HMS Prince of Wales has left Portsmouth to lead the UK Carrier Strike Group in a critical autumn training programme.

This includes participation in Exercise Strike Warrior, a major multinational exercise in the North Sea off the Scottish coast.

For the first time, F-35B Lightning jets from 809 Naval Air Squadron will deploy on a Queen Elizabeth-class carrier, marking a milestone for the squadron, which formed at RAF Marham last year. The deployment will see the jets carry out day and night operations as part of a multinational task force of warships, working alongside partner nations.

The exercise will allow pilots to achieve their carrier qualifications, while engineers and technicians will learn to maintain and support the UK’s most advanced fighter jets in the challenging conditions aboard a warship at sea. Wildcat helicopters from 815 Naval Air Squadron will also participate, further developing their air-to-air capability by using Martlet missiles to defend the ship.

HMS Prince of Wales has undergone extensive preparations over the summer, including Operational Sea Training, where it was ensured the carrier is ready to handle emergencies such as fires and floods. After completing Exercise Strike Warrior, the ship will enter a final support period in Portsmouth before its global deployment next year.

The Carrier Strike Group staff and aircraft will disembark following the exercise, with HMS Prince of Wales continuing its winter programme before preparing for the 2025 deployment.

The Queen Elizabeth class carriers are the most powerful warships ever built for the Royal Navy, displacing approximately 65,000 tonnes and measuring 280 metres in length. The carriers are capable of carrying up to 40 aircraft, including the advanced F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters and a variety of helicopters.

Commissioned in December 2017, HMS Queen Elizabeth has already undertaken significant operational duties, including a global deployment in 2021. HMS Prince of Wales, commissioned in 2019, has also deployed operationally to the United States as well as around Europe and the Arctic.

George Allison
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
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135 COMMENTS

      • It’s can’t be a carrier strike group unless it’s bobbing around Singapore with 50 jets onboard and a fleet of frigates guarding the empire.

        What’s possible threat to NATO could their be in the high north that might require a large number of anti submarine helicopters and only a smaller number of fixed wing jets 😀

          • Yes, nice when your planes are in the pacific and you can get them all up on deck to show Johnny Foreigner. Not such a good idea in the North Atlantic 😀

          • Yes but posing with purpose is important, after all what is marching but posing with purpose, the British army have actually alway been pretty good at it..the trooping of the colour is a fine expression of it.

          • I was being a little flippant! But mostly deploying a CSG in peacetime is about showing off the capability as a deterrence stratagem ie.’flying the flag’, conducting a Freedom of Navigation drill etc.. It is important.

            So too it is important to do evolutions in the North Sea, but is it really a CSG that is embarking on that, or just a carrier and one or two other escorts?

          • Indeed that is a very good question, is essentially a set of evolutions in home waters involving a couple of ships over a few weeks a CSG…I think we both know the answer to that one. The RN seems determined that it shows it has a CSG either at sea or available at all times.

          • Yes but come on we all love the money shoot of jets lined up on deck…It speaks to the 13 year old boys in our souls.🤣😂 the navy’s primary purpose in peacetime is to do good photo opportunities…

            Although only being half serious about the money shot..there is actually a very very good reason to engage in it.read the purpose of the PLAN in regards to showing off, keeping its own public proud and happy, impressing allies and depressing enemies (part of the three political warfares for the military to support) …the CPP and as an extension the PLAN understands that appealing to 13-100 year olds with a good picture or story is part of fighting a war.

          • If we put both carriers to sea with 50 jets each there are people in this forum whose response would be “they have gone to sea without xxxxxx what a rubbish navy we have”

        • Training big helps one to win big when it matters….hence even with the Invincible class the RN use to train at scale too, unfortunately this is not possible in this day and age, especially with any service acronym with a ‘J’ in it (Joint force xyy).

          Think small, be prepared to learn chinese or russian.

        • From what we’ve seen claimed by Russia in UKR, we only need deploy a line of chain smoking Russians across the Norweigian sea & warship/sub magazines will explode, doing the job for us.

