// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Royal Navy aircraft carrier departs for training
The vessel departed from Portsmouth on Saturday evening
HMS Queen Elizabeth has set sail with hundreds of sailors to take part in a pre-planned deployment around the UK and northern Europe.
The 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier, which was commissioned into service in 2017, left Portsmouth Naval Base at about 18:20 BST on Saturday.
Over the next three months, the £3.2bn warship and her crew of more than 800 sailors will take part in an intensive programme of training, the Royal Navy said.
The deployment marks the vessels first official sailing as Nato's command ship for the Allied Response Force - a designation it received in July this year.
As part of the operation, the carrier will rehearse how an Allied naval force would operate together in the event of a crisis, the Navy said.
This work, the Navy said, would aim to "enhance collective security, deterrence and readiness" among the UK and its allies.
The sailing comes after Andy Burnham met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on board the vessel in July
"We've returned from summer leave rested and ready for the next phase of our training," HMS Queen Elizabeth's commanding officer Capt Claire Thompson said ahead of the departure.
"Sailing with an embarked battle staff, integration and training is essential whilst relearning the skills required to conduct safe and effective aviation as we ensure that we are prepared to deliver operational activity at the heart of Nato should it be required," she said.