The Royal Navy will send its flagship aircraft carrier to the South China Sea after rival claims to the territory escalated.
HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest ever British warship, will sail through the contested zone in 2020.
The 72,000 ton vessel, which has cost £3billion, will be armed with F35-B Lightning jets and helicopters. It will launch for sea trials next year. It is the first ship in the Queen Elizabeth-class...
Britain to sail its new flagship aircraft carrier with a squadron of Typhoons through the disputed South China Sea in show of strength aimed at China
HMS Queen Elizabeth will sail through the contested zone in 2020
The 72,000 ton, £3bn vessel will be armed with F35-B jets and helicopters
RAF Typhoon fighter jets will also fly over the South China Sea next year
China, Vietnam and the Philippines insist that the territory is theirs
By Matt Hunter For Mailonline
5 December 2016
The Royal Navy will send its flagship aircraft carrier to the South China Sea after rival claims to the territory escalated.
HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest ever British warship, will sail through the contested zone in 2020.
The 72,000 ton vessel, which has cost £3billion, will be armed with F35-B Lightning jets and helicopters. It will launch for sea trials next year.
How HMS Queen Elizabeth, marked by a Royal Navy destroyer, will look when it is out at sea
The 72,000 ton vessel, which has cost £3billion, will be armed with F35-B Lightning jets (pictured) and helicopters. It will launch for sea trials next year.
HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest ever British warship, will sail through the contested zone in 2020
A host of countries have filed rival claims to the South China Sea, the largest of which coming from China
RAF Typhoon fighter jets will also fly over the South China Sea next year to assert international air sovereignty.
Rival countries, including China, Vietnam and the Philippines, have insisted the territory is theirs.
The British ambassador to the United States, Kim Darroch, said although focus would be needed in the Middle East, the Government would also make the military's presence known in the Pacific.
'Certainly, as we bring our two new aircraft carriers onstream in 2020, and as we renew and update our defence forces, they will be seen in the Pacific,' he said.
'And we absolutely share the objective of this U.S. administration, and the next one, to protect freedom of navigation and to keep sea routes and air routes open.'
In spite of Britain's preoccupations in the Middle East, 'we will try to play our part' in the Pacific, he said.
The largest aircraft carrier the Royal Navy has ever built will be equipped with up to 40 aircraft, including F35-B Lightning jets and helicopters
HMS Queen Elizabeth, which will launch for sea trials next year, will be joined by its sister carrier HMS Prince of Wales
Rival countries, including China, Vietnam and the Philippines, have insisted the territory (pictured) is theirs
RAF Typhoon fighter jets will also fly over the South China Sea next year to assert international air sovereignty
Four Typhoons jets arrived in Japan in October to take part in exercises with Japanese forces.
Japan's ambassador, Kenichiro Sasae, said the US, Japan and the Government discussed greater naval cooperation at a meeting at the Pentagon in October and Tokyo welcomed greater British involvement in Asian security.
The US has sent warships through the disputed waters for years in 'freedom of navigation' missions.
There are fears of a military face off between sides after China last month announced its sole own aircraft carrier was ready for combat.
The world's aircraft carriers ranked in descending order of size
HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest ever British warship, will sail through the contested zone in 2020.
The 72,000 ton vessel, which has cost £3billion, will be armed with F35-B Lightning jets and helicopters. It will launch for sea trials next year. It is the first ship in the Queen Elizabeth-class...
Britain to sail its new flagship aircraft carrier with a squadron of Typhoons through the disputed South China Sea in show of strength aimed at China
HMS Queen Elizabeth will sail through the contested zone in 2020
The 72,000 ton, £3bn vessel will be armed with F35-B jets and helicopters
RAF Typhoon fighter jets will also fly over the South China Sea next year
China, Vietnam and the Philippines insist that the territory is theirs
By Matt Hunter For Mailonline
5 December 2016
The Royal Navy will send its flagship aircraft carrier to the South China Sea after rival claims to the territory escalated.
HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest ever British warship, will sail through the contested zone in 2020.
The 72,000 ton vessel, which has cost £3billion, will be armed with F35-B Lightning jets and helicopters. It will launch for sea trials next year.
How HMS Queen Elizabeth, marked by a Royal Navy destroyer, will look when it is out at sea
The 72,000 ton vessel, which has cost £3billion, will be armed with F35-B Lightning jets (pictured) and helicopters. It will launch for sea trials next year.
HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest ever British warship, will sail through the contested zone in 2020
A host of countries have filed rival claims to the South China Sea, the largest of which coming from China
RAF Typhoon fighter jets will also fly over the South China Sea next year to assert international air sovereignty.
Rival countries, including China, Vietnam and the Philippines, have insisted the territory is theirs.
The British ambassador to the United States, Kim Darroch, said although focus would be needed in the Middle East, the Government would also make the military's presence known in the Pacific.
'Certainly, as we bring our two new aircraft carriers onstream in 2020, and as we renew and update our defence forces, they will be seen in the Pacific,' he said.
'And we absolutely share the objective of this U.S. administration, and the next one, to protect freedom of navigation and to keep sea routes and air routes open.'
In spite of Britain's preoccupations in the Middle East, 'we will try to play our part' in the Pacific, he said.
The largest aircraft carrier the Royal Navy has ever built will be equipped with up to 40 aircraft, including F35-B Lightning jets and helicopters
HMS Queen Elizabeth, which will launch for sea trials next year, will be joined by its sister carrier HMS Prince of Wales
Rival countries, including China, Vietnam and the Philippines, have insisted the territory (pictured) is theirs
RAF Typhoon fighter jets will also fly over the South China Sea next year to assert international air sovereignty
Four Typhoons jets arrived in Japan in October to take part in exercises with Japanese forces.
Japan's ambassador, Kenichiro Sasae, said the US, Japan and the Government discussed greater naval cooperation at a meeting at the Pentagon in October and Tokyo welcomed greater British involvement in Asian security.
The US has sent warships through the disputed waters for years in 'freedom of navigation' missions.
There are fears of a military face off between sides after China last month announced its sole own aircraft carrier was ready for combat.
The world's aircraft carriers ranked in descending order of size
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