NAVAL Air Squadron 820 returned to Culdrose for Christmas yesterday morning, following an exciting three month deployment on HMS Queen Elizabeth.

A flight from 814 Naval Air Squadron also returned home to RNAS Culdrose in the afternoon – they have been embarked on HMS Northumberland, one of HMS Queen Elizabeth’s escorts.

The rest of the Culdrose team will travel home later this week after the aircraft carrier sails into her home port of Portsmouth tomorrow morning.

814, 820 and 1700 Naval Air Squadrons have spent the past three months operating as part of the HMS Queen Elisabeth ‘Strike Group’ in the USA.

The aircraft carrier sailed from the UK in August, along with her escorts HMS Dragon, HMS Northumberland and RFA Tideforce, to conduct Operational Tests with UK F-35B jets from the UK Lightning Force for the very first time.

The tests included mission briefs, preparation of the jets, including arming them using the ship’s Highly Mechanised Weapon Handling System (HMWHS), launching, fighting the mission (including weapons drops) and recovery back to the ship. The culmination was a 4-ship launch, with 4 UK Lightnings launched from the deck within seconds of each other to fight their mission.

Concurrently F-35Bs from the US Marine Corps flew to and from the ship, exercising their processes ahead of a detachment deploying alongside UK Lightning Force jets on the ship’s first operational deployment in 2021.

Supporting the Strike Group units throughout were Merlin Mk2 helicopters from 820 Naval Air Squadron based out of RNAS Culdrose, providing anti-submarine protection and search and rescue capability and 1700 NAS helping to manage the flight deck. Commando Merlins from 845 Naval Air Squadron acted as the aviation workhorses, transporting stores and equipment, providing SAR cover and also landing Royal Marines from Lima Company, 42 Commando ashore to exercise the recovery of isolated personnel.

A Merlin helicopter from 814 NAS (also RNAS Culdrose) and Wildcat from 815 completed the Air Group.