A UK F-35B Lightning II from 617 Squadron and a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet were photographed flying in close formation over HMS Prince of Wales, during trilateral carrier strike operations with Japan. The event formed part of Operation HIGHMAST, the Royal Navy’s flagship deployment for 2025, UK Defence Journal reports.
The image captured the two jets flying in tight formation over the Royal Navy’s largest warship, as all three participating nations conducted a multi-carrier exercise focused on airpower integration and maritime strike.
Operation HIGHMAST is the Royal Navy’s primary Carrier Strike Group deployment this year. Led by HMS Prince of Wales, the eight-month mission will see UK forces operate alongside more than a dozen allied and partner navies. The group will transit through the Mediterranean and Middle East before reaching the western Pacific for a series of high-intensity multinational exercises.
According to a Ministry of Defence update, the next phase of Operation HIGHMAST will focus on integrated air operations in the Indo-Pacific, with British and Japanese forces preparing for combined F-35B activities at sea.
