International naval power in the Indo-Pacific Ocean

My article of 29 April 2025 outlined the plans for the eight-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific Ocean of the International Carrier Support Group (CSG25). This is led by HMS Prince of Wales and known as Operation Highmast.

The carrier and five CSG escort ships from the UK, Norway, Australia and New Zealand departed from Singapore on 30 June after hosting industry days, local media and public visits. They rejoined two more escorts, HMS Richmond and Spanish frigate Mendez Nunez, which visited Jakarta, Indonesia and Canadian frigate Ville de Quebec, which visited Malaysia. They proceeded to join the largest exercise of the deployment. This is taking place off the coast of Australia from 13 July to 4 August. On 18 July they were joined by the USS George Washington, one of the largest US nuclear powered carriers.

Talisman Sabre 2025

Australia is hosting, jointly with the USA, the largest ever Exercise Talisman Sabre that will conduct amphibious landings, ground troop manoeuvres, air combat and maritime operations. There are over 35,000 military personal participating from 19 nations, with the USA sending 2,500 marines and sailors. Malaysia and Vietnam will also attend as observers. The first exercise will be a troop rescue and recovery operation in Papua New Guinea. Other exercises will involve rapid deployment of forces to northern Australia to deter military conflict in the region. Air combat operations will involve Australian and Japanese land-based F-35A fighters and carrier-based F-35B.

A press conference was held by senior officers of Australian and US forces on HMAS Sydney in Sydney Harbour on 13 July to announce the start of the exercise. It is expected that China will show great interest in it and monitor events with spy ships.

Allied strategy in the Indo-Pacific

As Talisman Sabre 25 kicks off, Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese visited China for a week of diplomatic talks. This followed a meeting after an incident from 21 February to 9 March this year, when a group of Chinese ships conducted a live firing exercise in the Tasman Sea with minimal notification. This caused disruption to commercial flights between Australia and New Zealand. President Xi Jinping said international law had not been broken. Albanese agreed, and said other nations will exercise their rights to conduct military drills, but give due notification.

These developments have prompted broader strategic reflection among allied nations, including the UK, where there has been some discussion on whether it should focus its military operations closer to home. The question was raised in the House of Lords. But this deployment is consistent with the UK’s NATO Atlantic and European first policy, while maintaining a secondary role to support allies and protect trade routes in the Indo-Pacific.

Initial reaction of China

China has the world’s largest navy. In 2024 it had 234 warships compared with America’s 219. However, its experience of aircraft carriers is relatively new. Its first was originally the Soviet partially completed carrier Varyag that fell into Ukrainian hands when the Soviet Union collapsed. It was bought by a Chinese company in 1998 and, after many years re-engineering, it was completed and launched in 2012 as the Liaoning.

Five years later, China launched its first domestically-built aircraft carrier (the Shandong) that achieved an initial operating capability in 2019. At 70,000 tonnes, she is 5,000 tonnes larger than the Prince of Wales.On 3 July 2025,Shandong, accompanied by two destroyers and a frigate, arrived in Hong Kong for a five day visit to mark the 28^th anniversary of Hong Kong’s “return to the motherland”.

China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, was launched in June 2022, commenced sea trials in May 2024 and is expected to be operational later this year. At more than 80,000 tonnes it is the first conventionally powered aircraft carrier in the world to adopt electromagnetic catapult systems. There are also satellite images showing that a fourth carrier is being developed that will be nuclear powered, rivalling the largest US Gerald R Ford class.

China’s naval aviation experience

An aircraft carrier is not operational until it has compatible aircraft. China’s development of a carrier-borne fighter started with reverse engineering of a Russian SU-33 fighter acquired from Ukraine in 2001. It became the J-15, with its maiden flight in August 2005 and first carrier landing on Liaoning in November 2012. It suffered engine reliability issues, had two crashes and was dubbed an “interim” carrier-borne fighter.

In January 2015, it was confirmed that Chinese hackers had stolen top secret information of the US F35 joint strike fighter. In June 2020, China announced they were developing a new version, the J-35 that had its maiden flight in October 2021 and first landing on Liaoning in February 2024. It started production in June 2025.

Over the past decade, China has given priority to developing its maritime power projection beyond the South China Sea to exert its influence as the dominant power in the Indo-Pacific. Aircraft carriers extend air defence beyond the range of land-based aircraft and China is keen to catch up with the west.

In contrast to China’s relatively recent development of naval aviation capability, the exact start date of UK naval aviation is often quoted as 2 August 1917, when a Sopwith Pup made the first landing on a ship, HMS Furious. Since then, the technology of ships, aircraft and weapons has advanced at an accelerating rate with many innovations. While China has shown the ability for rapid introduction of new inventions, whether they can do the same with naval aviation is yet to be seen.

Pacific Future Forum

After Talisman Sabre, HMS Prince of Wales heads for Tokyo, where it will host a Pacific Future Forum on 29 and 30 August. This is organised by the UK government and is dedicated to identifying opportunities to develop new capabilities for shared security and prosperity through trading agreements. It will be supported by world industries, business leaders, academia and innovators. An aircraft carrier can project soft diplomacy as well as military force.