The UK Carrier Strike Group, led by HMS Prince of Wales, has arrived in Singapore as part of Operation Highmast, strengthening Britain’s defence and diplomatic presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Ministry of Defence welcomed the milestone with a message of friendship, writing on social media:
“Selamat datang, Singapore! 🇸🇬🇬🇧 The UK Carrier Strike Group, led by HMS Prince of Wales, has arrived in Singapore to strengthen regional ties through joint training and engagement, showcasing Britain’s commitment to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific.”
HMS Prince of Wales, currently leading the multinational task group, also marked the moment online, saying:
“Selamat datang, Singapore! 🇬🇧🇸🇬”
The official UK Carrier Strike Group account added:
“@HMSPWLS joins ships from UK #CSG25 in Singapore 🇸🇬 It’s a great view from here!”
The port call is part of the UK’s ongoing eight-month Carrier Strike Group 25 (CSG25) deployment, which will see HMS Prince of Wales and her task group operate alongside NATO allies and key Indo-Pacific partners including Japan and Australia. The deployment—codenamed Operation Highmast—follows a route through the Mediterranean, Middle East and Indian Ocean, culminating in a range of exercises and engagements designed to deepen security partnerships and demonstrate British military reach.
Ahead of the deployment, senior personnel made clear that Operation Highmast is about more than visibility. It represents the UK’s full integration of fifth-generation combat airpower at sea, with HMS Prince of Wales now operating at scale with the F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter.
Operation Highmast also marks the first operational deployment of 809 Naval Air Squadron, recommissioned in December 2023. Commander Nick Smith, the squadron’s Commanding Officer, said it is a “truly joint team” composed of Royal Navy and RAF personnel, now ready to “operate independently anywhere around the world.”
809 NAS is joined by 617 Squadron—The Dambusters—forming the backbone of the UK’s carrier-based fifth-generation air wing. Together they aim to validate the Carrier Strike Group’s full operating capability, integrating fast jets, warships, submarines, and support vessels into a cohesive and deployable maritime force.
Lieutenant Colonel Mike Carty, the first Royal Marine to command a UK fighter squadron, described the deployment as “an incredible privilege” and a chance to showcase “the potency of UK combat air.” He stressed that the F-35’s ability to operate from land and sea gives the UK “reach and flexibility to deliver effect around the globe, at a time and place of our choosing.”
“Operation Highmast,” said Carty, “lets us hone our skills across a variety of mission sets and deepen our operational integration with other nations. It’s a clear signal of the UK’s commitment to global security.”
Lovely to see, flying the flag and visiting good friends 🧡
Absolutely 🙂
The coming home bit should be interesting given world events.
Interestingly the Times (who seem hell bent on getting the UK to war) are reporting that the UK’s place in the world is diminished because the USA didn’t ask us if they could bomb Iran.
Obviously the war mongers at the Times have zero idea of any classified calls that took place nor probably the lengths that HMG went to to either avoid picking up the phone or painfully and politely letting the Trump administration know that they can’t use Diego Garcia to bomb anyone without a legal justification.
Obviously the fact that the attorney general has been jumping round all week would suggest the American were asking something.
Just goes to show how toxic the UK press are, they are never happy unless we are bombing someone yet they go nuts at the faintest hint of UK military involvement.
The dogs of war are even more rabid on the telegraph comments pages.
Apparently starmer is a coward and traitor. For not unleashing on Iran.
I wonder just what they think we should unleash on Iran that the Israelis can’t do perfectly well themselves?
It’s a mad, mad World. Since when have the Americans asked us if they can strike someone? Let us know yes which apparently they did on this occasion. The fact they didn’t use Diego Garcia certainly suggests dis uss ions of some kind took place. Best we keep out because otherwise we would be the first target for any serious attack sometime in the future and you can guarantee that the US would do no more than offer mild condolences. We should not once again be their cannon fodder to please some idiot hacks with dreams of Imperial revival, why fight for Israel or America when the logic of any joint enterprise is far from proved. A direct attack on us or important ally, well a different matter.
I dont think anyone is thinking of colonising anywhere. Diego Garcia is part of a British territory except in the distorted views of Hermer and Starmer; the Comedy Duo.
Wanting to prevent a greatly increased risk of a future nuclear war by stopping Iran obtaining nukes is not war mongering. It is sensible foreign policy, and exactly what power projection capability is for.
Do you think the US should have simply let Iran drag out ‘negotiations’ whilst they progress towards a nuke? They were weeks or months away from a viable bomb. And they have form for passing weapons to proxies and then denying responsibility. This is an islamic extremist regime.
I think it’s incredibly naive to suggest negotiations are the way forward in this very short window that was left available, when they have failed to deliver for decades.
