British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales arrived at Naval Station Mayport Wednesday morning.
This is the ship’s first visit to Naval Station Mayport, and it’s expected to be in port for five days.
Notably, her sister, HMS Queen Elizabeth, has previously visited the port.
HMS Prince of Wales will soon be operating off the Eastern Seaboard of the USA. Planned trials revolve around cutting-edge technology, including F-35 Lightning stealth fighters, Osprey tilt-rotors, and the advanced Mojave drone.
She’s kind of a big deal!
Watch as Britain’s biggest warship, HMS Prince of Wales, arrives at @NS_Mayport, in glorious Florida sunshine. pic.twitter.com/TORnHqhecb— UK Defence Staff in US (@UKdefUS) September 20, 2023
Commanding Officer Captain Richard Hewitt was quoted in a press release as saying:
“We are all excited for the longest deployment of HMS Prince of Wales. Being the first to operate with this level of drones will be a huge achievement and keep us on the front foot as we prepare for the next major Carrier Strike Group deployment in 2025.”
The ship will soon embark F-35B stealth fighters for the final phase of pushing the boundaries of the UK’s fifth-generation jets’ operating limits from the carrier.
“The F-35 has undergone extensive trials and assessment both in the US and UK operating from the flight decks of both Queen Elizabeth-class carriers and has deployed operationally. Pushing the boundaries will see more advanced take-off and landing techniques tested (SRVL, for one) , allowing the F-35s to return to the carrier faster and heavier (i.e with more fuel and weapons aboard) which cuts the time between sorties, allowing the ship to launch more strike missions, faster.”
What is Shipborne Rolling Vertical Landing and why is it a good idea?
HMS Prince of Wales will also be looking to launch and land the Lightning jets in the heaviest sea states, proving that they can operate the jets in the harshest environments.
“Once the work with the F-35s is complete, focus will shift again to the next-generation of Short Take-Off and Landing drones currently under development. The Mojave drone can carry a 1,500lb payload of missiles, rockets or bombs and has been specifically designed to land and take-off from short runways, or flight decks. Trials are lined up to see whether the Mojave can land on the 901ft-long deck of the Prince of Wales. The carrier’s stint Stateside will conclude by expanding the US Marine Corps’ unique tilt-rotor MV-22 Ospreys operating limits.”
Magnificent vessel ,state of the art multi purpose heavyweight champ of the high seas. So awa N shite all ye that give it there no planes and But we don’t have 670 F35’s blah blah….
The RN is going in the right direction we are steadily improving capabilities again through British engineering ingenuity and know how. Nobody does it better 👍🏻
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Good heavens someone who has brain around here.
good commentary
Does anyone know if she has a royal navy escort? I see USS Oscar Austin is with her?
Don’t think so, unless the T45 in the Caribbean joins later.
Why would she need one where she is?
RN is collaborating with USN and USMC to test new capabilities……?
This isn’t a ‘for show’ deployment more of an R&D exercise to test out our cousins toy box.
Saves developing our own toys and we learn a lot and can then specify what we really need with the knowledge gained.
I agree, SB. I’m especially looking forward to news on the Mojave trials.
I am hoping they manage landing as well as Take offs with the 🏜 mojave. Also keen on the SRVL, and hopefully SRVL with a wider envelope of loads and sea states.
Hope the Mojave trials are a success and we can get some for the RN: feels like a much lower risk / cost effective solution the adding cats and traps to the carriers for drones which currently are just powerpoint…..
Whilst I broadly agree, tensions in the world are high, and the fact we couldn’t muster a single escort is bad (but understandable given the state of the fleet at the moment)
Are tensions high in Florida? No need for any escorts on a port visit to our greatest ally.
It’s a scary place…..
Obviously the Russians still operate submarines in the North Atlantic. I mean it’s low probability stuff, but equally you can’t be too careful with £3bn of very visible real estate.
Believe that while a healthy degree of paranoia may be generally useful in defense matters, current situation does not replicate U-boat ops. off US Eastern seaboard, circa 1942. Russians otherwise occupied, ChiComs similarly occupied creating havoc in SCS. T-45 patrolling Carribean slated to join HMS PWLS during trials period. ISSS remains functional, even if US government temporarily goes on furlough on 1 October due to political impasse. Trust the USN not to allow the paint on PWLS to be scratched while in US territorial water; would be really bad advertising/press for tourism. 🤔😳😉
Thanks mate. I remember reading a comment of Churchill’s that the only thing that really scared him about WW2 was the U-Boats and their interdiction of food and supplies bound for Britain.
