Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09), flagship of the U.K. Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG), docked at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre, Singapore, on this week for its first Indo-Pacific port visit for its Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific deployment known as Operation Highmast. Following its port visit to Singapore, the UKCSG will head straight to Darwin, Australia to participate in multinational exercise Talisman Sabre, which kicks off on July 13 with a number of naval task forces now en route to participate in the drills. (From US Naval Institute News.)
Since its departure from the U.K. in late April, the UKCSG operated in the Mediterranean carrying out Nato exercises in the region, which included exercise Mediterranean Strike 25 in the Ionian Sea, conducting dual CSGs operations together with the Italian Navy Cavour CSG. The UKCSG transited the Suez Canal on May 24 and subsequently the Red Sea and then carried out an exercise in the Arabian Sea from June 9-10 with Indian Navy INS Tabar (F44), an Indian Navy submarine and an Indian Navy P-8I Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA).
The UKCSG currently consists of carrier Prince of Wales, RN destroyer HMS Dauntless (D33), RN frigate HMS Richmond (F239), Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) frigate HMCS Ville De Quebec (FFH332), Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Kaha (F77) Royal Norwegian Navy (RNN) frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen (F311), Spanish Navy frigate ESPS Mendez Nunez (F-104) and fleet oiler RFA Tidespring (A136). Royal Australian Navy destroyer HMAS Sydney (DDG42) is inbound to Singapore to join the UKCSG. On Monday, in a posting on social media channel X, the UK Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) stated that Sydney together with RN offshore patrol vessel HMS Spey (P234) conducted Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) around the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
The U.K. chose to have Prince of Wales docked at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre instead of Changi Naval Base in order to have the carrier being more visible, accessible and engaging, particularly with the UK and Singapore celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations, stated UK High Commissioner to Singapore Nik Mehta in a press briefing on Thursday, “We could have put the carrier into Changi (Naval Base), and that is what every other country does, but we wanted to do something different, we wanted to make it more accessible, more visible and more engaging,” Mehta said.
The arrival of the carrier on Monday morning was welcomed by Mehta together with U.K. Vice Chief of the Defence Staff General Sharon Nesmith and invited guests. In a quick media session, Commodore James Blackmore, Commander of the UKCSG, stated that the UKCSG expects to depart next week for Australia to participate in Talisman Sabre and following Talisman Sabre, the UKCSG will sail through the Philippine Sea to head to Japan. Blackmore stated that during the passage through the Philippine Sea, the UKCSG will work closely with the U.S. Navy.
The UKCSG is now spread among three nations, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore on port visits. Roald Amundsen arrived in Singapore in mid-June and is docked at Changi Naval Base, Dauntless, Tidespring and Te Kaha are docked at Sembawang Port in Singapore, having arrived respectively on Thursday, Sunday and Monday. Ville De Quebec pulled into the Port Klang Cruise Terminal, Malaysia on Monday. UK Defense Adviser Col. Eddie Maskell-Pedersen stated in Thursday’s media briefing that Richmond and Mendez Nunez will call into Indonesia.
Along with the UKCSG, a number of naval forces are heading towards Australia for Talisman Sabre which takes place from July 13 – Aug.4. The America Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) comprising of amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6), amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD-22), amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD-47) along with the embarked 31sr Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are wrapping up a port visit to Sydney, Australia and expected to make their way north to the waters off Queensland where amphibious drills are carried out. A U.S. CSG normally takes part in the drills but with the rerouting of the Nimitz CSG to the Middle East, it is unclear whether the George Washington CSG, currently in the Philippine Sea and the only U.S. Navy CSG in the region, will take part in the drills.
Two units of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (JMSDF) Indo-Pacific Deployment (IPD25) are also heading towards Australia, namely the 2nd Surface Force consisting of landing ship tank JS Osumi (LST-4001) and the Second Surface Force, consisting of destroyer helicopter carrier JS Ise(DDH-182) and destroyer JS Suzunami (DD-114). The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) amphibious assault ship ROKS Marado (LPH-6112) together with embarked Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC) and naval special forces, and destroyer ROKS Wang Geon (DDH-978) departed South Korea on Wednesday for the drills. RNZN multirole vessel HMNZS Canterbury (L421), together with embarked New Zealand Army personnel and armored vehicles, left New Zealand on June 6 for the drills.
