USS George H.W. Bush

If you look on a map then you know that this cannot be Winchester, but I feel I am allowed artistic licence to stretch our city's boundaries when something interesting is happening nearby and this is our nearest seaside and still Hampshire! Head south east from Winchester for about 20 miles and you will come to Stokes Bay, and right now anchored out there is the USS George H.W. Bush American Aircraft carrier, the world's most powerful warship. The ship carries in excess of 70 aircraft and 5,300 sailors and aircrew, it has 2 nuclear reactors and can operate for over 20 years without refueling if required. It is too large to drop anchor in Portsmouth harbour, hence sitting outside it in Stokes Bay.

The ship has just finished Saxon Warrior one of the biggest exercises in UK waters in recent history along with the Royal Navy, RAF and other NATO forces. Myself & my colleges were involved in the exercise and some of them had a visit onboard the ship yesterday.

The ship is also joined by American destroyer USS Truxtun and a Spanish frigate bringing the total number of sailors ashore to almost 6,000. Apparently in Portsmouth 1000s of extra pints of lager have been shipped into the city with pubs opening early and extra staff being drafted in!