Breaking News: British Navy HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group Begins Operation HIGHMAST to Secure Indo-Pacific.

The United Kingdom is set to launch Operation HIGHMAST, a major multinational deployment led by the British Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, to strengthen defense cooperation and demonstrate the UK’s capacity for global maritime operations. Scheduled to depart Portsmouth Naval Base on April 22, 2025, the deployment reaffirms the UK’s enduring commitment to security in both Europe and the Indo-Pacific—two regions critical to global stability and the UK’s national interests.
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HMS Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, sets sail as part of Operation Highmast, a major UK-led multinational deployment to the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific. (Picture source: UK MoD)

This eight-month deployment will see the British Royal Navy HMS Prince of Wales—the UK’s second Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier—take center stage as the flagship of a Royal Navy Carrier Strike Group (CSG) tasked with executing high-end maritime operations, joint military exercises, and strategic port visits. The group will operate across two strategic theatres, beginning in the Mediterranean under NATO command and then transiting through the Indian Ocean into the Indo-Pacific, partnering with global allies including the United States, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, and others.

As one of the largest and most technologically advanced warships ever built for the Royal Navy, HMS Prince of Wales is a floating symbol of British naval capability. Her 70,000-ton displacement and expansive flight deck—comparable in size to three football pitches—enable her to launch and recover F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters and rotary-wing aircraft, including Merlin Mk2 and Wildcat helicopters, for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), reconnaissance, and utility missions. Defended by Phalanx CIWS, 30mm cannons, and cutting-edge electronic warfare systems, she serves as the core of the strike group’s layered defense.

Supporting the flagship will be a fully integrated Carrier Strike Group composed of a balanced array of maritime assets. Typically, a CSG includes:

- Type 45 Daring-class destroyers, such as HMS Diamond or HMS Defender, providing high-end air defense with the Sea Viper missile system.

- Type 23 Duke-class frigates, including HMS Richmond or HMS Kent, specializing in anti-submarine warfare.

- A Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) replenishment ship, such as RFA Fort Victoria or RFA Tidespring, supplying fuel, munitions, and stores to sustain prolonged operations.

- A fleet submarine, likely an Astute-class nuclear-powered attack submarine, offering intelligence-gathering and strike capabilities with Tomahawk cruise missiles.

- Embarked Fleet Air Arm squadrons, including the F-35B Lightning jets from RAF Marham and Merlin helicopters from Culdrose or Yeovilton.

Approximately 4,000 UK military personnel will participate in the deployment, including 2,500 Royal Navy sailors, 592 Royal Air Force members, and 900 soldiers from the British Army who will take part in ground exercises at various stages. Once fully embarked, HMS Prince of Wales will carry up to 24 F-35B jets, bolstering the group’s offensive reach and defensive capabilities.

Operation Highmast begins with the strike group assembling off the coast of Cornwall before proceeding to the Mediterranean Sea. There, under NATO command, the task force will take part in Exercise Neptune Strike, a large-scale allied exercise testing integrated maritime strike operations, involving multiple aircraft carriers, amphibious ships, and complex command and control scenarios.

As the group progresses eastward through the Suez Canal, it will operate in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, where it will conduct maritime security operations and participate in bilateral and multilateral exercises. Scheduled partners include the U.S. Navy, Indian Navy, Republic of Singapore Navy, and Royal Malaysian Navy, reflecting the UK’s enduring commitment to the Indo-Pacific tilt and international maritime cooperation.

The deployment’s centerpiece in the Pacific will be participation in Exercise Talisman Sabre, a multinational training exercise hosted by Australia involving 19 partner nations. Following that, the strike group will conduct integrated training alongside the Japanese Self-Defence Forces and pay a strategic port visit to India, reinforcing both military ties and diplomatic engagement.

Notably, the UK’s strategic partners are actively contributing to the operation. Norway is assigning a warship to support the carrier group for the entire deployment, while Canada and Spain are among other nations sending naval assets or personnel to join specific legs of the journey. These contributions enhance interoperability and regional presence while sending a collective message of deterrence and cohesion.

The operation also has a vital economic and diplomatic dimension. With the Indo-Pacific accounting for £286 billion in UK trade—17% of the country’s global trade—this deployment provides a unique platform for UK businesses and defense companies to participate in trade events and defense exhibitions during port visits. It’s a dual-use mission where diplomacy, defense, and commerce converge.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey MP emphasized the broader impact of the mission: “This is a unique opportunity for the UK to operate in close coordination with our partners and allies in a deployment that not only shows our commitment to security and stability, but also provides an opportunity to bolster our own economy and boost British trade and exports.”

Minister for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard MP reinforced the strategic intent, stating, “Through this deployment of our Carrier Strike Group and 4,000 Service Personnel, we will stand firm with our allies against those who challenge the international order. This isn’t just about hard power; it’s about building influence and opening new trade opportunities both for defence and other sectors of our economy.”

Operation HIGHMAST comes at a time of renewed UK investment in defense, following the British Prime Minister’s pledge to raise defense spending to 2.5% of GDP. It builds on the lessons learned from the inaugural Carrier Strike Group 21 deployment and complements ongoing initiatives like the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) and the permanent deployment of HMS Spey and HMS Tamar in the Pacific.

As the British Royal Navy prepares to set sail, Operation HIGHMAST is more than a military mission—it is a strategic statement of purpose. With its advanced technology, multinational backing, and dual-focus on security and economic engagement, the UK is not only projecting maritime power but also reaffirming its leadership role on the global stage.