      • True, but hopefully RN is both focused on and preparing for contingencies during CSG-25 ops in restrictive littoral areas (e.g., transit of Red Sea, etc.) 🤞 The maritime threat situation has markedly deteriorated since CSG-21. 🤔

        • No kidding mate, the world is going to hell in a hand cart… Two major wars kicking off since then and China getting ever more ‘assertive’ around the nine dashed line and stepping up pressure on developing countries it has ‘supported’ with development ‘aid’.

          Lots to think about for the RN and the Foreign Office which also plays a huge role in these deployments. The latter is quietly very effective at getting stuff in place when needed, although we only hear about it when it goes wrong of course. I’m sure its the same in the US…

          The good news is that the RN has been doing this global presence and deployment thing since the 18th century which is quite an achievement especially when you remember that in the 1960’s we ‘withdrew from East of Suez’. Their Lordships of the Admiralty must have been pretty inventive to maintain Naval Party 1022 in Singapore, thankfully…

          Cheers CR

          • Britain and it’s tiny military are small potatoes these days. Pretending otherwise is delusional and dangerous. Honesty is the best policy. We have no money for defence and we can’t recruit the numbers we need to defend the island itself, let alone external responsibilities. Carrier strike group my ar**!

          • We have multiple key overseas responsibilities, and the CSG is important for protecting those assets. Think about the Falklands, or Diego Garcia.

      • Merely asking questions. Two F35’s? Twenty? Are we practising squadron size sorties? Is Crows Nest integrated? Are the Merlins clear to operate after their grounding? Do we have our escorts involved? Don’t read too much in to it Robert.🙂

        • 9 F35s according to the fighter control guy I was talking to on the QE yesterday.
          No idea of the breakdown between squadrons.

        • It’s 809s first time at sea. So they will spend a good 7 days pounding the deck getting both day and night deck qualified. One advantage of VSTOL aircraft and carriers. The training burden to be deck qualified is much quicker compared to cats n traps. The helicopters do the same with new pilots. These exercises are very much about getting the personnel integrated into life onboard. For many it will be the first time. Maintaining and operating fast jets at sea is much more demanding compared to the relative comforts of RAF Marham. And taking 5th gen capability to sea is a very fine art. But once firing on all cylinders, those F35s will generate huge capability.

          • You know how I feel about timescales Robert but I do take your point about working up, whatever it is being flown. I for one wouldn’t want to put down on carrier! Like yourself I haven’t got any particular problems with the R.N. having F35 B’s. R.A.F ??? . Anyway, we now have two squadrons so let’s hope the third is not too far away.

          • Geoff, I’m glad you do not object to the Fleet Air Arm having carrier aircraft! I still have a problem with the RAF muscling in on the action.

            The RAF will want to fly the Army’s Apaches next… Come to think of it…they once seriously proposed doing so!

          • No problem with thwe idea at all Graham. If it were down to me, in an ideal world, the R.N. would have all the F35B’s and we would buy in 20 plus F35As for the RAF but that is not the way of the world I’m afraid and I think it’s about to get worse.😕

          • It’s absolutely incredible how the Combat Air numbers have been allowed to dwindle. I think Spain could over take the RAF with their new order of Typhoons. Germany and Italy adding to their fleet too. We need more Typhoons and more F35s and more pilots. (It would be good to know how Italy are getting on with a small mixed fleet of F35s: that’s always the argument against the A for RAF)

          • I think we’re already at the bottom of the list for major countries, at laest as far as fast jet numbers and pilot training is still poor. France, Germany. Italy, Japan are all ahead and there are several others not far behind. Australia, Israel and South Korea and Spain are gaining ground. Even the likes of the Netherlands and Norway have more F35’s on order, I think.

          • The most logical thing would be to get rid of the RAF and just split the responsibilities between the army and the navy. With all the savings those carriers would be heaving under the weight of F35bs, Merlins, V22s, drones…. 😉

          • The Disbandment of the RAF has been proposed frequently in recent times – it won’t happen in my lifetime im sure.

      • Which is exactly why it should be exercising the full range of vessels and capabilities of the full cvbg. Make the mockups in the North Sea not in the gulf/red sea… failure to do this is a serious issue.

