UK Carrier Strike Group (CSG) units assembled for the start of Exercise Joint Warrior, a UK-led exercise forming part of NATO Exercise Steadfast Defender (STDE24).
The task group is led by the UKCSG embarked on HMS Prince of Wales, which is operating F-35B jets alongside Merlin and Wildcat helicopters.
The carrier is escorted by: HMS Portland, a Royal Navy Type 23 frigate; HMCS Charlottetown, a Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate; SNS Cristόbal Colόn, a Spanish Navy Álvaro de Bazán-class air defence frigate; HMDS Niels Juel, a Danish Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate.
British carrier leads powerful NATO strike group – HMS Prince of Wales is escorted by HMS Portland, HMCS Charlottetown, SNS Cristόbal Colόn and HMDS Niels Juel. Logistical support is supplied by RFA Tidesurge and RFA Tidespring. pic.twitter.com/mA3l8DwMDz
— UK Defence Journal (@UKDefJournal) February 27, 2024
Logistical support is supplied by RFA Tidesurge and RFA Tidespring, allowing the Carrier Strike Group to remain at sea for extended periods of time.
Exercise Steadfast Defender will be the largest NATO Exercise in decades. NATO will demonstrate the employment of forces across multiple regions and in multiple domains (maritime, land, air, space and cyber).
The vast scale of this exercise will occur over several months and over thousands of kilometres, and will involve tens-of-thousands of Allied troops from almost every NATO Ally. In addition, a variety of national training manoeuvres will be integrated into the overall exercise concept.
Viewed from the front – HMS Prince of Wales;
Row 2 (L-R) – HMS Portland, RFA Tidesurge, HMCS Charlottetown;
Row 3 (L-R) – SNS Cristόbal Colόn, RFA Tidespring, HMDS Niels Juel.
Good work. important to show some intent at this time.
O/T but optimistic reports on T26 build in the Belfast Telegraph and Lancashire Telegraph.
Google ‘slippage-in-frigate-programme-may-be-clawed-back-after-pandemic’
Beautiful water – can see the ships wakes crossing over
Very photogenic.
Note the Telegraph indicated no new Defence monies in the budget.
All will have to ‘pull in their belts’ and ‘knuckle down!’.
New equipment and capabilities will remain a pipe dream beyond what is in build or on order.
Not sure where UKR funding comes from, but given much being provided is from existing stock perhaps it does not have to be replaced.
To be honest it’s all a bit academic what this government says it will or will not fund…we will need to see the manifesto pledges to really get any understanding.
Let’s be honest anything the Tory’s say at this point is irrelevant, The SNP have more chance of forming the next British government than the Tory’s do, they will be lucky to survive as a party.
Lets hope you are wrong. I think people have realised what voting for labour will get them. It will be the end of our country and the start of something real nasty.
The only hope we have is keeping the subject in the media. Following the example of those senior officers who brought up the need for conscription etc etc. Pushing the transient elected plebs to honour their primary duty. Defence of the realm before and over everything else.
Are they moving on from a ‘Chequered past’ ?….I’ll get me coat .
There’s the door…taxi for grizzled 🤣😂🤣
I assume an Astute class is doing its thing unseen.
So the carrier is defended by more than a GPMG and a mere singleton T23. Well I never.😉
It’s amazing, I can actually see a deck full of very expensive aircraft as well. 😀
Well Jim. People won’t be happy till it’s 36. It’s only 8 fixed wing. For now, for long explained reasons people will either accept or not.
Osborne vowed it would be 24 by 2023. It’s not. Ministers can claim the moon.
It is what it is and I recall when the RN had nothing after Ark Royal and Illustrious went.
This capability is taking a long time to regenerate.
I’m happy they have 8, it’s a NATO exercise and in Northern Europe where unless a certain person decides to commit mass suicide is zero risk. So as they have an adequate escort force (and lots more nearby) I’m OK with them not needing their designed for Self Defence weapons whilst doing so. I’m delighted to see half our RFA Tankers at Sea and supporting a NATO Task Force, and it’s a bit off insight into what it will look like when the T31 is available. What I am scratching my head about is the lack of CIWS on either… Read more »
I’m the same mate. Thought i read we have 40 odd Phalanx, with those at the warehouse at HMNB.
So 8 day turn around, quick as that is for a 30 day notice to move, isn’t enough to install?
Or, as GB says it wasn’t considered necessary given tasking.
Or, we don’t have any spare to install? That would worry me, as they should have the CIWS and Cannon, exercise or not.
