Overview
- Six F-35Bs flew from RAF Marham to join 18 already on board, bringing the embarked total to 24 in the largest UK fifth‑generation air wing yet assembled on a British carrier.
- The Carrier Strike Group returned to European waters after five months in the Indo‑Pacific, transiting the Red Sea and Suez before joining Italian‑led drills with Italian, US and Greek forces.
- Reaching 24 embarked fighters meets the commonly cited minimum for declaring full operating capability for the UK carrier air wing, with a formal declaration expected shortly.
- The task group includes HMS Dauntless, HMS Richmond, RFA Tideforce and Norway’s HNoMS Roald Amundsen, with Italian frigate ITS Luigi Rizzo joining for the Mediterranean phase.
- The surge to 24 jets drew on temporary secondments from the F-35 Operational Conversion Unit, as observers also note logistical lessons from an aircraft that was stranded in India during the deployment.