British carrier group returns home

Midday on a late autumn Sunday, the nation’s flagship HMS Prince of Wales finally appears on the horizon off Portsmouth.

On deck, sailors in immaculate rows catch sight of the familiar English shoreline as tugboats shoot celebratory plumes of water. Families cheer and wave banners from Old Portsmouth’s walls, bracing against the sea breeze and holding back tears of joy.

It is the Royal Navy’s largest homecoming in a generation, with more than 2,000 sailors, aviators, Marines and soldiers returning from the deployment known as Operation Highmast. Commodore James Blackmore summarised the deployment shortly before arrival. “It has been a privilege to lead the nearly 4,000 soldiers, sailors, aviators, and marines who have sailed over 40,000 nautical miles as part of the Strike Group, working with over 30 nations en route,” he said.

He pointed to the Defence Secretary’s confirmation that the Carrier Strike Group had reached full operating capability and said the achievement reflected the work of many crews over several years. “The Strike Group has come home stronger for NATO than it departed and I am incredibly proud of all those who have taken part in Operation Highmast.”

Operation Highmast began in April and took the strike group from the Mediterranean through the Red Sea and Indian Ocean and on to the Indo-Pacific. The task group structure remained constant throughout. HMS Prince of Wales served as the command ship. HMS Dauntless provided air defence. HMS Richmond and Roald Amundsen handled anti-submarine and surface protection. Aircraft from 814, 815, 820 and 845 Naval Air Squadrons flew regular patrols, while 700X Naval Air Squadron operated small uncrewed systems that transferred stores between ships in controlled trials.

The group covered more than 40,000 nautical miles, spending around half the deployment east of Suez. Aircraft from the task group flew more than 2,500 sorties. The deployments covered a wide range of activity, including participation in major multinational exercises, maritime security patrols and coordinated operations with allied navies.

Lieutenant Commander James Callender, Executive Officer of HMS Richmond, said the crew had maintained a high tempo throughout the mission. He described his pride in their work and said they were now focused on reuniting with family members. “We are now looking forward to the joy of homecoming and being reunited with the family and friends whose support has helped make this deployment possible,” he said.

The Indo-Pacific phase of Highmast involved extensive cooperation with regional forces. Exercise Talisman Sabre in northern Australia formed the centrepiece. It was followed by a joint activity with the United States and Japanese maritime forces. Across the deployment, the strike group exercised with nine different carrier groups.

809 Naval Air Squadron, known as The Immortals, deployed for the first time aboard HMS Prince of Wales. Commander Nick Smith said the squadron’s workload reflected the scale of the deployment. “The range and breadth of the activity the squadron have been part of is truly amazing,” he said. He noted his team supported the full operating capability announcement and maintained performance levels across a variety of conditions. The squadron operated in daylight and at night and launched from both British and allied carriers.

Cooperation extended beyond aviation. Ships from Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the United States joined the task group at various points. Some contributed directly to escort duties. Others participated in exercises or replenishment operations. These links formed a consistent rhythm of interoperability throughout the deployment.

Life at sea offered occasional breaks from routine. Some sailors climbed Mount Fuji during shore leave. Others visited ports in Singapore and South Korea. The strike group also held a memorial service above the wreck of the Second World War battleship HMS Prince of Wales in the South China Sea, linking the modern deployment with its historical namesake.

A jet recovery in India required a carefully coordinated engineering effort. The passage through the Bab el Mandeb took place under increased alert due to regional missile activity. The task group maintained routine watchkeeping and flight operations despite these pressures.

As the ships entered Portsmouth, the atmosphere shifted from operational focus to the practicalities of docking and disembarkation. Families waited along the harbour walls. Children held signs and flags. Sailors lined the deck rails, scanning for familiar faces. Once the first lines were secured and the gangways lowered, the crews stepped ashore to cheers that carried across the port.

Operation Highmast delivered a long and varied deployment for the Royal Navy and its partners. It strengthened UK cooperation with Indo Pacific and European allies. It provided the practical proof behind the full operating capability announcement for carrier strike. It also gave the crews experience in real conditions and at significant distance from home.

The ships now return to routine maintenance and post deployment assessments. For the people who served on them, the homecoming offers a break after long separation. For the Royal Navy, the completion of Highmast marks a step in the continued development of its carrier strike capability.