HMS Prince of Wales sailed from Portsmouth on 22 April 2025 as the flagship of international Carrier Support Group CSG25 on deployment to the Indo-Pacific Ocean known as Operation Highmast. The carrier and her escorts will be away for eight months, participating in exercises and diplomatic visits, passing through the Mediterranean, Suez Canal, Red Sea and has planned visits to India, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Australia and elsewhere.
Onboard the carrier will be 617 Squadron and 809 Naval Air Squadron, both joint RN/RAF squadrons operating the F35B Lightning II jet fighters. anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and airborne early warning (AEW) support will be provided by 16 assorted Merlin HM2 and Crowsnest radar-fitted helicopters and Merlin HU4 utility helicopters.
For the first time, 700X Squadron will embark with 9 Malloy T-150 drones for ship to ship stores supply and RG20 Puma reconnaissance drones. T45 destroyer HMS Dauntless and T23 frigate HMS Richmond will have Wildcat HMA2 helicopters onboard.
An Astute class submarine and support vessels RFAs Tidespring and Argus will complete the UK element of the task force.
The international element will comprise Norwegian frigate Roald Amundsen and support ship Maud, Spanish frigate Mendez Nunez with Sea Hawk helicopter and Canadian frigate Ville de Quebec, also with Sea Hawk embarked.
Nine other nations will participate in the group’s operations starting with an air defence exercise with France and joint operations in the Mediterranean with Italy, with the group being assigned to NATO. They will then head for the Far East via the Suez Canal and Red Sea.
Operations in the Indo-Pacific
Should the need arise, the group will be prepared to conduct live operations during transit to the Indo-Pacific e.g. To combat risk of attacks by Houthis.
It will then be joined by the New Zealand frigate Te Kaha with Super Seasprite helicopter and assets from other nations for particular exercises. During a visit to Singapore and Malaysia it is probable that it will conduct a ceremony to remember the sinking of the battleships HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse by Japanese aircraft on 10 December 1941.
The group may exercise its right of freedom of international waters by some of its ships transiting the channel between China and Taiwan before conducting Exercise Talisman Sabre with involvement of up to 18 nations, 9000 ground troops and ships and land based F35A fighters from Japan and Australia.
Objectives of the deployment
Some objectives will be purely military, including achievement of full operating capability of the F35B jet fighter fleet. Another will be to maintain UK’s experience of CSGs, last conducted in 2021, by greater inclusion of international partners. This will counter the current lack of sufficient, active RN ships until introduction of new T26 ASW frigates and T31 and T32 (enhanced T31) multirole frigates that will, effectively be the future ‘workhorses’ of the Navy, also replacing destroyers.
Securing partnerships with the Indo-Pacific
It is also an opportunity to bolster the UK economy and boost British trade and exports. The Indo-Pacific is a critical region for UK trade 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 £286bn in the same period.
Rebuilding the UK’s partnership with the EU
A further political objective is pursuance of Keir Starmer’s controversial plan to re-build the UK’s partnership with the EU step by step. We may soon see an agreement for the UK to be able to produce UK military equipment for, or in partnership with, EU nations and be eligible to benefit from the European Defence Fund, in return for some changes in EU fishing quotas.
This aligns with the desire to reduce European and UK reliance on American military equipment in future.
Spending an evening aboard the aircraft carrier along with the defence secretary, John Healey, Starmer highlighted that the mission demonstrated the UK’s “leadership in global affairs, security, and defence”, and reflected solidarity with allies, including NATO. “We’re all aware that the world feels more uncertain now than it did just months or years ago – we’ve entered a new era”, he stated.
There will be many young men and women who joined the Navy during Covid or soon after who will return from this deployment having learnt to work as part of a team under demanding and stressful circumstances while forging memories for a lifetime.
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