On 29 April the Royal Navy reported that its flagship HMS Prince of Wales is leading warships, aircraft and a submarine of the UK Carrier Strike Group into the Mediterranean ahead major allied exercises. After its complement of up to 24 Royal Air Force F-35B Lightning fighter jets were embarked in Prince of Wales, and the departure for the Mediterranean, the group will initially be placed under NATO command as it joins Exercise Neptune Strike – testing the Alliance’s ability to use high-end maritime strike capabilities, including multiple aircraft carrier and amphibious strike groups.
Approaching the Strait of Gibraltar, Prince of Wales formed up alongside the majority of her strike group, including the nuclear powered submarine HMS Astute, Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless, Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond, RFATideforce and RFA Tidespring. The new arrivals to the group, Spanish frigate Méndez Núñez, Norwegian ships HNoMS Maud and HNoMS Roald Amundsen were also part of the formation. Of the 12 other nations supporting the deployment, Norway will provide a warship to support the carrier strike group for the entire duration of the deployment. Canada and Spain are among the other nations providing support to the deployment.
The UK Carrier Strike Group, commanded by Commodore James Blackmore, is at the start of its global deployment called Operation Highmast. This is the second recent deployment of a UK carrier strike group. The first was led by HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2021.
The stated goal of Operation Highmast is to “reaffirm the UK’s commitment to the security of the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific region, demonstrate collective resolve with our allies and showcase British trade and industry.” A UK Government media release stated,
“The Indo-Pacific is a critical region for UK trade, with imports and exports in the region worth billions of pounds for the UK economy, and the deployment will provide a chance for UK companies to take part in trade events during port visits. Trade between the UK and Indo-Pacific accounted for 17% of total trade between the UK and all trading partners in the 12 months to September 2024, with the total amount traded in goods and services between the UK and Indo-Pacific standing at £286 billion in the same period.”
Around 2,500 RN personnel and 592 from the RAF will be involved in the eight-month deployment. They will be joined by around 900 British Army personnel for exercises during the deployment.
The task group will transit though the Indian Ocean, conducting exercises and port visits with partners including the US, India, Singapore and Malaysia, before joining 19 partner nations for Exercise Talisman Sabre in Australia, and then training alongside the Japanese Self Defence Forces and conducting a port visit to India.
Sources: UK Government & UK MOD
