-whats-to-come" categories: - "Carriers" - "HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)" - "Landing Craft" - "Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC)" - "Navies" - "Queen Elizabeth Class" - "Royal Navy" - "Sea" - "U.S. Marine Corps" - "U.S. Navy" tags: - "24th MEU" - "arctic" - "AV-8B" - "CSG21" - "F-35B" - "HMS Queen Elizabeth" - "LCAC" - "North Atlantic" - "norway" - "Royal Navy" - "US Marine Corps" - "US Navy" - "USS Iwo Jima" --- # British Carrier Joins U.S. Amphibious Forces In North Atlantic In A Vision Of What’s To Come ![]() *www.twz.com* Some truly impressive photos have emerged documenting recent joint exercises in the North Atlantic involving the British Royal Navy and U.S. Navy, as well as forces from the U.S. Marine Corps. As seen in the image at the top of this story, warships, aircraft, and [Landing Craft Air Cushions](), or LCACs, deployed from the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, or IWOARG, teamed up with the Royal Navy’s flagship, the aircraft carrier [HMS *Queen Elizabeth*](), as well as vessels from other navies. Also involved in these maritime drills, which were dubbed Exercise Ragnar Viking, were vessels from the French Navy and the Royal Norwegian Navy — an [NH90]() naval helicopter from one of those forces is also visible in the image above. The centerpieces of the maneuvers, however, were HMS *Queen Elizabeth*, which is working up for its [first operational deployment]() within Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21), and the U.S. Navy’s [*Wasp* class]() amphibious assault ship USS *Iwo Jima*. That amphibious assault ship is the flagship of the IWOARG, which also includes other elements of Amphibious Squadron 4, the *Harpers Ferry* class dock landing ship USS *Carter Hall* and the amphibious transport dock ship [USS *San Antonio*](), as well as the embarked 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). ![message-editor%2F1621435539766-exerciseragnarviking.jpg]() *Participants in Exercise Ragnar Viking underway in the Atlantic Ocean in formation during a photo exercise, May 17, 2021., *U.S. Navy/Lt. Anton Ekman** The Royal Navy assets for CSG21, meanwhile, are HMS *Queen Elizabeth*, the [Type 45 destroyers]() HMS *Diamond* and HMS *Defender*, the [Type 23 frigates]() HMS *Kent* and HMS *Richmond*, the replenishment tanker [RFA *Tidespring*](), the stores ship and fleet tanker [RFA *Fort Victoria*](), and an undisclosed Royal Navy [*Astute* class]() nuclear attack submarine. Other warships involved in Ragnar Viking, some of which are seen in the accompanying photos, included the [*Virginia* class attack submarine]() USS *New Mexico*, the [*Arleigh Burke* class]() guided-missile destroyers USS *Arleigh Burke* and USS *Ross*, the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS *Lancaster* and the amphibious transport dock [HMS *Albion*](), the French Navy’s frigate [*Normandie*](), and the Royal Norwegian Navy’s frigate [HNoMS *Otto Sverdrup*]() and corvette [*HNoMS Skjold*]()*.* Embarked aircraft on HMS *Queen Elizabeth* and attached to other Royal Navy vessels included [F-35B stealth fighters]() from both the Royal Air Force’s [No 617 Squadron](), the “Dambusters,” and from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, the “[Wake Island Avengers](),” [Wildcat HMA2]() multirole helicopters from 815 Naval Air Squadron (NAS), anti-submarine warfare and [airborne early warning and control]() Merlin HM2 helicopters from 820 NAS, and [Commando Merlin]() helicopters from 845 NAS. For its part, the IWOARG provided aircraft from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 162 Reinforced, the aviation combat element of 24th MEU. A typical aviation combat element of this type normally includes 10 [MV-22B Osprey]() tiltrotors, six [AV-8B Harrier II]() attack jets, five [RQ-21A Blackjack]() unmanned aerial vehicles, four [CH-53E Super Stallion]() helicopters, four [AH-1Z Cobra]() helicopters, and three or four [UH-1Y Huey]() helicopters. Also attached is a pair of U.S. Navy [MH-60S Seahawk]() helicopters, in this case from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26, the “Chargers,” on hand to provide search