          • Not really, they used to but they haven’t had a carrier and gave up that capability for years before the current ones were launched, which basically means most of the escorts crews will never have operated with an RN carrier either. Additionally most of the Darings have been laid up recently. Plus the RN basically lacks the ability to do logistics support for the Carriers – it sounds like the Dutch willl be supplying the supply ship, pretty sure the Dutch and RN carriers have never done this before.

    • Merlins have been grounded due to recent incident – hopefully they’ll be ready soon for the main exercise and certainly for next year since they’re crucial.
      Otherwise it should be a decent number of F35Bs – elements from both squadrons.

      This is primarily a workup for CSG25 so bear that in mind.

    • It’s essentially a run as part of getting 809 squadron ready and practicing its evolutions, it is not a full CBG active deployment.

      • I appeciate that and important to do. I’m just looking forward to the day when we have a carrier up and running with a full aircraft complement.

    • >Crows Nest deployed? Any Merlins?
      No and none (zero, 0). The only helos embarked will be a few (3?) Wildcat’s from 815NAS.

      Claims that she will embark both 617 and 809 squadrons for the exercise are very improbable. A force of about 8 x F-35B’s nominally assigned to 809 NAS is my personal expectation.

      The RAF is desperate to preserve 617 squadron as a deployable reserve given current world events, and is apparently pushing back hard on it being sent off to the Indo-Pacific for six months next year as part of CSG-25. Allowing for preparation and recovery time that will effectively make the RAF’s (and UK’s) only fully operational stealth strike squadron unavailable for land based operations for the whole of 2025. Conversely, not including 617 in POW’s tailored carrier air group will make for an embarrassingly empty flight deck. It remains to be seen what the government and MOD decide, I suspect that they will wait as long as possible before making a final decision around the end of the year. I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes all the way up the PM.

      • This is something I have been rabbiting on about for years. Two carriers and the RAF. A comparative handful of aircraft, few trained pilots and two much to cope with. I understand the RAF s reluctance and with them “in charge” of the aircraft it was always going to be a problem having enough available aircraft for one carrier, never mind giving any thought to two. Add in the lack of any proper AEW system and the shortage of ASW and we have a large deck of ????? going off to the Asia/Pacific. Not good.😠

      • 809 NAS embarked on POW today (Monday). Not yet clear with how many aircraft, three apparently shown in the photos so far released, but I expect the actual total is higher.

        • Update – it was 4 F-35B’s. Even adding on the 3(?) Wildcat HMA.2 helo’s, that’s not much of an air group for a 65,000t carrier that’s about to star in a major exercise. Maybe some more F-35B’s will turn up for a few days?

          • Another couple of F-35B’s have indeed now turned up, so up to six. Someone posted that there might be nine for the actual Exercise – could yet be right.

  3. O/T but some sort of relation to this. It’s nice to see that the Dutch have taken up a similar idea that the US Navy has been looking at. Granted, the US Navy has focused on these smaller hulls to be used as ghost fleets, but the Dutch using smaller hulls to provide a flexible platform that can not only boost hull numbers but additional defensive/offensive ability for something like a CSG. I think the hull that has been conceptualised is slightly longer and is similar to the ship that is the RN testbed ‘Patrick Blackett’. We should buy smaller hulls that can help provide additional offensive, defensive, or general multi-role support.

    It’s my understanding that ‘Patrick Blackett’ cost £9,333,151(ex VAT). An additional system would need to be acquired. For a cheap hull and to gain additional numbers, it’s a bargain for the price being that little more flexible and survivability.

    • Actually,
      The replacement of the CSG21 frigate Evertsen, 7 provincien Class, will be a 10.000 ton air defence ‘frigate’ if all goes as planned.

      • I not saying to outright replace larger tonnage frigates, I’m just saying that FCS 4008 like hulls can be used to compliment the frigates or CSG with containerised defence systems. When not needed can be used for other support tasks.

          • I think unmanned ships’ “ghost fleets” are being experimented with by DARPA. Granted, the FCS 4008 is more offshore support vessel, but it could provide s of additional defence offshore capabilities. The same can be applied to a ship similar to the with the speed a multi-support ability of something like the SD Northen River with containerised air defences.

