Britain's newest aircraft carrier has set sail on its first mission with helicopters - here are all the pictures

The Royal Navy's largest-ever warship is taking another step towards deploying on operations, and is training at sea with military aircraft for the first time.

HMS Queen Elizabeth, the first in a new class of British military vessels, sailed out of Portsmouth Naval Base on Friday to learn how to work with helicopters on the open waters.

The huge ship, which weighs 65,000 tonnes, is undergoing tests and training in pursuit of its ultimate aim of launching F35-B Lightning jets from its 280-metre flight deck.

Here are the best images of the departure, and its voyage so far: