The Warship: Tour of Duty

Britain’s deadliest warship is on her first active operations. Sixteen hundred mostly young men and women set sail on a voyage through hostile waters to the other side of the world.

The warship sails into the eastern Mediterranean and runs the gauntlet of hostile Russian warships and jet fighters. There’s a dramatic standoff near the coast of Syria.

Following a break in Cyprus, HMS Queen Elizabeth heads back to sea. But within days, a stowaway is discovered: Covid. Before long, hundreds are in isolation, and tensions rise across the warship.

In the South China Sea, the warship launches anti-submarine helicopters to see off an unwelcome visit from the Chinese Navy.

After travelling over 20,000 miles, HMS Queen Elizabeth heads from Japan back to Guam for vital maintenance. After the sailors relax on a longer run of shore leave, the ship and her escorts sail in convoy with the American, Japanese and Australian navies for a show of strength in China’s backyard.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is nearing the end of her deployment, and the crew is already looking forward to returning home. But then, disaster strikes - an F35 jet loses power at a critical moment.