          • The RAN here is getting something similar with six large optionally manned vessels (LOSV) each with 4 MK41s. Why not a few more T31s for the RN with 4 MK41s, 57 & 40mm cannons, NSM, a helo and a hangar? It would cost a few more quid but could be a whole lot more useful across multiple roles.

          • A few more T31 would be nice, but will they be able to get the crews for them? I think the RN is set on reducing or removing sailors from ships.

          • I can’t believe they can’t get the personnel issued sorted out. Making ships more lean crewed should help crew what they have.

          • Hi Coll,

            The Royal Navy’s NavyX team are reportedly hoping to run the Patrick Balckett with an autonomous navigation system next year. The aim of the trial is to explore the autonomous system’s ability to control the vessel in busy shipping shipping lanes. If successful it could mark a first step to realising unmanned arsenal ships at the top end of autonomous capabilities i.e. weapons carriers with the firing controlled from a manned frigate or destroyer…

            Cheers CR

          • Not sure to be honest, but might be. Now that you mention it I did read something about that but I cannot say for sure the two stories are linked…

            Cheers CR

      • 46 years after Ark Royal IV left service with her airwing of 12 Phantoms and 14 Buccaneers, we still can’t put a carrier to sea with an airwing that comes anywhere close……..

        • Hermes had as many as 26 fixed wing combat aircraft (36 total) during the Falklands.

          POW is deploying with 24 F-35Bs next year which is vastly more capable than Ark Royal and her air wing, obviously in quality now but also relative to the time.

          Besides, just 38 years prior to Ark Royal IV the previous carrier of the same name was deploying with twice as many fighter/attack planes so by that logic that same critique could be applied there.

          • Considering the vast superiority in the F35 to the F18 and the fact that no US carrier has ever put to see with more than 20 F35’s then QE with 24 F35 on board is the most powerful carrier that ever sailed in history 😀

        • I think 9 f35’s with modern weaponry and even the compromise that is crowsnest would be far more effective than all 26 of the above.

          I agree we need far more mass but we can’t get away from the power and ability of the QE carriers with f35 offer.

          • Sadly not. Given the limited payload and very small choice of weaponry we actually have available for the F35B, even if all 9 were available at a given time, Arks old airwing trounces it hands down. The sheer weight of firepower available from the 12 F4s in air to air plus the hardware on the Buccs including multiple types of bombs and anti-ships missiles (Martel) meant we had an all aspect Combat air and strike capability, something that would have greatly enhanced our capabilities in 82. I wonder who picks the silly numbers of F35Bs, if we seriously intend to embark 24 next year we need to start operating higher numbers now to get our deck crews up to speed and ready, we don’t want anymore mutli million pound accidents.

          • I’m guessing your joking on your comments as you can’t be that mis informed, look at what a Paveway IV can do compared to anything an ever carried by an F4 or a Buccaneer.

            9 F35 can attack many times more targets more accurately with Paveway IV than 12 F4’s could dream off.

            Even carrying unguided weapons the F35B carry’s 4000lb more than the F4.

            What weapon on an F4 ever came close to AMRAAM or ASRAAM much less Meteor.

            What’s was the electronic attack capability of RN F4’s and Buccaneers?

            What weapons did they have for SEAD?

            How did they conduct ELINT?

            Martel missile (now I know your joking)

          • The Phantom and Buccaneer were both good in their day but that was 50 years ago – to compare them to the F35b is like comparing Chalk with Cheese 🙄

          • Disagree with this, the F35s would easily defeat the F4 in air to air, probably without the F4s ever being able to acquire them (certainly their radars and the RN’s radars of the time wouldn’t have stood a chance). The F35s could also drop paveways which is all the bomb you need for most things….

