<P> Once the initial stage 1 and 2 sea trials were complete , the ship was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 7 December 2017 . Following the ship 's commissioning , it underwent a period of defect correction in Portsmouth ; one widely reported instance was a minor leak through a seal in one of the propeller shafts , which the Royal Navy stated was not serious enough to keep the ship from her planned programme . In January 2018 , Queen Elizabeth will sail to undergo her initial Operational Sea Training , before being taken into the North Atlantic for the first time for heavy weather trials and helicopter certification operations . On return , further work will prepare the ship for operation of fixed - wing aircraft . In the latter half of 2018 , Queen Elizabeth will sail for the United States where flying trials of the F - 35B will begin . A `` full operational capability '' will be declared in 2020 . </P>
<P> Once the initial stage 1 and 2 sea trials were complete , the ship was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 7 December 2017 . Following the ship 's commissioning , it underwent a period of defect correction in Portsmouth ; one widely reported instance was a minor leak through a seal in one of the propeller shafts , which the Royal Navy stated was not serious enough to keep the ship from her planned programme . In January 2018 , Queen Elizabeth will sail to undergo her initial Operational Sea Training , before being taken into the North Atlantic for the first time for heavy weather trials and helicopter certification operations . On return , further work will prepare the ship for operation of fixed - wing aircraft . In the latter half of 2018 , Queen Elizabeth will sail for the United States where flying trials of the F - 35B will begin . A `` full operational capability '' will be declared in 2020 . </P>
when does the hms queen elizabeth leave portsmouth
when does the hms queen elizabeth leave portsmouth
2020
2020