and rescue and additional utility capabilities. ![message-editor%2F1621436607380-210517-n-wp865-3001.jpg]() *RFA *Tidespring*, the first of a fleet of four 39,000-tonne *Tide* class tankers, leads a group of warships., *U.S. Navy/Lt. Anton Ekman** ![message-editor%2F1621436637540-210517-n-wp865-3002.jpg]() *With 14 F-35Bs arranged on deck, HMS *Queen Elizabeth* steams alongside USS *Iwo Jima*., *U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brenton Poyser** ![message-editor%2F1621436709625-210517-n-wp865-3003.jpg]() *Captain Darren Nelson, commodore of Amphibious Squadron 4, poses for a selfie., *U.S. Navy/Lt. Anton Ekman** ![message-editor%2F1621436748191-210517-n-wp865-3004.jpg]() *An LCAC races through the North Atlantic alongside HMS *Queen Elizabeth.*, *U.S. Navy/Lt. Anton Ekman** The involvement of both F-35Bs and AV-8Bs in the maneuvers is notable, with the former rapidly [replacing the iconic jump jet]() on the decks of U.S. Navy amphibious assault ships. Manwhile, integration of Marine Corps F-35Bs aboard the HMS *Queen Elizabeth* is now well established and, as we have [examined in the past](), the American jets are likely to be a regular part of the air wings of the two British carriers for the foreseeable future. As well as boosting the [British Joint Strike Fighter force](), and lending [valuable combat experience](), the presence of Marine Corps F-35Bs on Royal Navy carrier decks should also mean that Marine Amphibious Ready Group working with them in the future could have a higher degree of interchangeability. There is also potential for British F-35s cross-decking — operating temporarily from the decks of U.S. Navy assault ships. Furthermore, with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps [having been experimenting]() with employing Wasp class ships as ‘Lightning carriers,’ there is the potential for American and British flattops to work together to bring a more considerable number of F-35Bs to bear. The *Queen Elizabeth* class can potentially carry as many as 36 F-35Bs, although 24 Lightnings are described a “credible complement” for the Carrier Strike role. Meanwhile, the Marine Corps has said it wants to be able to deploy between 16-20 F-35Bs on each assault ship. ![message-editor%2F1621436778561-210517-n-wp865-3007.jpg]() *HMS *Queen Elizabeth* accompanied by other participants in Ragnar Viking, with HMS *Albion* nearest to it., *U.S. Navy/Lt. Anton Ekman** ![message-editor%2F1621436805165-210517-n-wp865-3009.jpg]() *An AV-8B attached to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 162 (Reinforced) overflies USS *Iwo Jima*., *U.S. Navy/Lt. Anton Ekman** ![message-editor%2F1621436829180-210517-n-wp865-4000.jpg]() *HMS *Queen Elizabeth*., *U.S. Navy/Lt. Mark Nash** ![message-editor%2F1621436864902-210517-n-wp865-4001.jpg]() *An MH-60S from HSC-26 with HMS *Queen Elizabeth* in the background., *U.S. Navy/Lt. Mark Nash** CSG21 came into these maneuvers as part of the Royal Navy’s own [Exercise Strike Warrior]() in the North Atlantic, a separate effort involving 15 ships from four NATO countries. The two-week Exercise Strike Warrior, running from May 8-20, is bringing together more than 20 warships, three submarines, and 84 aircraft from 11 nations and is intended as a final test for CSG21 before it heads off on its first operational deployment to the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean, and the Asia-Pacific region. By introducing Ragnar Viking to Exercise Strike Warrior, the aim was to prove that NATO forces can run both Carrier Strike Group and Amphibious Ready Group/Marine Expeditionary Unit activities simultaneously. “HMS *Queen Elizabeth* and the USS *Iwo Jima* represent a substantial concentration of maritime-based airpower,” said Royal Navy Captain Angus Essenhigh, commanding officer of HMS *Queen Elizabeth*. “With the involvement of warships from four NATO members, including HMS *Albion*, our rendezvous in the North Atlantic demonstrates the collective strength of the alliance.” ![message-editor%2F1621436928601-210517-n-wp865-4005.jpg]() *The Super Stallion is guided onto the flight deck., *U.S. Navy/Lt. Mark Nash** ![message-editor%2F1621436950771-210517-n-wp865-4007.jpg]() *The