While the stunning F-35 Lightning II jets that will be carried on-board the new flagship of the Royal Navy have been testing off the east coast of North America and commanding a lot of headlines, their ‘base’, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is already proving to be a shining example of British engineering at its finest.

Wearing the vinyl wrap of a fifth generation F-35b fighter jet, the captivating F-Type has carried out its first and possibly most outstanding photo opportunity with the vessel. Parked alongside the operational jet, the car had been stored below decks until its ‘runway’ appearance during the ‘Westland 18’ deployment, where the jets have embarked to conduct trials.

Jaguar Land Rover has been closely affiliated to both HMS Queen Elizabeth and its sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, which is currently in build at the RN Dockyard, Rosyth, Fife, in the shadow of the three bridges that now cross the River Forth in Scotland. The fighter plane is already regarded as the world’s largest single defence programme and the UK has played a major role in its development from the outset. While being a major maintenance hub for all aspects of this jet, around 15% of the total value has been originated in the UK.

Commanding Officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth, Capt. Jerry Kyd, said: “The Jaguar F-Type alongside the F-35B symbolises the very best of British design and engineering. Bringing the two together on HMS Queen Elizabeth, itself a triumph of collaboration between UK industry partners and the Ministry of Defence, is representative of the strong ties that we, as a ship, have developed with Jaguar Land Rover. The technology involved in the aircraft carrier, F-Type and the F-35B are all linked: a high-quality demanding specification, precision engineering, power and performance. All three represent cutting edge technology that underlines the very best of British innovation and design.”