Today’s defence in the media blog includes coverage of the Defence Secretary’s visit to Britain’s new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Defence Secretary visits the nation’s future Flagship
There is widespread coverage this morning and yesterday evening of the Defence Secretary’s visit to HMS Queen Elizabeth yesterday. Broadcast footage ran on the BBC News Channel and ITV News yesterday evening, with coverage noting Sir Michael Fallon’s comments that the new carriers will be able to strike terrorism around the globe.
Papers report this morning, including in The Telegraph, The Herald and The Scotsman, the Defence Secretary's comments hitting back at “armchair critics of Britain’s most powerful warship” and hailing the return of “big decks and fast jets”. The papers also add that HMS Queen Elizabeth is the “biggest and greatest warship this country has ever built.”
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:
Our carrier programme is a clear demonstration of British power and commitment to our global standing. With two aircraft carriers we will have one available at all times, providing a world-class carrier strike capability. They offer a prodigious promise to future generations of our determination to continue fronting up to aggression for years to come.
The magnificent HMS Queen Elizabeth provides us with power on a scale we have never seen before. Protecting us for the next half a century, she will be a highly versatile and potent force, capable of both humanitarian and disaster relief and high-end war fighting.
You can read more about the Defence Secretary’s visit here and view pictures here.
F-35s surpass 100,000 flight hours
The F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft fleet recently exceeded 100,000 flight hours, another milestone which demonstrates how the programme is moving forward. You can read more about the news on flying hours here.
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