UK Sends Aircraft Carrier Strike Group On 8-Month Indo-Pacific Mission

The Royal Navy is all geared up to launch Operation Highmast, a multinational mission led by its aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, on an eight month journey across Europe and Asia.

The deployment, starting April 22, 2025, will demonstrate the UK’s naval power, reinforce alliances, and boost international trade engagement.

Over 4,000 UK personnel will take part in this deployment, including 2,500 Royal Navy sailors, 592 Royal Air Force members, and around 900 British Army personnel.

The Carrier Strike Group (CSG 25) will consist of warships, submarines, support ships, aircraft, and helicopters, making it the UK’s largest naval operation since 2021.

The task group will first gather off the Cornish coast before entering the Mediterranean Sea, where it will participate in Exercise Neptune Strike, a NATO-led drill involving coordinated carrier-led strike operations.

During this phase, up to 24 F-35B Lightning II jets will be launched from HMS Prince of Wales’ flight deck for high-end maritime strike training.

Once through the Suez Canal, the group will enter the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, where it will carry out joint naval exercises with the United States, India, Singapore and Malaysia.

The strike group will also participate in Exercise Talisman Sabre off Australia’s coast, followed by further operations in Japan and India.

The full deployment includes F-35B fighter jets from 809 Naval Air Squadron and 617 Squadron RAF, Wildcat helicopters from 815 Squadron, Merlin helicopters from 820 Squadron, Chinook helicopters, and a Royal Marines Unit.

It is not yet confirmed if a US Marine Corps F-35B squadron will be onboard, unlike the similar 2021 mission.

Besides HMS Prince of Wales, the CSG includes Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless, Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond, Norwegian frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen, an Astute-class nuclear submarine, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships.

Canada and Spain will also contribute naval units during different parts of the voyage. In total, 12 allied nations will join Operation Highmast.

Per reports, this is not just a military operation. The task group will make port visits and host trade events in Singapore, Japan and India to promote UK defense and civilian industries.

In the 12 months up to September 2024, trade between the UK and Indo-Pacific countries was worth £286 billion, making up 17% of the UK’s total trade.

British defense officials have described Operation Highmast as an important demonstration of the UK’s ability to deploy force worldwide.

Meanwhile, the French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle, after completing a 105 day deployment east of Suez, passed through the Suez Canal on April 7.

The French carrier strike group, known as Clemenceau 25, includes frigates Forbin, Provence, and Alsace, a fleet tanker Jacques Chevallier and likely an unidentified nuclear submarine.

As the French group heads home, the UK’s HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group prepares to replace it with a heavy presence in the Red Sea and Indo-Pacific.

Based on the 2021 mission by HMS Queen Elizabeth, the CSG is expected to cross the Red Sea in May and return by November.

There’s speculation that the UK strike group could extend its stay in the Red Sea if needed, possibly supporting actions against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, as it has done before.

However, such a move could delay planned joint operations with navies from Japan, the US and Australia.

Reference: Republic World, ukdefencejournal

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