UK Carrier Strike Group heads to the Mediterranean: The UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG), led by HMS Prince of Wales, is en route to the Mediterranean. As part of the Operation Highmast, thousands of Royal Navy pilots, sailors, and other personnel will be collaborating with international allies for eight months, with no expected return until Christmas.
Hundreds of family members waited in line at Old Portsmouth’s The Hot Walle to watch the flagship depart HMNB Portsmouth last week (April 22).
Japan, Australia, and other locations will host a number of military exercises and port visits. The UKCSG will need to go across the Red Sea and the Mediterranean to get there.
The bulk of the UKCSG, including the Astute -Dauntless, Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond, RFA Tideforce, and RFA Tidespring, joined up with HMS Prince of Whales as they approached the Strait of Gibraltar.
Together with the British forces, the Norwegian ships HNoMS Maud and HNoMS Roald Amundsen, as well as the Spanish frigate ESPS Mendez Nunez, have joined the Allied forces. The striking formation, which a Wildcat of the 814 Naval Air Squadron flew over and photographed for the Royal Navy.
A dozen partners’ air, sea and land forces from the Mediterranean, Middle East, South-east Asia, Japan, and Australia will participate in a number of exercises and operations with the Carrier Strike Group between now and December.
This is the UK’s Carrier Strike Group’s second deployment. During the first, which was commanded by HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2021, the world was under lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the past, UKCSG Commander Commodore Janes Blackmore described the mission as the “biggest deployment this century” in terms of capability.
“It’s a huge privilege to take the carrier strike group to the Indo-Pacific“, he said. “It’s a global deployment which is international by design and encompasses 13 different nations in the strike group.”
He added: “It’s about demonstrating globally our support for an international order. The UK Carrier Strike Group capability is the cornerstone of the UK’s conventional deterrence. The deployment will contribute to that throughout, and plays to that secure at home and strong abroad agenda.”
The objectives are to highlight British commerce and industry, show our friends our joint resolve and underline the UK’s commitment to the security of the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific area.
Up to 4500 British military personnel will be active during the employment, including 900 soldiers, roughly 600 RAF, and 2500 Royal Navy Sailors and Royal Marines.