One operation that is continuing despite the bad blood now running between Washington and London over the Afghanistan operation, is the ongoing campaign of joint operations between the U.S. Navy and the Royal Navy in the Western Pacific. The tour of the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier strike group in that area is proceeding without pause, including an exercise reported yesterday where the British carrier exchanged F-35 stealth fighters with the USS America assault ship. “The [exercise] underscored our continued effort to shift away from static, built-up airfields towards distributed maritime operations,” Marine Corps Col. Simon Doran, U.S. senior national representative to the U.K. strike group, said. Rear Adm. Chris Engdahl, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 7 (centered on the USS America), was also quoted in the release, on how “these events allow us to work with an unmatched network of partners and allies in a complex environment, supporting the common goal of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
For his part, the U.K. strike group’s commander, Commodore Steve Moorhouse, was quoted in a Sunday news release: “The U.K. Carrier Strike Group offers the largest fifth generation air wing afloat today, and working with our close allies to develop operating procedures and capabilities while concurrently showcasing the agility of land and carrier-based aviation in the Indo-Pacific, demonstrates our commitment to the region.” The ability of the two nations’ F-35Bs to communicate seamlessly highlighted the advantage of allied forces integrating their technology and communications, he further stated. Failure to do so would be like “fighting with one hand behind your back.”
According to the Manila-based ABS-CBN News channel, the exercise went on for 48 continuous hours. USS America commanding officer Capt. Ken Ward, said the drills showed how both countries can carry out “highly intricate and sustained flight operations to devastating lethal effect.”
