HMS Illustrious aircraft carrier for Malta visit

Royal Navy aficionados will be able to go on board aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, which will be berthed at Pinto Wharf in Grand Harbour, as the ship visits Malta between 19 and 23 November.  Illustrious, known affectionately by all aboard as Lusty, will be open to visitors on 21 and 22 November between 1pm and 4pm.

Illustrious, commanded by Captain Martin Connell Royal Navy, will be in Malta as part of the UK task response group commanded by Commodore Paddy McAlpine Royal Navy along with three other ships: HMS Bulwark, RFA Mounts Bay and MV Hartland Point.A reception in honour of Their Royal Highnesses The Earl and Countess of Wessex hosted by Commodore McAlpine will be held on board HMS Illustrious on 19 November.

An affiliation event between HMS Illustrious and the three cities - Senglea, Vittoriosa and L'Isla - will also be held.  HMS Illustrious is twinned with the three cities and an affiliate's reunion event will be held on board on 20 November.  Veteran associations and groups for each of the cities have been invited and will be given special tours of the ship beforehand.

While in Grand Harbour, sailors and marines will be helping out at a variety of worthy causes. This will include a clean-up in collaboration with the Nature Trust.  Inter Task Group sports will be held with the assistance of local football, rugby and cricket teams in addition to activities at the Valletta Sailing Club.

The four ships are taking part in a three-month training deployment to the Mediterranean involving more than 3,000 sailors and marines.

The deployment, known as Cougar 12, sees Royal Navy warships, Royal Marines Commandos and naval airpower, which make up the Response Force Task Group (RFTG), train with French and Albanian maritime forces. Cougar 12 started its journey in the UK's South West at the beginning of October before the entire group met up in the Mediterranean later that month.

The RFTG is a rapid reaction force that deals with unexpected world events that require military intervention.

The Task Group has already overseen two key exercises: Corsican Lion, working hand-in-hand with the French.  Following this it moved to the Adriatic to work with Albanian Forces both at sea and ashore.