Apparently, they lost the 10mm Spanner….. A new one is on order and expected in 2028…… 😉
They are worried about salt water and can’t find the FFBNW covers.
I don’t mind 8 now for an exercise..after all the great thing about an Elizabeth is you don’t have to spend the entire time with a full air wing like you do with a CATOBAR…but I will be happy next year when we have 2 squadrons on board….and hopefully an arrangement with a friend for 3…I think we don need to show that capacity and also practice with 36….sailing with 20-24 UK tails and 10-12 USMC tails into the western pacific..will make a fine point to china that will not be missed. final aim I think should be 4 UK… Read more »
My worry is 2025 QEC deployment to the far East is with a new government.
Would not surprise me at all to see it canned.
I really hope it will not be, that would be a really bad message to be sending to china.
I suspect Australia, Japan and the U.S. will be seriously upset and we are doing a lot of defence Related trade around heavy industries with the pacific powers so I would imagine even if Labour wanted to do it for a geopolitical re pivot it would cause risks around good Union jobs in the defence industry.
Me too. I’m sorry. I have a long, long mistrust of Labour. It would be massive blunder and geostrategically blind given the situation. The west needs to be out there, not retrenchment.
That just creates a vacuum and we know who fills it.
Stop worrying so much M8 there are 2 things to cheer you up and give us some confidence in a change of government. Bearing in mind the humungous amount of dosh being spent on replacing CASD and AUKUS. It’s international political suicide to upset the US or Oz. Besides which the TUs would crucify them with very rusty, blunt nails. I struggle to think how anyone can actually be less competent than this lot. Sunak doesn’t care, he’ll be off back to the States ASAP, Scrapps is useless and thinking of yet another career move. Hammond has taken up Magnet… Read more »
I’m sort of hoping that Labour are as committed as they say they are to re-invigorating our defence industries and to do that they need to pretty on top of defence. I don’t have a lot of faith in them having anymore geopolitical sense than the conservatives….but I’m sort of hopping their general spend money on building heavy industrial capacity will be seen in good orders around ships, rotors etc…I would worry a bit more around those areas we don’t have hand industrial capacity in…I suspect they will want to be seen to be spending money on forces terms and… Read more »
Well all that I would support mate, if that Labour turn up and not the one who’s youth voted against NATO and who’s momentum supporters lurk in every corner.
We shall see. As Rodney says3, they cannot be worse. Or can they?!
I really don’t like momentum infact I dislike all these pressure and power groups that hang around political parties….if they want to play politics they should form their own parties and see if anyone votes for them ( I suspect not). To be honest I think both Labour and conservatives in their present form don’t really work, they are both to Broad church…l like my economic politics slightly left of centre and my social values probably a bit right of centre now….but both waver around the centre ground….the extreme fringes of both parties cause me a lot of anxiety…one of… Read more »
Agreed, because if USA goes isolationist who is going to operate naval air around Europe? RN.
Maybe, but the carriers are capable to reach around the world whatever party is in power. Easier to sell as a joint exercise with other like minded nations which they have been.
We need to be preparing for a carrier Naval version of the Tempest; Sea Fury. The Italians, Japanese might all appreciate them in due course.
Yes, no space to swing a cat……. 🙄
I see what you did there….
Lies all lies…it’s a deep fake photoshop…or…or maybe they are Italian…yes we’ve had to borrow them from Italy….everyone knows we don’t have any aircraft for the the carrier…
No destroyers or submarines.
Not every nation calls their AAW vessels Destroyers … two of those frigates happen to be very good 6500 tonne modern air defence frigates….if they were RN vessels they would be classed as Destroyers.
As for the SSN if it was there you would not see it, they don’t tend to come up for photo shoots.
Makes sense. Although I have seen subs in flotilla photo ops. The MOD usually name them in releases. Not good practice for the silent service but that’s a sign of the times. I wonder if the Norwegians or Swedish would permit their subs to be named during the exercise. I can’t see the harm afterwards.
I’m told none of the German boats are sea worthy!
So will the PoW be ours for much longer or – as the mail suggests – will it be off to bigger oceans – Oz or the US is suggested?
Or is it all scaremongering and jostling for monies before the budget.
Personally I wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised to see one of them sold/leased to one of those countries – or maybe leased to NATO as a flagship (as it is now tbh).
If the PoW did go to Oz wouldnt be the first time Prisoners have gone there via ship….
Australians dont have the F35B and will be stretched to man them. Still they have money which we dont.
I cant understand how we got in this mess over Covid. Should have been business as usual when the vaccine came out, early 2021.
Nice to see what a possible QE and Type 31 carrier duo could look like with the Danish ship.