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It’s good to see the Brits in their rightful territory again after such a long absence 😉
…IUSS…🙄
That is why PoW have Merlin ASW helos aboard.
Well there were a number of matelots taken prisoner overnight in the region…apparently the kidnapping occurred when the matelots were simply following their god given right to get pissed up and fight with the locals……
Who said we couldn’t muster an escort?
HMS Portland was in Canada 5 days ago so she will probably join up to take on plane guard duties.
Why does she need any escorts? Friendly port visit. She is not going into a war zone.
I tend to agree but I do remember when a British sub penetrated a Russian carrier protective ring to sail underneath and gather acoustic details as for when they may need to detect it. Would the Russians attempt something similar releasing video of the underneath of PofW as we have recently seen of that previous venture could be a nice propaganda coup. So let’s hope the Merlin’s we’re doing their job.
And the sonar network on the seabed right across the Atlantic.
👍 Yes, certainly the Merlins were doing their job!
Maybe there is a RN SSN keeping an eye on our carrier – but we will never know!
The USCG patrols as far east as Bermuda and the USN/USAF/ Air national Guard patrols the western Atlantic like a hawk. If any Russian or Chinese assets are there (not uncommon actually, Russian submarines are even known to enter the Gulf of Mexico) the USN tails them closely. IIRC, there are P-8’s based at NAS Jax, they are constantly exercising in the Atlantic as well.
It should also be known the US has instrumented naval test ranges in the Atlantic. They are very aware who is watching them exercise. If Russian or Chinese assets are close, POW will probably stay in port in Florida. Also, JAX is a DOD port, so its free of charge, as opposed to a private port of call.
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Hope the trials go well do like them Ospreys would of made a great platform for our RM,or maybe EW for the Navy with its better hight and range bare in mind crows nest gets up and running 🙏.Has for having an Escort who knows ,may of had a USN sub taging along ?
More trouble than they are worth for a military like ours, the US is already planning beyond them and the ne t generation machines will have learned much from their innate and expensive problems.
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Do hope that the blokes down at the Admiralty are monitoring the progress of Bell V-280 ‘Valor’ submission for FLRAA, in case there comes a timeframe when there is some loose change rattling around in the coffers. Consider it to be Osprey 2.0; numerous significant improvements, ideal for RN/RM/Army (special forces) in Indo-Pacific theater. 🤔😳🤞
Right, she’s looking fine. Get her trained up, safely, maybe even compete with QE, for the edge. Make us even more proud you lucky people! 🍀👏👍👌
Good, hope those weirdos in the RN have a decent “run ashore” 😂 without any ground combat with the local sheriff department! No in all seriousness hope they have a decent few days ashore, good for morale and team spirit, they deserve it! 👍
Mayport is just some berths at the mouth of the river that goes through Jacksonville Florida. The big town up river is where I imagine they head for
I wonder if the F35’s that will take part in the exercises will be USMC or the three that UK haven’t received yet for this years batch?
Most likely the ‘orange wired’ ones.
Is the Osprey still operational given the recent crash in Australia?
The Mojave trials will be interesting as it could add a really significant capacity to the carrier and really increase its capabilities to undertake cost effective Navy aviation with a really good loiter capability. My only worry is that the deck limitations mean it’s not really fully exploitable..after all the 260 meter max runway length on the Elizabeth is is greater that the 150meter minimum takeoff for the drone but that’s in minimum take of weight mode with limited range, the full 20 hour loiter time take of weight requires 300meters….so we are not going to see that..and 12 hellfires… Read more »
So maybe the Bell V247 might be a better option for the RN?
Yes it would be good for carrier, probably work better with wider carrier ops than Mojave..which needing the whole 260m long runway is going to interfere and slow down everything else. Also you could have it operating from the amphibious craft for giving an amphibious group its own organic ISTAR and air support…also you could fit one and a wild cat in an escort ….it’s also got a far greater maximum takeoff weight than Mojave…more in the medium lift rotor range…it’s going to be able to carry light torpedoes, sonar buoys, do AEW..infact I’m not sure why the RN are… Read more »
Now add a guaranteed 20 knot headwind. 400m becomes 260 really fast.