Britain’s Carrier Strike Group, currently deployed to the Indo-Pacific under Operation Highmast, has conducted a high-intensity barrier operation exercise designed to ‘fight off’ an intruding warship attempting to close on a British aircraft carrier.

According to Lieutenant Commander Grayson, officer in charge of the operations room aboard HMS Prince of Wales, the scenario tested the group’s ability to react swiftly and decisively to a hostile surface contact.

“We’re effectively exercising an intruder ship trying to close the task group and close the carrier,” Grayson explained. “At which point we direct one of our escorts to put themselves in the way and then create a physical barrier against that ship.”

Last week’s drill saw Royal Navy Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond and Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Kaha performing aggressive manoeuvres to intercept and block the simulated adversary. “Some really good, aggressive driving from Te Kaha and from Richmond, which is really good to see,” Grayson noted.

The aim of such barrier drills is to train escort ships to react automatically under pressure. “We just train it again and again with our escorts so that everyone knows immediately and instinctively what they need to do if the situation arises and we give that order,” Grayson said.

The exercise is part of a broader emphasis on improving interoperability with allied navies. “This is a chance for us to conduct an exercise with our escorts, both from the UK and from our international allies,” he said.

Grayson underlined the importance of working with regional partners when operating in waters far from home. “Not somewhere we come a lot to with our larger vessels,” he acknowledged. “So we operate with partners who, number one, operate here a lot more regularly than we do, number two, have different equipment, different systems and sometimes different tactics.”

By cross-training in these environments, CSG25 aims to expand its tactical repertoire and develop shared operational instincts with Indo-Pacific allies. “By working together across those environments, we can improve our own capabilities and our ability to operate at range,” Grayson concluded.

The purpose

Operation Highmast is the codename for the United Kingdom’s 2025 global deployment of Carrier Strike Group 25, launched in April and centred on HMS Prince of Wales. The deployment is intended to project British maritime and air power across the Indo-Pacific, reinforce strategic partnerships, and support freedom of navigation operations in contested regions.

Steel, salt, and sacrifice onboard HMS Prince of Wales

Sailing from Portsmouth through the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean into the Pacific, the group engages in a range of high-end exercises with NATO and regional allies.

The carrier is accompanied by a mix of escorts and support vessels drawn from the Royal Navy and partner nations, including Canada, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. These international contributions enhance operational reach, provide layered defence, and embed allied personnel into the UK-led command structure. In total, around 4,500 personnel are involved over the course of the deployment, including members of the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, British Army, and allied armed forces.

A core feature of Operation Highmast is the carrier’s air wing, which began the deployment with 18 F-35B Lightning II jets and is expected to scale up to 24. This is the largest number of F-35s ever deployed at sea. Sadly, one aircraft was forced to divert and land in India due to a hydraulic failure, it is however now being recovered. The air wing includes aircraft from both RAF and Royal Navy squadrons, supported by helicopters for anti-submarine warfare and airborne early warning tasks.

British carrier joins huge Pacific naval exercise

In addition to traditional naval operations, the deployment emphasises cyber defence and resilience to asymmetric threats. A dedicated UK-based cyber team supports the force during its transit through regions of elevated risk, defending against frequent intrusion attempts.

The strike group is conducting a series of complex multinational drills involving carrier strike operations, submarine tracking, counter-drone scenarios, and integrated air defence. Key exercises include Neptune Strike and Talisman Sabre, reflecting the UK’s intent to contribute credible, persistent presence to Indo-Pacific security.

George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison

8 COMMENTS

  1. Remind me how many warships the PLAN have and if it took two to divert one ‘aggressor’ how many ships are sailing in formation with PoW?

    PoW being sunk once in the South China Sea is bad luck, being sunk twice is just foolish.

    Not our problem, stay clear, and let others ‘acker up for their own security.

    We need our forces to defend the UK and should the Commonwealth come under attack, be able to sortie to meet that threat and help defend the Commonwealth; that’s not today.

    • The shear lack of self defensive armaments on these carriers makes me cringe. With all the T23s coming out of service you’d think there’d be a lot of spare 30mm, decoy launchers that could be repurposed on both carriers. Plus all their CAMM!? Hopefully they’re getting recycled!

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