CSG21: F-35s conduct first combat missions from HMS Queen Elizabeth

Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning IIs embarked aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) have conducted their first combat missions in support of the fight against so-called Islamic State (otherwise known as Daesh), marking a new first for the Royal Navy’s new flagship aircraft carrier. After successfully supporting Exercise Falcon Strike 2021 in Italy, HMS Queen Elizabeth and the other vessels participating in the Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) deployment continued to head east through the Mediterranean Sea. However, rather than positioning for