Not to mention Iran have been supplying thousands of drones to Russia to use in Ukraine, working directly against western interests. We can’t strike Russia directly, but little stopping us from hitting Iran.
This is the most direct support Ukraine has had from the West since the start of the war.
Iran has now indicated it wants to close the strait of Hormuz. If it tries, the world will rain down hell on them. India and China may both see Iran as a lost cause, and given they would suffer the most from an oil blockade, they might use that as justification to test out their own new carriers. And it would be fully justified of them.
Iran has had the capability to move to a nuclear weapon since 2003. It chose not to, looks like the USAF missed in its strike. It’s not much more likely that Iran goes nuclear now.
The US won’t be able to do anything to stop them now and no one will support sanctions.
Err… the country that would lose the most from the closure of the Straits of Hormuz would be Iran.
Zero chance of India’s or China’s carriers making an appearance.
I completely agree that Iran stand to lose the most, but we’re not dealing with a rational regime. And their parliament has already voted to do this, it just has to go through their national security council. Whether they follow through or back down is another thing altogther.
I know China or Indian carriers making an appearance is unlikely, but I wouldn’t say zero, especially as both of their economies would be decimated by such an Iranian move.
What the Iranian propaganda spectacle it calls a Parliament and what the actual people that hold power in Iran do are two completely unrelated things. You’re falling for false equivalence, believing their ‘Parliament’ to have power in the same way Westminster does.
Neither the Chinese or Indian economies would be “devasted” by such a move. Even if that could happen, you wouldn’t see their carriers there.
It may move India to move.. which would be interesting.. China no it will allow the west to play with Iran and the background prop up Iran.. oil wise it will just take more Russian oil.. china sees Iran as a useful lever against the west nothing more or less.
Agreed, they play Go while Trump can barely play droughts.
Indeed the Chinese wild drop Iran like a hot potatoes if they were not useful.
The Chinese don’t have much love for theocracies.
Yet Netanyahu has been claiming they are weeks, months or a year from a nuclear bomb since 2010. If Trump hadn’t abandoned the original agreement, long in the making, without a remote plan B, then we could have been in a better place to make a true judgement of any developing danger and not be subject to a on the spur of the moment fit by two struggling leaders with self serving motives. The Iranians reportedly removed prime assets from the site some days back with that and enriched uranium in an unknown location, so how much has this delayed their bomb? It has probably ensured that they will use it too as and when they get it mind. In reality it’s a grey area but no one certainly not you, know whether we are in a more or less dangerous period. I fear we won’t know for some time if it’s more or less dangerous due to this state of affairs, but only a fool would deem to know things are safer or otherwise as things stand or that Iran has now been prevented from creating a bomb or even long delaying it. No black and white answers here.
Probably in China flown out last week.
Netanyahu has been claiming that Iran are just about to get nuclear weapons from about 1990 !
Drama and catastrophe sells papers (or clicks), more effectively than anything else. The traditional news media have been seeing declining revenues for years and have got to the point that everything is secondary to getting people’s attention in a crowded media landscape by shouting the loudest, most outrageous assertions regardless of whether they have any basis in reality. Hence the Times and Telegraph becoming increasingly indistinguishable from the Daily Mail.
Agree.
The sad decline of journalism into sensationalism…
Anyone know why they’ve parked PWLS at the cruise terminal rather than Sembawang? Is it a matter of draught, or did they just want a more public berth?
Sembawang has 11.4 metre draw, so enough for the PWLS. I would imagine the cruise berth is more suitable for VIP’s and PR plus the other amenities. At least she is well out of this daft Iranian business.
I understand she draws about 11m, so pretty marginal, perhaps. Certainly much better for media exposure on the main drag. And yes, I agree with you about Iran.
To show her off in Keppel Bay.
They never park warships at Sembawang these days, way too congested. They always go to changi but I have never seen a large carrier visit so that may be why PoW is at Keppel bay.
Plus it looks amazing with the city back drop.
Isnt BDSSU at Sembawang? I see Te Kaha is parked there atm. But you’re right, the Prince looks magnificent in all the phots!!!
Dauntless and Tidespring too, to judge by the BDSSU twitter account.
Indeed, nice scenery, but hope CSG Command Staff and RM contingent are most concerned w/ CSG force protection/anti-terrorism measures. Would presume Singapore is one of the lower risk port visits, but nothing is guaranteed. Heads on swivel, frequently checking six, and appropriate forces locked and loaded. For others, enjoy the port call.
She looks good! A deck with a good number of assets on it.
What is not receiving such publicity, rightly, is the F35B that is still sitting on the tarmac in India.
Clearly more than just “run low on fuel.”
Apparently the Indians offered to move it into a hanger, and the RN said no thank you! I don’t blame them, it wouod be easier to snoop on this asset if its hidden away.
