Queen Elizabeth-class

The Queen Elizabeth class replaced the Invincible class as the primary aircraft carrier platform for the Royal Navy. The requirement for the vessels originated from the 1997 Strategic Defence Review, which identified a need for larger ships capable of deploying offensive airpower globally. Production contracts were signed in 2008 with the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, a partnership including Babcock International, Thales Group, A&P Group, the UK Ministry of Defence, and BAE Systems. While the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review proposed a catapult-assisted take-off and arrested recovery (CATOBAR) configuration for the second vessel, the Ministry of Defence reverted to the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) design in 2012 due to cost increases.

The class utilizes a twin-island superstructure configuration. The forward island is used for vessel navigation, while the aft island houses flying control operations. This design provides redundancy for machinery exhausts, reduces flight deck wind turbulence, and separates the mountings for the air surveillance and medium-range radar systems. Propulsion is provided by an integrated electric system using gas turbines and diesel generator sets. The flight deck incorporates a ski jump to facilitate the launch of F-35B Lightning II aircraft. Internal logistics are managed by the Highly Mechanised Weapons Handling System, an automated warehouse system that moves munitions from unmanned magazines to the hangar and flight deck. The vessels are designed to operate a carrier air wing consisting of F-35B fighters and various helicopters, including the Merlin, Chinook, and Apache.

HMS Queen Elizabeth entered service in 2017, and HMS Prince of Wales followed in 2019. They serve as the core of the UK Carrier Strike Group. HMS Queen Elizabeth achieved initial operational capability in 2021 and conducted an operational deployment to the Pacific that same year. HMS Prince of Wales has been the Royal Navy's primary deployed carrier since 2024, while HMS Queen Elizabeth spent an extended docking period at Rosyth from September 2025 to April 2026 that ran several months behind schedule. In 2023, the class participated in Operation FIREDRAKE. HMS Prince of Wales then led Operation HIGHMAST, the largest deployment undertaken by the class: an eight-month carrier strike group transit of the Mediterranean, Middle East and Indo-Pacific from 22 April to 30 November 2025 with 24 embarked F-35B aircraft, during which the group was certified at NATO full operational capability. She led Operation FIRECREST in the Euro-Atlantic and High North in 2026.

The Royal Navy uses these vessels to develop uncrewed aviation through Project Ark Royal. This program explores the integration of unmanned strike and support systems into the carrier air wing. In November 2023, HMS Prince of Wales conducted flight trials with the Mojave unmanned aerial vehicle, marking the first launch and recovery of a fixed-wing remotely piloted aircraft from the class. Additional trials have included the use of autonomous drones for carrier onboard delivery.