British carrier deploys to northern waters to deter Russia

HMS Prince of Wales has left Scotland to begin a deployment to Nordic waters and the High North, sailing from the Glen Mallan jetty in Loch Long after spending the bank holiday weekend loading ammunition and supplies, according to the Royal Navy.

The carrier will be joined by Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan and tanker RFA Tidespring, exercising with NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force throughout the deployment.

The force will initially head for the fjords near Bergen, conducting intensive swarm attack drills alongside Wildcat helicopters of 815 Naval Air Squadron, P2000 patrol boats and Norwegian missile craft during Exercise Tamber Shield, which is designed to hone the tactical agility required to protect high-value assets from small, fast-manoeuvrable threats in confined waters.

The focus will then shift to the High North and open waters, where the group will take part in Dynamic Mongoose, described as NATO’s premier anti-submarine warfare exercise in Northern Europe.

Captain Ben Power, Commanding Officer of HMS Prince of Wales, said the carrier stood ready as the nation’s flagship “to demonstrate the United Kingdom’s commitment to NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force” and thanked families for their “unwavering support as we deploy for a period away from home waters.”

Commander James Mitchell, Commanding Officer of HMS Duncan, said the Type 45 brought “world-class air defence capability to the Carrier Strike Group, providing essential protection to HMS Prince of Wales and other high-value units” and that training alongside allies in the North Atlantic and High North strengthened the ability to “operate as an integrated and resilient force.”

Commodore Rich Hewitt, Commander UK Carrier Strike Group, said the deployment delivered “a clear signal of the UK’s steadfast commitment to working with regional partners and securing Europe’s northern flank” and that in an increasingly volatile environment, integration with partner nations was “vital to safeguarding our mutual interests.”