So why is it still there? Is a spare part stuck on some C17, unable to get there due to the Iran situation?
It’s not a great look that we cannot retrieve our aircraft.
I think on NL it said somewhere the jet had a mechanical issue of some description. But you’re right, it doesn’t give the best impression.
Sometimes you are waiting for parts to arrive from the UK. And if it needs a specialist engineering team to fix the issue. We had Harriers stuck at various airfields around the world on many deployments for days on end. It happens. Just now we have the Internet and far more people are aware of it.
Hi mate.
That’s good to hear.
My concern is the sensitivity of the aircraft. A Harrier was a rather well known beast at least that potential or real enemies weren’t so eager to get their mitts on.
That’s true. But they won’t learn much just by having a look around it. Considering the thousands of images available online. And you can get pretty close to these things at airshows and take pics. Even a glance in the cockpit is just a very large blank iPad style display. The secrets are under the skin.
Hi again mate.
Of course. It isn’t just looking that worries me.
Who is guarding it? Some local outfit?
Or a British team?
I suspect the former. Now, what would it take for Indian airfield security to be as bad as Brizes seems to be? Shove some rupees into the guards hands and tell them to sod off in the dead of night while some Indians take a closer look under cover of night?
If it was an America aircraft do believe it would be back were it belongs by now .May be wise for HMG to have a word with the U.S. Should be able to help out on this matter has F35 very sensitive piece of kit.
Also the Indians owned a fleet of Harrier anyway.
So other than the UK specific electronics there wasn’t a lot to learn?
So not much incentive to annoy UK who were the parts supplier for their fleet…
Funny how you think our allies think the UK having LPDs is “essential” but most don’t actually have them themselves… If we’re going to support these allies we need sealift, because our forces will be deployed to prevent their overrun. We’re not in the suicidal business if opposed landings any more, thank god.
Don’t forget the one that ended up on the slow boat back home all the way from the south Atlantic..that was one unlucky..lucky..unlucky pilot.
Hyrdralic failure. Probably going to be flown back in a C17 if the crew dispatched can’t do the job on the ground.
Oh, that’s confirmed? Righto.
They need to hurry up.
Ironic, there were rumours pre SDSR that C17 was yet another asset ready for the chop. And you yourself were saying we don’t need so many tansports as it is mostly Europe theatre, and the fleet could be smaller.
Not so mate.
C17 is vital.
Yes, and I read on TWZ about them possibly reopening the production line. A few more would not go amiss…
Would be high up my list if in a fantasy world I was in charge.
That, and some lighter assets to replace the cut Hercs.
Certainly handy for this job 😀
Just proves you shouldn’t worry about rumours before SDRS 🤷🏻♂️
Well we used to say that with every pre review when the rumours surfaced about our main amphibious assets, the LPDs.
It came to pass.
So, while yes a lot is nonsense, for me there is no smoke without fire, especially if the service themselves leaked the story as part of the usual inter service manoeuvres.
Hi Daniele, just on your last comment “That, and some lighter assets to replace the cut Hercs.”, so, what would you replace them with? More A400M or something smaller?
If it were me, more Hercs. They were ideal for the role they fulfilled with 47 Sqn. The DSF reportedly liked them, and the RAF SFF had great experience using them.
An Atlas is overkill for me in the SF support role.
Yes they really need a tactical transport that has legs.. A400M is not a tactical transport no matter how much you try and squeeze it into that box and chinoock does not have the legs needed for a lot of tactical transport needs.
It’s been obvious for years the LPDs were toast. It was just a question of when a defence secretary was going to have the balls to face the wrath of the dinosaurs who thought they were still relevant.
“It’s been obvious for years the LPDs were toast. It was just a question of when a defence secretary was going to have the balls to face the wrath of the dinosaurs who thought they were still relevant.”
May I rephrase that for you?
“It’s been obvious for years that any UK military capabilities can toast become toast – irrespective of strategic needs.
It was just a question of when a defence secretary was going to have the balls to face the disbelief of allies who thought LPD were still relevant to defend friendly countries and expose a total capability hole in the UK’s war toolkit.”
There FIFY.
Historically significant too. The last time a capital ship named Prince of Wales entered Singapore bad things happened. It will be good to remove the historical precedent.
At least 22 F35’s, look, you can count their tail fins.
I guess the other 2 of the 24 are in the hanger(s) ((Indian AF or otherwise))
Glorious site even if I might be a bit of a Halfwit.
I think you mean 11 F35Bs with 1 missing…LOL
Nice to see a busy flight deck.
Good to see! At least the RN people are getting a bit of old school travel, training and fun! Excellent recruitment tool, the Army needs to watch how the RN and RM recruit!