The Warship: Tour of Duty

Britain’s deadliest warship is on her first active operations. Sixteen hundred mostly young men and women set sail on a voyage through hostile waters to the other side of the world. The £3.5bn warship carries 18 F35 stealth jet fighters, the most lethal warplane ever designed, plus a squadron of state-of-the-art anti-submarine Merlin helicopters. On board the gigantic aircraft carrier is a ship's company of 1,600 men and women, including 300 US Marines and aviators. This deployment to the other side of an increasingly troubled world will be a demonstration of Britain’s new naval strength to friends and foes alike. HMS Queen Elizabeth is leading a task force of seven destroyers and frigates to protect her and two supply ships to keep her topped up with fuel and stores. The most powerful task force to leave UK shores since the Falklands War will soon need to flex its considerable muscle in the face of escalating international tension and aggression.

The warship sails into the eastern Mediterranean and runs the gauntlet of hostile Russian warships and jet fighters. There’s a dramatic standoff near the coast of Syria.

Following a break in Cyprus, HMS Queen Elizabeth heads back to sea. But within days, a stowaway is discovered: Covid. Before long, hundreds are in isolation, and tensions rise across the warship.

In the South China Sea, the warship launches anti-submarine helicopters to see off an unwelcome visit from the Chinese Navy.

After travelling over 20,000 miles, HMS Queen Elizabeth heads from Japan back to Guam for vital maintenance. After the sailors relax on a longer run of shore leave, the ship and her escorts sail in convoy with the American, Japanese and Australian navies for a show of strength in China’s backyard.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is nearing the end of her deployment, and the crew is already looking forward to returning home. But then, disaster strikes - an F35 jet loses power at a critical moment.