British aircraft carrier heads north as Arctic tensions rise

HMS Prince of Wales has departed Scotland for Nordic waters recently, where the aircraft carrier will conduct exercises with NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force partners focused on Atlantic and High North security.

The Royal Navy say that the Portsmouth-based carrier left the Glen Mallan jetty in Loch Long after spending the bank holiday weekend loading ammunition and supplies. She is accompanied by Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan and tanker RFA Tidespring, with the force operating under the staff of Commander UK Carrier Strike Group, led by Commodore Rich Hewitt.

The first phase of the deployment will take the group to the fjords near Bergen, where they will conduct Exercise Tamber Shield alongside Wildcat helicopters of 815 Naval Air Squadron, P2000 patrol boats, and Norwegian missile craft. The exercise is designed to develop the tactics required to defend high-value assets against small, fast, and manoeuvrable threats in confined waters. The focus will then shift to the open waters of the High North for Dynamic Mongoose, NATO’s primary anti-submarine warfare exercise in Northern Europe.

Captain Ben Power, Commanding Officer of HMS Prince of Wales, said the deployment reflected the carrier’s role as the nation’s flagship. “HMS Prince of Wales stands ready as the nation’s flagship to demonstrate the United Kingdom’s commitment to NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force. My thanks go to our families who continue to show unwavering support as we deploy for a period away from home waters.”

Commander James Mitchell, Commanding Officer of HMS Duncan, highlighted the destroyer’s contribution to the group. “As a Type 45 destroyer, HMS Duncan brings world-class air defence capability to the Carrier Strike Group, providing essential protection to HMS Prince of Wales and other high-value units. Training alongside our allies in the North Atlantic and High North strengthens our ability to operate as an integrated and resilient force.”

Commodore Hewitt described the deployment in the context of the wider regional security environment. “This 2026 deployment delivers a clear signal of the UK’s steadfast commitment to working with regional partners and securing Europe’s northern flank. In an increasingly volatile environment, our integration with partner nations is vital to safeguarding our mutual interests.”

The High North has become an area of growing strategic focus for NATO since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with the accession of Finland and Sweden to the alliance significantly extending NATO’s presence in the region.

The JEF, a UK-led grouping of ten northern European nations, has developed into one of the primary frameworks for military cooperation in the area alongside formal NATO structures.