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UK's most powerful naval ship to sail through Philippine Sea, South China Sea

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ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The UK will be sailing its largest and most powerful aircraft carrier, along with a fleet of warships, through the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea in what the Royal Navy calls its &quot;most significant deployment&quot; for the past 25 years.</p><p>The Royal Family, in a tweet, said the HMS Queen Elizabeth &quot;will cover 26,000 nautical miles in 28 weeks, from the Mediterranean to the Philippine Sea&quot;, as well as the South China Sea, the center of high tensions in the region due to competing claims by China and its neighbors, including the Philippines.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Her Majesty meets some of the 1,700 <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalNavy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoyalNavy</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalAirForce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoyalAirForce</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalMarines?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoyalMarines</a> personnel, and 250 US Marines <a href="https://twitter.com/USMC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@usmc</a>, preparing to deploy on board <a href="https://twitter.com/HMSQNLZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HMSQNLZ</a>.<br/><br/>🌏The aircraft carrier will cover 26,000 nautical miles in 28 weeks, from the Mediterranean to the Philippine Sea. <a href="https://t.co/QMGLlQWsgb">pic.twitter.com/QMGLlQWsgb</a></p>— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1396093601566822415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2021</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>The 65,000-ton carrier will reportedly carry British and US fighter jets, as well as 250 US marines as part of a 1,700-strong crew.</p><p>It will lead a fleet of two destroyers, two frigates, a submarine and two support ships on its journey, and will be joined by a US destroyer and a frigate from the Dutch navy.</p><p>The Royal Navy earlier said the strike group will visit 40 nations including India, Japan, South Korea and Singapore.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/12/21/287-chinese-vessels-west-philippine-sea-may122021">Nearly 300 Chinese vessels still scattered in West Philippine Sea, says task force</a></li></ul><p>The group will take part in exercises with French carrier FS Charles De Gaulle in the Mediterranean, as well as navies and aircraft from the US, Canada, Denmark, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan and the UAE.</p><p>While in the Pacific, ships from the Carrier Strike Group will mark the 50th anniversary of the Five Powers Defence Arrangements between Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the UK by taking part in Exercise Bersama Lima, said the Royal Navy.</p><p>&quot;It is a visible demonstration of the Royal Navy’s resurgence after decades of contraction,&quot; said Commodore Steve Moorhouse, commander UK Carrier Strike Group.</p><p>Before its deployment, Britain&#x27;s Queen Elizabeth visited the aircraft carrier named in her honor.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">We were honoured with a very special send off:<br/><br/>Her Majesty The Queen was briefed on our plan by Commodore Moorhouse - and met the sailors, marines and aviators who will make it happen on her behalf.<a href="https://twitter.com/smrmoorhouse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@smrmoorhouse</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CarrierStrike?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CarrierStrike</a> <a href="https://t.co/5bCv3YX4kl">pic.twitter.com/5bCv3YX4kl</a></p>— HMS Queen Elizabeth🇬🇧 (@HMSQNLZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/HMSQNLZ/status/1396178833892651011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2021</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>British Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier said the Royal Navy&#x27;s largest voyage in recent years will help project British soft power such as a belief in democracy and the rule of law.</p><p>China has been ramping up militarization and island-building activities in the resource-rich South China Sea, ignoring a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its expansive 9-dash line claim.</p><div><strong>—With a report from Reuters</strong></div><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/11/21/philippines-freedom-of-navigation-patrols-west-philippine-sea-form-alliance-vs-china-9-dash-line">PH should join freedom of navigation patrols, form alliance vs China 9-dash line: Carpio</a></li></ul><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r1W6eYadSaQ?enablejsapi=1"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>The UK will be sailing its largest and most powerful aircraft carrier, along with a fleet of warships, through the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea in what the Royal Navy calls its "most significant deployment" for the past 25 years.</p>

The UK will be sailing its largest and most powerful aircraft carrier, along with a fleet of warships, through the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea in what the Royal Navy calls its "most significant deployment" for the past 25 years.