British aircraft carrier sails as NATO command vessel

HMS Queen Elizabeth has begun a three-month deployment around the United Kingdom and northern Europe as NATO's afloat command platform for the Allied Response Force. The 65,000-tonne carrier, carrying more than 800 sailors and an embarked battle staff, assumed the role in July 2026, the first Queen Elizabeth-class ship to perform it. Training with allied forces will cover modern naval warfare, crisis command and aviation under Flag Officer Sea Training standards. Further major NATO exercises are planned in 2027 before the ship replaces HMS Prince of Wales as Britain's high-readiness strike carrier late that year.