By the Editor: The .ftrst operational deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth and UK Carrier Strike Group 2/ signi.ftes a re-emergence of Britain as a carrier wielding nation in the 2/st Century. The author reftects on the building upon a shared history of over a century of aircraft carrier development and operation with the USN, and the return of Britain’s carriers that strengthens the special relationship between the RN and USN. On a sweltering day in July 21 in the Gulf of Aden, the Royal Navy Fleet Flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth, in company with the other units of the UK Carrier Strike Group…
