Royal Navy Flagship Sails Into Indian Ocean For Next Stage Of Global Mission

The Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has entered the Indian Ocean, marking the beginning of the next stage of its global military mission after a safe transit through the Suez Canal and Red Sea.

As per official information, the carrier was accompanied by its full task force of warships and aircraft, collectively known as the UK Carrier Strike Group. This included British warships HMS Dauntless and HMS Richmond, along with Norwegian frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen, Spanish frigate ESPS Méndez Núñez and Canadian frigate HMCS Ville de Québec.

This is the first time HMS Prince of Wales has sailed this far east, according to the Royal Navy. The ship’s flight deck was packed with F-35B stealth fighter jets, as well as Merlin and Wildcat helicopters during the passage.

The Carrier Strike Group sailed through the Suez Canal last week, moving from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, with the desert landscape of Egypt flanking both sides.

The route took them past several well-known sights, including the Canal Memorial from the Inter-War period and the Al Salam Bridge- also known as the Friendship or Peace Bridge. The bridge stretches 1,325 feet across the canal and stands 230 feet above the water surface, located around 36 miles from Port Said.

This successful crossing marks the end of the first phase of HMS Prince of Wales’s eight-month-long mission, which involved exercises and operations in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean regions.

One of the key highlights from this initial phase was a joint exercise with the Italian Carrier Strike Group. According to defense reports, the operation brought together a powerful allied fleet of approximately 21 warships, 3 submarines, 41 fast jets, 19 helicopters, 10 patrol aircraft, and around 8,000 military personnel. These activities took place in the Ionian Sea.

The ongoing deployment, called Operation Highmast, is being led by HMS Prince of Wales and involves military forces from around a dozen countries. The mission will take the UK-led task group through the western Pacific Rim, following a route through the Mediterranean and Middle East.

Defense officials have stated that the mission’s objectives include reinforcing the UK’s long-term commitment to the security of both the Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific regions, strengthening cooperation with allies, and promoting British trade and industrial capabilities globally.

Over the course of this extensive deployment, the UK is expected to involve over 4,500 military personnel. This includes nearly 2,500 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines, 600 Royal Air Force personnel, and about 900 soldiers.

Reference: Royal Navy

Source: Maritime Shipping News