HMS Prince of Wales has completed her participation in Exercise Strike Warrior, returning home after an intensive training deployment with NATO forces.
The carrier and her strike group covered over 1,500 nautical miles, conducting extensive air defence, anti-submarine, and live-firing drills designed to sharpen their combat readiness and strengthen integration with NATO allies.
✅Mission Complete!
🚢@HMSPWLS has returned after a successful Ex STRIKE WARRIOR, sailing 1,500 nautical miles.
✈️Her aircraft conducted 71 sorties accounting for 210 flying hours.
💪The Strike Group trained Air Defence, Anti-Submarine & Live firing on the @NATO deployment. pic.twitter.com/w5fGNgPSdr
— Defence Operations 🇬🇧 (@DefenceOps) November 1, 2024
During Strike Warrior, HMS Prince of Wales launched her aircraft in 71 sorties, accounting for 210 flying hours that involved complex, multi-threat scenarios. The exercise focused on joint air defence operations, anti-submarine tactics, and live-fire exercises, reinforcing the crew’s skills in protecting the strike group in varied operational environments.
This comprehensive training ensures the Prince of Wales and her strike group are equipped to handle the broad range of challenges they may face in the Indo-Pacific region next year.
The exercise also served as a critical component in bolstering interoperability with NATO partners, allowing HMS Prince of Wales to rehearse working alongside allied forces to secure shared strategic objectives. These operations provide an invaluable opportunity for integration and coordination ahead of the extensive journey to the Indo-Pacific.
HMS Prince of Wales
HMS Prince of Wales is one of two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers in the Royal Navy, commissioned in 2019 as part of the UK’s Carrier Strike capabilities. Measuring 284 metres in length and displacing around 65,000 tonnes, she is built to support a range of aircraft, primarily the F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter and various helicopters. The carrier’s unique twin-island superstructure is designed for improved operational flexibility, allowing distinct areas for ship control and flight operations.
Propelled by a combination of Rolls-Royce Marine Trent MT30 gas turbines and diesel generator sets, Prince of Wales can achieve speeds exceeding 25 knots and has a range of roughly 10,000 nautical miles. Her integrated electric propulsion enables efficient energy distribution for systems and offers a quieter operating profile, beneficial for anti-submarine activities. The flight deck can accommodate up to 40 aircraft, including the Merlin HM2 for anti-submarine missions and the Wildcat for reconnaissance, enhancing her versatility across multiple mission types.
The carrier is equipped with various defence systems, including the Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) to counter airborne threats, as well as the Artisan 3D radar system for enhanced situational awareness. The vessel’s highly mechanised weapons handling system facilitates efficient transport of munitions between storage and the flight deck, designed to support sustained air operations. HMS Prince of Wales serves as a central platform for the UK Carrier Strike Group and is scheduled to lead the UK’s Carrier Strike deployment to the Indo-Pacific next year, demonstrating sustained operational reach and interoperability within allied frameworks.
Dunno, hope RN may deem it advisable to actually mount the 30 mm onboard PWLS before CSG-25 sails fo the SCS. 🤔🤞
If it comes down to this after all the escorts and bypassed it’s game up I’m afraid.
Pretty sure the presence of a few 30mm’s won’t change the PRC’s mind if they want a shooting war.
Absolutely, simply attempting to (marginally) reduce potential vulnerability.
If all these sorties were in 1 day then perhaps it would be noteworthy….and approaching the promise of the QE Class…but over an exercise that lasted from the 15th to 23rd October? i.e. 8 days….not in the slightest. The QE Class as planned should, with its normal air group, be capable of generating 72 sorties per day…surging to 110 per day for a limited period….so over Strike Warrior it was operating at 1/8th of its originally planned capacity… In a way it shows just how far we are off from getting the full potential from the QE Class and F-35… Read more »
It does seem low given part of the deployment was for new pilots to get day/night carrier qualification in addition to the planned exercise requirements and the knowledge that 8 F35Bs were embarked,
Assuming 6 active days and 6 aircraft available each day for the serials that’s an average of 2 sorties per day per aircraft. That’s perhaps not unusual in the current climate.
I have no idea what the typical/maximum daily sortie rate was on QEC with 18 F35Bs embarked during the Indo-Pacific deployment.
Agreed, although there is the possibility that the spectre of confronting the PLAN on the high seas might incentivize HMG’s CSG maturation schedule. 🤔😉
Are we sure all these hours are fixed wing.
Knobody said it would be easy. Or quick. But the capability today already massively exceeds anything we have put to sea before. And only exceeded by the Americans. Which thankfully, are on our side. And as you pointed out. Much more to come.