          • Ok, I think what I’ve said wasn’t very clear and was not a direct comparison of F4 versus F35B. It’s about capability that existed then as opposed to now. The F35B is a great 5th Gen aircraft, and is the right choice now. BUT, a carrier airwing serves two main roles, protecting the task force it’s carrier is assigned to, and conducting strike missions, whether that be against land or sea targets. The former is primary, and with 8 jets plus a spare, providing you have availability you can put up two pairs and rotate them using the 8 you have, which even with the best jet and air to ground weapons leaves no room whatsoever for any kind of strike capability. In 1982 our priority was protecting the Task Force and later San Carlos water and Beach head, utilising every SHAR we could muster.
            With Ark her F4s formed the CAP component even using 8, you had 4 spares to provide an escort to 14 bombers that were available to fulfil the strike role, ok not in a steath mode which limits us to 2 x paveway and 2 x missiles
            Hopefully we’ll put to sea next year with 24 x F35B, giving us a true carrier capability, but iin the meantime it doesn’t matter how fantastic your jet is, in small numbers it can’t be everywhere doing everything at once.

  6. This is the nearest to a full scale dress rehearsal for CSG-25 that is likely to happen, it will be interesting see what assets turn up and if the two Norwegian ships participate. It seems unlikely the Italian’s will. Looks like we are still on course for the UK CSG deploying from Portsmouth in Feb for a fairly rapid transit to the South East Asia region by late March.

    • I can’t see if being that rapid if the CSG decides not to transit through the Suez and Gulf in full or in part. Either way, Iran is already planning to give the Houthis some anti ship missiles so it could become a right old shooting alley. Sure hope the carrier has a bit more than just its 3 Phalanx’s for defensive armaments by then.

      • War in Europe courtesy of Putin, War across the ME threatening the Red sea trade & transit, a Putin stool pidgeon possibly next POTUS sowing discord in the USA & across NATO: all great distractions for the CCP to plot an invasion of Taiwan. Wouldn’t surprise me if N Korea puts on a demonstration too to further distract the USA & regional allies.

  8. Getting two squadrons or three with the OCU at a big push, is a really big step. The fact is an Elizabeth’s is air wing can now be considered one of the three most potent on the plant ( although the French still win over the US and UK).

      • There is one very very good reason why a French carrier battle group is more potent and the most powerful in the world…they can turn it into a strategic weapon platform carrying up to 60 300kt strategic nuclear missiles, essentially a French carrier battle group can destroy a nation and is a formal part of their strategy nuclear deterrent. The U.S. carrier group could only manage gravity bombs and is essentially only a tactical nuclear platform….so in potential nation ending power a French carrier wins…sorry..I did not say it had a better more useful and flexible air wing..I said it was the most potent. 😁 it was a purposeful worm on a hook for the US readership..sorry I could not resist.

          • While you’re still on the port…time for some silly questions. Do you reckon the RN would ever look at the feasibility of adding a SMR (not sure if this is correct terminology) into the QE carriers to give it longer legs for a CODAGAN? Or, even more radically, a full conversion to muclear? Is the new French PA-NG carrier completely nuclear powered, no diesel backup? Don’t they share a similar underpinning design?

          • Given all the things that the RN have to worry about spending their limited budget on, taking carriers out of commission for a fundamental rebuild to direct-drive nuclear is going to come pretty low on the list.

            That doesn’t preclude a small reactor at some point in the class’s 40+ more years of life. As the QE class has IEP (not CODAG), its power could be routed to the ship’s electric motors (nuclear turbo-electric) without having to rip everything else out. I imagine it would still be a huge job and I think the cost of nuclear ownership would have to drop considerably first, but given there’s a slew of new small reactor designs likely to come on stream over the next decade or two and everybody is worrying about climate change, that’s not beyond the bounds of possibility.

          • To convert the QE’s to Nuclear Propulsion would be a complete ,unnecessary and very expensive nightmare,look how difficult PIP is proving for the Type 45’s.The US,France and likely China use Nuclear Power on their Carriers because they are designed to use it from drawing board to operation.You are wrong if you think PAN-G shares anything with the QE design,that was the PA2 that the French never took any further.

          • But the French have gone for it with their new carrier and I won’t be surprised if the Chinese do soon as well trying to match the US.

