The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson leads guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill and guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey during a passing exercise with Indian navy ships in 2012. US Navy Photo US and UK defense officials signed an agreement this month that will allow the two nations to merge forces into a joint carrier strike group in 2021. Carrier strike groups, made up of an aircraft carrier and ships to defend and support it, are some of the most potent means of force projection for any military. Here are the ships and aircraft that the US and the British navies will contribute to the joint operation. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Earlier this week, defense officials from the United States and the United Kingdom signed an agreement that will allow the two nations to merge forces into a joint US/UK carrier strike group in 2021.The joint strike group will be led by the UK's new flagship carrier, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, and will include a US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, as well as a compliment of US Marine Corps F-35B Joint Strike Fighters."This deployment underscores the strength of our bilateral ties and demonstrates U.S.-U.K.