As HMS Prince of Wales prepares to lead Carrier Strike Group 25 on a historic deployment to the Pacific, one word dominates the mood on board: excited.
For the crew of the Royal Navy’s flagship, this mission marks the culmination of years of preparation, hard work, and perseverance.
Speaking aboard the ship, Captain Will Blackett spoke to me on the sense of accomplishment that has brought them to this moment. “Excited” he said when asked to summarise the mood among the crew.
For Captain Blackett and his team, this deployment isn’t just another task; it represents the result of rigorous trials and intense training.
“It’s the first time this ship has held the duty of flagship,” Captain Blackett explained. “Over the course of four years, we’ve overcome quite a lot of challenges.” Among these was a major repair to the ship’s propeller system, a period that Captain Blackett acknowledged was critical in shaping the ship’s readiness.
Since then, the crew has put HMS Prince of Wales through its paces, both materially and operationally, ensuring that both the vessel and its sailors are prepared for the challenges ahead. “We’re ready to go,” said Captain Blackett. “The ship works, the team know what they’re going to do, and we’re on standby now waiting for instructions.”
The upcoming Carrier Strike Group 2025 operation will see HMS Prince of Wales take her task force east of the Suez Canal on a global mission. Britain’s two Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth, regularly rotate the flagship title between them, with one ready for deployment and the other in routine maintenance. This is the first time in her five-year career that HMS Prince of Wales has assumed the prestigious role.
Onboard @HMSPWLS, George Allison spoke to Captain Will Blackett about the ship’s role as flagship, its connection to Liverpool, and what the sight of a British carrier means to adversaries and allies alike. #HMSPrinceOfWales #RoyalNavy pic.twitter.com/96dgUJNoYT
— UK Defence Journal (@UKDefJournal) December 3, 2024
Reflecting on the significance of the moment, Captain Blackett remarked, “This is a proud moment for HMS Prince of Wales. We’ve been training hard, ably assisted by our sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth. We’re ready, we’re excited, and look forward to taking the next step in the ship’s life.”
The transfer of the flagship role does not involve a formal ceremony, but the two carriers briefly met in UK waters before HMS Prince of Wales made her way to Liverpool for her official designation. HMS Queen Elizabeth’s Commanding Officer, Captain Will King, offered his support for the new flagship. “Every Sailor in HMS Queen Elizabeth knows the pride that comes from serving in the RN Flagship. I wish HMS Prince of Wales every success taking on the title – they will do a fantastic job. As her sister-ship, we stand ready to support her in every way.”
As part of her preparations, HMS Prince of Wales participated in Exercise Strike Warrior, a major North Sea operation involving allied nations. The exercise included her first embarkation of F-35B Lightning jets from 809 Naval Air Squadron, which conducted 71 sorties over 210 flying hours and dropped live Paveway bombs during operational scenarios. The carrier’s 800-strong crew worked closely with their task group to refine procedures and tactics ahead of next year’s deployment.
The ship’s visit to Liverpool, her affiliated city, provides a unique opportunity for public engagement. Over seven days, the crew will interact with local schools, community projects, and civic leaders, giving the public a glimpse into life aboard the Portsmouth-based warship. This is HMS Prince of Wales’ first visit to Merseyside since March 2020, just before the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns began.
With an expected service life of up to 50 years, the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers are among the most advanced maritime platforms in the world. Adaptable and powerful, they can deliver carrier strike missions, enforce no-fly zones, deploy Royal Marine Commandos, deliver humanitarian aid, and build international partnerships. Their ability to travel 500 miles a day, combined with the speed and range of the F-35 Lightning II jets, allows them to react swiftly to crises and make a global impact.
As HMS Prince of Wales sets her sights on the Pacific, the excitement on board is palpable.
I hope they head south to Sydney too and maybe work out some way to go through Panama Canal and do a visit to LA and the odd Central American country?
Maybe a visit to Guyana, to help signal on Venezuela about any ideas of walking across border and to Guyana well you shouldn’t have left :). Proper projection of soft power.
We have 2 carriers that badly need to be deployed to the middle easy and cant deploy either due to lack of support ships. Currently we effectively have zero carriers as going to friendly bases doesn’t make the uk more secure.
You think we should send the carriers to unfriendly bases to make the UK more secure?
Why do you think a lack of store ships (I presume you mean store ships as well have tankers coming out of our ears) means we have no carriers? The carriers do carry their own weapons and stores.
Why do you think we need these ships in the Middle East? We have air bases in the Middle East, what would they do there except present targets for Houthis missiles?
The US asked us to replace their carrier a uear ago and we couldn’t because we had zero solid store ships available.
If we can’t resupply the carriers then do we actually have carriers?
The world is going down hill fast and yet we are unable to deploy them, if that isn’t a national disgrace then nothing is.
Year not uear. Shame you can’t edit typos anymore.
That is why we work with allies to help fill gaps. The carrier’s have every capability needed to deploy if needs be.