amphibious transport dock ship USS *San Antonio*., *U.S. Navy/Lt. Mark Nash** ![message-editor%2F1621436977812-210517-n-wp865-4008.jpg]() *An AV-8B takes off from USS *Iwo Jima*., *U.S. Navy/Lt. Mark Nash** Without a doubt, Ragnar Viking provided valuable training opportunities for the participants, especially for HMS *Queen Elizabeth* and its supporting CSG21 vessels, and their aircraft, which have not been to sea together in such significant numbers. “The fact that the Royal Navy is able to deploy a Littoral Response Group and a Carrier Strike Group simultaneously is also significant,” Captain Essenhigh added. “Very few other navies can do this, and it underscores the United Kingdom's substantial and enduring commitment to the security of Europe and the North Atlantic.” That last point is of particular relevance at a time in which Russian Navy activities in the North Atlantic [are on the increase](), especially in regard to long-duration, deeply submerged operations by its [increasingly sophisticated]() submarine force. ![message-editor%2F1621437012968-210517-n-wp865-4011.jpg]() *The aerial component for the photo exercise overflies one of the *Arleigh Burke* class destroyers., *U.S. Navy/Lt. Mark Nash** ![message-editor%2F1621437078755-210517-n-wp865-4014.jpg]() *The Harrier IIs return to the deck of the *Iwo Jima*., *U.S. Navy/Lt. Mark Nash** According to the U.S. Navy, Ragnar Viking was intended to showcase “high-end NATO cohesion, solidarity, and credibility in the Norwegian, North, and Baltic Seas.” Specific elements of the drills included a demonstration of long-range strike capabilities from the North Atlantic into Lithuania, amphibious landings in Norway, plus anti-submarine warfare and surface action group operations in the North Atlantic. All those scenarios would seem to be clearly predicated on potential Russian military activity in the wider region, with the Baltic States (including Lithuania) and Norway, which shares a long border with Russia, identified as critical flashpoints of any future possible confrontation between Moscow and NATO. As such, the North Atlantic is also a critical springboard into the Arctic region, the strategic importance of which continues to grow. It is notable, too, that the submarine USS *New Mexico*, before it joined Ragnar Viking, had made a rare and [high-profile port visit]() to Tromsø in northern Norway, an event described as a signal of deepening U.S. security cooperation with Norway in the Arctic region. ![message-editor%2F1621437136548-210517-n-wp865-4015.jpg]() *A Harrier jump jet kicks up spray from the deck before touching down., *U.S. Navy/Lt. Mark Nash** Finally, while the focus of CSG21 has been on the Carrier Strike role, the British carriers are also intended to operate in amphibious warfare scenarios as well, and also with scalable air groups that can cover both those missions, if required. An amphibious assault capability is especially important in the Baltic and North Atlantic, where the Royal Navy would be expected to operate alongside NATO allies, including U.S. Navy assault ships, as in Ragnar Viking, should Russia make a move, for example, on one of the Baltic states or Norway. Increasingly, too, the Arctic is being viewed as a potential theatre for amphibious operations, a fact that both the [United States]() and [Russia]() have noted. https://twitter.com/_/status/877113708278931456 Although the Royal Navy is expecting new warships as part of a modernization drive, it is still clear that most large-scale operations would likely require significant support from NATO, and from the U.S. Navy, and Marine Corps F-35Bs, in particular. With that in mind, Ragnar Viking is likely a pointer to how the British carriers will be expected to operate in the future, whether in wartime or peacetime sceanrios. There will surely be more photo opportunities once CSG21 begins in earnest later this month — including [potential first combat missions]() over the Middle East. In the meantime, these images provide a dramatic demonstration of NATO cooperation in the alliance’s traditional backyard. *Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()