PICS: New Royal Navy Flagship Supercarrier Arrives at Home Port

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s new flagship aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has arrived at its home port in southern England to great fanfare.

Crowds lined the harbor on Wednesday to welcome the ship to Portsmouth Naval Base, where the 919-foot (280-meter) vessel will be based for its estimated 50-year lifespan.

The 3 billion-pound ($3.87 billion) ship has been at sea undergoing tests and training since June, when it left a dockyard in Scotland.

Also in June, Britain’s defense secretary said that Russia would look at the new carrier with envy, pointing at Russia’s “dilapidated” Admiral Kuznetsov carrier. Russia’s defense ministry spokesman fired back, dismissing the British carrier as just a “conveniently large sea target” that should stay close to U.S. protection assets.

PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND – AUGUST 16: The HMS Queen Elizabeth supercarrier heads into port on August 16, 2017 in Portsmouth, England. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND – AUGUST 16: The HMS Queen Elizabeth arrives on August 16, 2017 in Portsmouth, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND – AUGUST 16: Members of the public gather to witness the arrival of the HMS Queen Elizabeth supercarrier as it heads into port on August 16, 2017 in Portsmouth, England. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND – AUGUST 16: The HMS Queen Elizabeth arrives on August 16, 2017 in Portsmouth, England. The HMS Queen Elizabeth is the lead ship in the new Queen Elizabeth class of supercarriers. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)