Is this really a priority?

xmiles wrote:Well at least it's not another aircraft carrier with no aircraft.

Aircraft trials never occupy a new carrier until all sea trials and systems trials are completed. I do believe it's later this year that flying testing will take place. Lots of bods stateside working up and getting used to "Big carrier" flying ops which we lost when Labour, under Harold Wilson and Defence bod Denis Healey decimated naval aviation ops by cancelling the successor aircraft carriers. It will take years to get up to proper speed as skills will need to be honed, but it'll be worth it in the end. Of course I speak from a serving officer's point of view with restrictions.