Not since HMS Illustrious sailed into Fremantle on the Ocean Wave deployment of 1997 has the White Ensign and Union Jack flown on the flight deck of a British flattop in an Australian naval base.
Once berthed, the ship’s company were treated to a traditional ‘Welcome to Country’ ceremony on the jetty by the native Larrakia people as the historic land owners and custodians of the Darwin region.
HMS Prince of Wales arrives at the port in Australia’s Northern Territory as the latest stop of the UK Carrier Strike Group’s deployment to the Indo-Pacific.
Her visit to Darwin brings the curtain down on the task group’s involvement in Australia’s largest military exercise of the year.
The flagship has spearheaded the UK’s naval input into Talisman Sabre 2025 which involves some 35,000 personnel from 19 nations, spread across a vast area from Darwin to Brisbane, but also extending to Papua New Guinea.
The carrier and her strike group have been operating off Australia’s northern coast for the past couple of weeks, at times operating in conjunction with the USS George Washington carrier group for a formidable display of naval striking power.
In addition, HMS Prince of Wales has hosted the US Marine Corps, who flew their MV-22 Osprey aboard the flagship’s sprawling flight deck – a precursor to more USMC personnel and F-35B jets (identical to those flown by Royal Navy and RAF pilots from the carrier) joining later in the deployment.
Talisman Sabre runs until early August with the goal of enhancing cooperation and relationships between partner nations, and demonstrating commitment to the collective security of the Indo-Pacific region and upholding the rules-based international system.
The UK Carrier Strike Group is part way through Operation Highmast, the Royal Navy’s key deployment of 2025. Led by HMS Prince of Wales, and involving a dozen nations, the eight-month mission reaffirms the UK’s commitment to the security of the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific region, demonstrate collective resolve with our allies and showcases British trade and industry.
Over the course of the deployment, upwards of 4,500 British military personnel will be involved, including 2,500 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines, alongside 900 soldiers and 600 RAF.
