This observational documentary series is filmed onboard the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious during a four-month deployment. The programme follows the professional and personal lives of the young men and women who are thousands of miles from home. In this episode, Illustrious negotiates the treacherous Suez Canal; a sailor goes missing; and the crew gets the chance for a well-earned celebration.

The mighty Illustrious aircraft carrier has recently set sail on a four-month deployment. With a crew of 1,000, this 22,000-tonne floating city – nicknamed ‘Lusty’ – is home to all manner of sailors, from stewards to engineers, officers to deckhands. The ship’s projected route will take it through the Strait of Gibraltar, across the Mediterranean and through the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean, where it will support Harrier jump jets serving in Afghanistan.

This week, Illustrious is about to enter the sunsoaked Middle East, but danger is just around the corner. The ship must navigate the narrow 101- mile Suez Canal – and the ship’s company must be ready for any potential terrorist attack. Located in a volatile region, much of this waterway is so narrow that Lusty cannot turn around, making her a sitting duck for any attacks.

However, Captain Steve Chick has a more immediate problem – a member of his crew has gone missing. For a man overboard in these waters, the chances of survival are slim, so the ship’s company quickly swings into ‘Operation Thimblehunt’. After an hour of searching, the missing person is found asleep in a cupboard, safe and well. But the hapless culprit now faces another danger – the wrath of Commander Tim Johnston and the Navy’s unique brand of justice.

As the ship moves towards the Suez Canal, it is the job of the Merlin Helicopter 814 Squadron to search the waters ahead for danger using antisubmarine technology. Better known as the Flying Tigers, the members of the squadron form something of a clique onboard Illustrious, and are committed to working – and playing – as hard as possible. Squadron member Richard Stackhouse explains that their curious nickname comes from their even stranger taste in furnishings. “We were in India and we saw the tiger fabric,” he says, “so we decided to knock up some curtains for our cabins.” The Flying Tigers also set themselves apart from the other sailors with their own mascot, Tiger Man – who can pop up anytime, anywhere.

In order to negotiate the Suez, Illustrious joins a task force made up of other craft, including a previous target for terrorists – guided missile destroyer USS Cole. The task force enters the waterway in the dead of night and, as Lusty’s new recruits assemble on her deck, the gravity of their situation begins to dawn on them. Leading hand Mo Morrison acts as the rookies’ ‘sea daddy’, babysitting them through a nerve-wracking 48 hours. “There is a terrorist threat out there,” explains Mo. Below deck, however, other crew members are taking the threat less seriously as they use the rowing machines to beat Lusty through a virtual Suez Canal.

After a tense two days, Illustrious and her crew make it through the canal without incident and enter the relative safety of the Red Sea. On Lusty’s flight deck, sentries make way for sunseekers as the sailors prepare to let off some steam and party – military style.