Royal Navy carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) was forced to cancel its deployment at the last minute because of a problem with its propeller shaft, with sister ship HMS Prince of Wales (R09) now being mobilized to replace it.

On Sunday, the Royal Navy posted a statement on the social media channel X from Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Andrew Burns.

“Routine pre-sailing checks yesterday identified an issue with a coupling on HMS Queen Elizabeth’s starboard propeller shaft. As such, the ship will not sail on Sunday. HMS Prince of Wales will take her place on NATO duties and will set sail for Exercise Steadfast Defender as soon as possible,” reads the statement.

In August 2022, as Prince of Wales prepared to head out for a deployment to the United States, the carrier had a breakdown caused by a malfunction to its starboard propeller shaft. According to a BBC report, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson stated Queen Elizabeth’s problem was not related to the Prince of Wales incident.

Queen Elizabeth was scheduled to take part in the annual U.K.-led multinational exercise Joint Warrior which runs from Feb.24 – Mar. 3, leading a multinational eight-ship carrier strike group (CSG) before moving on to participate in Exercise Nordic Response, the maritime portion of NATO exercise Steadfast Defender, which begins on Mar. 5. The Queen Elizabeth CSG was to have been comprised of Queen Elizabeth, frigate HMS Somerset (F82) and two Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Tide-class fleet oilers, with U.S., Spanish and Danish warships rounding things out. Prince of Wales will now replace its sister ship, though it will take time given the carrier has to be fuelled, take on equipment, ammunition and stores and bring forward maintenance tasks, as well as cross-transfer equipment from Queen Elizabeth.

Prince of Wales returned from a deployment to the U.S. East Coast in December last year and was expected to work its way back to operational status by later this year before embarking on an Indo-Pacific deployment in 2025.

France and Italy, however, are both preparing CSG deployments to the Indo-Pacific this year, while Germany and the Netherlands are planning warship deployments to there as well. France has not released any timeframe or details for the deployment of carrier FS Charles De Gaulle (R91) to the Indo-Pacific beyond that it will take place this year. The carrier is in the middle of working up its air group to operational certification.

Meanwhile, Italian Navy Chief Adm. Enrico Credendino during the Paris Naval Conference on Jan. 25 said Italian Navy aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (550) will lead a multinational CSG to the Indo-Pacific in February, with ships from other nations either integrated as part of the CSG or sailing in company during its voyage. The Italian Navy carried out staff talks with U.S. Navy Seventh Fleet from Jan. 11-12 in Rome, according to a Seventh Fleet release, “to discuss shared maritime security challenges and ways to advance interoperability between the two navies.” The release did not mention Cavour’s upcoming deployment, but it is likely the discussions included joint activities with the Cavour CSG and Seventh Fleet units during the planned deployment.

During the Paris Naval Conference, Vice. Adm Giacinto Sciandra, commander, Italian Maritime Force, stated in a panel discussion that one of the Italian escort ships in the Cavour CSG would temporarily detach to travel to Hawaii to participate in the U.S. Navy-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) multinational exercise, normally held around July.

Germany, meanwhile, will dispatch frigate FGS Baden-Württemberg (F222) and fleet oiler FGS Frankfurt am Main (A1412), with both ships also expected to take part in RIMPAC. Germany has not yet released the planned route and schedule for the deployment, but in an online interview on the German Armed Forces webpage, German Navy Chief Vice Adm. Jan Christian Kaack stated Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore as countries that the two ships would call on.

On Jan. 31, Netherlands Minister of Defence Kajsa Ollongren announced on social media channel X that the nation will deploy frigate HNLMS Tromp (F803) to the Indo-Pacific, and that the Dutch government was considering having the frigate take part in Operation Prosperity Guardian or an EU mission aimed at protecting merchant shipping from Houthi attacks.

Ollogren also posted a link to a letter to the Netherlands House of Representatives Standing Committee on Defence that detailed the frigate’s planned deployment, with an early March departure and a mid-September return. “The voyage will take it via the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean, the North Pacific Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean. As usual, the frigate will operate in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” stated the letter. The letter also stated Tromp will participate in RIMPAC during its deployment, and that joint activities and engagements with other countries during the voyage are still being coordinated. The frigate will make port calls as well, according to the letter.

These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of Feb. 5, 2024, based on Navy and public data. In cases where a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship. 