          • Morning Quentin, an SMR as a cruise powerplant for the carriers, not a bad idea but I do not think that would happen. However, what could be of use is a micro reactor, these are container sized units that could be useful on the carrier if e-mal was to be installed or to generate additional power for the carriers electronics laser systems. The standard 300 ft, 100,000 lbs capable E-mal needs about 140kWh per launch with a micro reactor capable of up to 10 MW (possibly 20MW) it should be possible to have enough power for 2-3 E-MALS and power 4 lasers or ship borne electrics/electronics.

            I could also see other uses for such small micro reactors, the T83 could have one for its ship borne radar, electronics and laser defence systems leaving the GT/DG for motive power. Or the same micro reactors could be used for forward deployed bases, be that RAF or Army, that would save on the logistic train.

        • Given the French testing their Rafales with (dummy) nuclear missiles recently, is there any sign that they will once again start sailing CdG with nukes aboard? It’s been many years since they abandonded that practice although I believe they’ve kept the physical infrastructure to do it.

    • HNoMS Maud is currently in Leith. Given that we know Norway will be providing two ships for CSG 25, I’d hazard that Maud will be one of them, and that she’ll be joining the current exercise. Maud exercised with HMS Queen Elizabeth earlier this year. I haven’t heard particulars but possibly the frigate HNoMS Otto Sverdrup will be the other, having also exercised with QE this year.

    • Who is a credible opponent? If you can’t name more than two or three out of a couple of hundred or so countries, wouldn’t that make the UK a major world player?

        • “Falklands could have easily gone the other way” not shit Sherlock!!!

          Can you list all the countries able to send a Divison sized force with a major naval fleet 8,000 miles to take or an entrenched near pier enemy please.

          Then can you list all the countries that have ever done a thing like this since WW2.

          Then list all the countries since World War II that have ever deployed an armoured division in combat.

          Then list all the countries that have ever deployed an armoured division into combat on another continent since WW2.

          I believe once you have this list you will have a list of all the great players.

          • Well it won’t be UK armed forces anymore, I could fit them all into a handbag, then give you all a good Thatcher style slapping with it! 🤭

      • Apparently not as we suppose to be s**t at everything.

        I’m always hearing we are a third or a fifth rate power.

        It’s normally a Russian bot of CCP troll telling me this, not sure why they spend so much time on the defence information websites of a third or fifth rate power. 😀

  13. What’s left of the RN would be far better deployed guarding it’s own shores to repel the almost daily invasion from illegal migrants, already costing the UK taxpayer 8 million pounds every 24 hours just to keep them in hotels.

    • That’s the government’s (not excluding the previous government’s) incompetence in processing. The Royal Navy illegally attacking civilians in the Channel won’t happen. It’s an illegal order and Yvette Cooper would be told what Pritti Patel was.

    • That is not the role of the RN, and it also would put us in direct contradiction of international maritime law. Aas they would be obliged to land any that they rescued on UK shores what would be the point?

  14. No mention of numbers of UK F35 jets…let me guess…three? The picture says it all, a toothless carrier that breaks down a lot, and a knackered old type 23 Duke class that should have been scrapped years ago.

  15. I think the Brits are only too aware that they have run down their defence infrastructure for decades. I think it’s good they are ‘ cranking up’ a CSG for future prospective operational needs

  16. Sorry, I’m going to rant a bit on this. Any news of any additional defensive armaments on these carrier pre CSG 2025 and for transiting the Suez and Gulf into particular? With a few Ancilia, 30mm, and or dragon fire mounts to complement the Phalanx’s? There’s still time to add.
    Rant over.

  17. Another attempt of the MOD to talk up the carriers – its not a CSG its a North Sea Training exercise no cocktail parties on this one. And just to point out to the MOD the F35 is only aircraft (not including helios) which can operate from the Carrier the blurb makes it sound as if a large number of other aircraft can operate from it. Maybe they believe their own propaganda.

    • If you could have 5th gen fighters or 4th gen, why would you choose the 4th gen? It’s not that we couldn’t fly F/A-18s or Rafales from the QE class after installing arrestors (which is not that big a deal), it’s that we have chosen not to. The biggest problems are the inability to fly E-2D, which we couldn’t afford even if we had that catapults to launch them, and the lack of weapons fit on the F-35s.

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