HMS Illustrious

Interview: Captain Martin Connell, Royal Navy, Commanding Officer of HMS Illustrious

HMS Illustrious will become the UK's very-high-readiness helicopter and commando carrier (LPH) on 26 April and will operate as part of the Royal Navy's (RN's) recently established Response Force Task Group (RFTG), Captain Martin Connell, Commanding Officer of HMS Illustrious , told IHS Jane's earlier this month.

"The capabilities will provide a joint force aviation and land capability operating a range of aviation as part of a Tailored Air Group [TAG] that could comprise a mix of RN Fleet Air Arm Sea King HC.4s [troop transport helicopters], Lynx AH.7s [battlefield utility helicopters], Merlin HM.1s [anti-submarine warfare helicopters], Lynx HMA.8s [maritime multimission helicopters], Sea King ASaC.7 [surveillance] helicopters, Royal Air Force (RAF) Chinook transport helicopters and army Apache AH.1 attack helicopters, together with an Embarked Landing Force of Royal Marine Commandos [in the form of a Lead Commando Group] and a command-and-control capability to operate up to a two-star headquarters," Capt Connell explained
[first posted to http://jdw.janes.com - 23 March 2012]