Britain’s flagship of the future has demonstrated that it can now strike out anywhere across the globe after refuelling at sea for the first time.

After a dry run, HMS Queen Elizabeth successfully took on fuel, receiving ‘amber gold’ from RFA Tidespring, the tanker purpose-built to support the new aircraft carrier on her global operations.

For the maiden transfer, just 220 ‘cubes’ of F76 marine fuel was sent across on both her port (left) and starboard (right) sides. The replenishment was more about testing the principle rather than the carrier’s tanks running low.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is due to return to Portsmouth shortly for a spot of maintenance, leave for her crew and preparations for her maiden voyage across the Atlantic in the early autumn, when she conducts flying trials with F-35B Lightning stealth fighter/bombers for the first time.

The team at Hythe Marine Services is looking forward to welcoming the carrier back to its home port at HMNB Portsmouth and to support her crew and conduct preparations for her maiden voyage across the Atlantic in the early autumn when she conducts flying trials with F-35B Lightning stealth fighter/bombers for the first time.

Hythe Marine Services is the Marine industry’s choice for quality engineering services due to our multi-skilled, cross-platform approach ensuring that each member of the team across the business has a wide skill-set and expert industry knowledge. We provide engineering teams to attend vessels throughout the UK and internationally for a variety of marine projects, planned or reactive ship repair and maintenance such as the preparing the Royal Navy’s new Aircraft Carrier for her maiden voyage.