Britain to send aircraft carrier to Pacific on first operational mission

In a speech to the Royal United Services Institute think tank in London on Monday, Williamson said the 65,000-ton carrier Queen Elizabeth — which was commissioned in late 2017 — would also make appearances in the Mediterranean and Middle East along the way as Britain flexed its military muscles post-Brexit.

“The UK is a global power with truly global interest … we must be prepared to compete for our interests and our values far, far from home,” Williamson said.