Ships Underway

In Japan

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) is in port in Yokosuka. The carrier is set to depart for the East Coast later this year. USS George Washington (CVN-73) will replace Reagan in Japan.

In the Philippine Sea

Carriers USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) drilled with Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer JS Ise (DDH-182) in the Philippine Sea in a multi-day event that concluded Thursday.

Both carriers are using older C-2A Greyhounds as a temporary carrier-onboard delivery vehicle while the CMV-22B fleet is grounded following the November crash of an Air Force MV-22B off the coast of Japan.

Carrier Strike Group 1

Carrier
USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), homeported at San Diego, Calif.

Carrier Air Wing 2

• The “Bounty Hunters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 2 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif.
• The “Stingers” of VFA 113 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Lemoore.
• The “Warhawks” of VFA 97 – F-35C – from Naval Air Station Lemoore.
• The “Golden Dragons” of VFA 192 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Lemoore.
• The “Gauntlets” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 136 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
• The “Black Eagles” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 113 – E-2D – from Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif.
• The “Titans” of Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 30 – CMV-22B – from Naval Air Station North Island, Calif.
• The “Blue Hawks” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 78 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station North Island.
• The “Black Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 4 – MH-60S – from Naval Air Station North Island.

Cruiser

USS Princeton (CG-59), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.

Destroyer Squadron 1
Destroyer Squadron 1 is based in San Diego and is embarked on Carl Vinson.

• USS Hopper (DDG-70), homeported at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
• USS Kidd (DDG-100), homeported at Naval Station Everett, Wash.
• USS Sterett (DDG-104), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.
• USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110), homeported at Naval Station Pearl Harbor.

Carrier Strike Group 9

Carrier
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), homeported at San Diego, Calif.

Carrier Air Wing 11

• The “Fist of the Fleet” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 25 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif.
• The “Black Knights” of VFA 154 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Lemoore.
• The “Blue Blasters” of VFA 34 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana Virginia Beach, Va.
• The “Flying Checkmates” of VFA 211 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana Virginia Beach
• The “Rooks” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 137 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
• The “Liberty Bells” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 115 – E-2D – from Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif.
• The “Providers” of Fleet Logistics Squadron (VRC) 40 – C-2A – from Naval Station, Norfolk, Va.
• The “Wolf Pack” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 75 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station North Island, Calif.
• The “Eightballers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8 – MH-60S – from Naval Air Station North Island.

Cruiser
USS Lake Erie (CG-70), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.

Destroyer Squadron 23 

Destroyer Squadron 23 is based in San Diego and is embarked on Theodore Roosevelt.

• USS John S. McCain (DDG-56), homeported at Naval Station Everett, Wash.
• USS Halsey (DDG-97), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.
• USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118), homeported at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 

The Japan-based USS America (LHA-6) is operating in the Philippine Sea.

In the South Pacific

USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10) is at McMurdo Station in Antarctica supporting Operation Deep Freeze.

In the Eastern Pacific

Hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) completed a port visit to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Sunday en route to its homeport of San Diego, Calif.

In the Mediterranean Sea

The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) is in port at Naval Station Souda Bay in the Eastern Mediterranean after completing exercise “Odyssey Encore” off the coast Volos, Greece, on Jan. 17.

Embarked units include Amphibious Squadron 8, 26th MEU (SOC), Fleet Surgical Team 8, Tactical Air Control Squadron 21, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 26, Assault Craft Unit 2, Assault Craft Unit 4 and Beach Master Unit 2. The 26th MEU (SOC), based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., includes Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marines; Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 (Reinforced) and Combat Logistics Battalion 22.

Among the many missions Marines are trained in is evacuating civilians from conflict zones. USNI News visited the unit in April during a noncombatant evacuation drill in North Carolina.

In the Gulf of Aden

On Thursday, U.S. Central Command forces engaged and shot down one UAV over the Gulf of Aden. There were no injuries or damage reported.

On Wednesday, Houthi militants fired one anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Gulf of Aden. The missile was successfully shot down by USS Carney (DDG-64). At 9:10 p.m., Carney engaged and shot down three Iranian UAVs in its vicinity. There were no injuries or damage reported.

In the Red Sea

The U.S.-led a series of strikes over the last week on targets in Yemen as part of the multi-national response to Houthi attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea.

