The UK Carrier Strike Group (CSG), led by HMS Prince of Wales, has taken part in Exercise Bersama Lima 2025 off the Malaysian coast as part of Operation Highmast, according to the Royal Navy.
The exercise, held in September under the leadership of the Malaysian Joint Force Headquarters, is the largest of the annual Combined Joint Force Training Exercises and Command Post Exercises delivered by the Five Powers Defence Arrangements (FPDA) nations of Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
An aerial image released by the Royal Navy showed HMS Prince of Wales at the centre of the multinational formation during a flypast of aircraft from FPDA members.
The carrier was accompanied by the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigate HMAS Ballarat, the UK’s Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond, Royal Malaysian Navy ships KD Lekir and KD Sri Indera Sakti, and Republic of Singapore Navy vessels RSS Formidable and a Victory-class missile corvette.
The Royal Navy stated that the UK Carrier Strike Group is “a powerful, world-class international naval formation led by one of the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, currently HMS Prince of Wales for CSG25, equipped with F-35B fighter jets. It includes warships, submarines, and aircraft and is deployed for power projection, maritime security, and joint exercises with allies worldwide.”
Exercise Bersama Lima 2025 builds on Exercise Bersama Shield, which took place in March, and is intended to incorporate lessons from earlier iterations while preparing conditions for follow-on activities in 2026. The Royal Navy highlighted that Bersama Lima 2025 is “a key activity within Operation Highmast, and the participation of the UK Carrier Strike Group marks a significant and novel contribution to the exercise.”
The FPDA series, which has been conducted for decades, is described by the Royal Navy as “important to maintaining the UK’s relationship with FPDA nations, and a vital element of the UK’s baseline activity in the Indo-Pacific region.”
She’s going to need a Full Service and MOT when she gets back.
Nah! I know a bloke who knows a bloke who can clock the mileage.
Nice to see the FPDA nations in training with some serious fire power.