Recent posts and articles claim that at the start of 2024 the RN was itching at the bit to send POW to the Red Sea in response to “unofficial” suggestions by the Americans, regardless of the lack of Fort Victoria. However the Foreign Office submitted a brief advising the Prime Minister strongly against doing this, whilst the still quite new Defence Minister (Shapps) sat on the fence as the RAF were less than keen to provide the essential aircraft. Unsurprisingly, the risk adverse Sunak decided against the deployment. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin perhaps missed his 1982 moment by not demanding access to the PM before he made his decision, and telling him “we can do this”.
Tankers, but not enough crews for them, You have to wonder if Fort Victoria was in a better state, could we rise a crew for her
Surely there will be a stores ship sorted for CSG25. Then there must be a solution if we sent a carrier to the Middle East for some reason, aalthough air cover can be sourced from Akrotiri.
Defence is mostly about deterence. Akrotiri does not provide anywhere near the same level of deterence as a carrier strike group. The US could easily deploy its fighters from there also but understands that ships in near by water sends a message.
Plus Cyprus is only useful for isreal. The whole region is a problem and our interests are more focused on gulf of aden and Persian gulf which would require permission to over fly other countries and air to air tankers
most central American countries are odd😁
I thought that they were too wide for the canal – we live and learn.
YNWA ♾️ ❤️
Probably break down in the English Channel which would be par for the course
Teething problems which will be worked out. Bigger problem is outside years planned out media ops, there isn’t enough support ships or escorts to actually deploy them. Maybe in 10 years when the t26 and t31 are built but we live in an unstable world right now.
As HMS Prince of Wales prepares to lead Carrier Strike Group 25 on a historic deployment to the Pacific, one word dominates the mood on board: excited.
This reminds me of the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse in 1941. Very bad idea to send the POW to the Far East.
The world situation is deteriorating and the HMS POW is needed in home waters
I would also like to add a lot of RN resources will also have to go with the POW, destroyers, frigates and support ships
“The HMS” ….🤔
Tick.
John, the Imperial Japanese Air Force is unlikely to make an appearance in the skies above the CSG25 group. We are not at war with anyone. Even if we were, then surely the escorts can deal with an air threat.
We do not generally use carriers in home waters as they are for expeditionary operations.
The risk are the Houthis/Iran.
Yes, transiting the Suez and Persian Gulf will potentially be a “target alley”. Seriously hope they up the defensive armaments on the carriers and RFA ships.
Will potentially also need a planned stop on the other side, to resupply any missiles fired in defence.
I don’t know how established Duqm is in that regard, maybe more overseas munitions supply is necessary?
True, but Chinese missiles may
Might just be a sales trip? View before you buy?
What a wicked thought! LOL. Could rename it HMS AUKUS aand have a three user way deal on it?
I see that the French have got in first with the Charles de Gaulle ( TF 473) departing Toulon on 28th November for the CLEMENCEAU 25 deployment to the Indo-Pacific.
Centered around the ‘Charles de Gaulle’ aircraft carrier, the Carrier Strike Group (CSG, or GAN in French terminology) includes a carrier air wing, a destroyer (Forbin), two Aquitaine-class frigates (Alsace and an unnamed ship), a supply ship (Jacques Chevallier) and a nuclear-powered attack submarine (unnamed). The CAW consists of 20 Rafale M’s (some reports say 24), two Advanced Hawkeye E-2D, and four helicopters. Additional allied escorts integrated into the CSG include the destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (USA) and the frigates Mohammed VI (Morocco) and Virginio Fasan (Italy). A Greek frigate and other allied escorts are expected to join the force for at least parts of the six-month long deployment.
Highlights will be three major exercises:
Exercise Varuna, an annual Franco-Indian naval exercise, taking place off India’s western coast.
Exercise Lapérouse, a French lead exercise hosted by Singapore, other local nations such as Indonesia and Malaysia are expected to participate.
Pacific Steller, an intensive exercise with the U.S. Seventh Fleet aimed at proving and enhancing wartime interoperability with American carrier groups.
A particular emphasis will also be on visiting and re-affirming French ownership of the very extensive territories that it still has in the Indian Ocean and Pacific, possessions which unlike the UK it is determined to hang on to.
Interestingly the Italians got there first in the latest round of European carrier battle groups visiting the pacific…it’s quite a stiff message the European navies have been sending to china…in 2024/25 European NATO will have sent 3 carrier battle groups into the pacific.
Bugs me to say this being ex Royal Navy, but the Marine Nationale have had it right for years. While we have buggered about trying to build two huge expensive carriers, while not being able to afford the aircraft to fly from them, or the escorts to protect them. They have retained a well balance fleet. Even now we are world leaders in stupidness, being the only major G20 country in a time of war in Europe to cut ships from the Navy/ RFA and Fighters from the RAF….
I went South at 18 years old in 1982, we had 53 escorts in service….