U.S. and U.K. forces struck 36 sites in Yemen with a combination of Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles from destroyers and U.S. Navy and Royal Air Force fighters, reported USNI News.

Almost two dozen F/A18-E/F Super Hornets flying from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) flew in the strikes with the TLAMS launched from USS Carney (DDG-64) and USS Gravely (DDG-107).

“These precision strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade, and the lives of innocent mariners, and are in response to a series of illegal, dangerous, and destabilizing Houthi actions since previous coalition strikes on January 11 and 22, 2024, including the January 27 attack which struck and set ablaze the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker M/V Marlin Luanda,” reads the statement.
“[The targets] included multiple underground storage facilities, command and control, missile systems, UAV storage and operations sites, radars, and helicopters.”

Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand aided in the strikes, according to a Pentagon statement.

On Sunday, Central Command struck a Houthi land attack cruise missile around 5:30 a.m. Approximately five hours later, it struck four anti-ship cruise missiles.

Ahead of the joint strikes, U.S. Central Command forces destroyed six Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to launch at targets, CENTCOM said.

On Thursday, CENTCOM destroyed an explosive-laden unmanned surface vehicle in the Red Sea.

“Approximately two hours later, two anti-ship ballistic missile were launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen likely towards the M/V Koi in the Red Sea. The missiles impacted in the water without hitting the ship,” according to the Command.

Earlier on Thursday, U.S. Central Command forces conducted strikes against a Houthi UAV ground control station and 10 Houthi one-way UAVs.

U.S. forces identified the UAV ground control station and one-way attack UAVs in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the U.S. Navy ships in the region. U.S. Forces subsequently struck and destroyed the UAV ground control station and 10 one-way attack UAVs in self-defense.

On Wednesday, USCENTCOM forces struck and destroyed a Houthi surface-to-air missile prepared to launch. U.S. forces identified the missile in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that it presented an imminent threat to U.S. aircraft.

On Tuesday, Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired one anti-ship cruise missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Red Sea. The missile was successfully shot down by USS Gravely (DDG 107). There were no injuries or damage reported.

As of Monday, the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group was operating in the Red Sea.

Ike deployed on Oct. 14, while several of the carrier’s escorts left on Oct. 13. The carrier transited the Strait of Gibraltar on Oct. 28 and transited the Suez Canal on Nov. 4.

The U.N. Security Council on Jan. 10 approved a resolution calling on Yemen’s Houthi rebel group to “cease its brazen” attacks in the Red Sea.

Announced on Dec. 18, Operation Prosperity Guardian is a multinational push to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden under the structure of the existing Combined Task Force 153.

Carrier Strike Group 2

Carrier
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), homeported at Norfolk, Va.

Carrier Air Wing 3

• The “Gunslingers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 105 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
• The “Fighting Swordsmen” of VFA 32 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
• The “Rampagers” of VFA 83 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
• The “Wildcats” of VFA 131 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
• The “Zappers” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
• The “Screwtops” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 123 – E-2D – from Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va.
• The “Rawhides” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 – C-2A – from Naval Air Station Norfolk.
• The “Swamp Foxes” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.
• The “Dusty Dogs” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7 – MH-60S – from Naval Station Norfolk.

Cruiser
USS Philippine Sea (CG-58), homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.

Destroyer Squadron 22

Destroyer Squadron 22 is based in Norfolk, Va., and is embarked on Eisenhower.

• USS Gravely (DDG-107), homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
• USS Mason (DDG-87), homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.

In the Persian Gulf

U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) are forward-deployed to the region under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). PATFORSWA deploys Coast Guard personnel and ships with U.S. and regional naval forces throughout the Middle East. Initially deployed in 2003 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom, PATFORSWA is now a permanent presence based out of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

In the Eastern Pacific

Aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) was seen heading inbound to San Diego, Calif., on Feb. 2, according to ship spotters.

USS Boxer (LHD-4) is in port in San Diego, Calif., as of Jan. 18, according to ship spotters. Boxer, USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49) and USS Sommerset (LPD-25) are set to deploy later this spring with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Chris Mahoney told USNI News last week. The Boxer ARG will be the first to deploy with the Amphibious Combat Vehicle.

In addition to these major formations, not shown are others serving in submarines, individual surface ships, aircraft squadrons, SEALs, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Forces, Seabees, EOD Mobile Units and more serving throughout the globe.

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