As HMS Prince of Wales sails at the head of Carrier Strike Group 25 (CSG25), the United Kingdom is set to demonstrate the full power and global reach of its naval forces.
Speaking to assembled media aboard the vessel, Commodore James Blackmore RN, Commander UK Carrier Strike Group, outlined the scale and significance of the upcoming seven-and-a-half-month deployment.
“Good morning, and welcome to the UK’s flagship, HMS Prince of Wales… I’m Commodore James Blackmore. I’m the commander of the UK Carrier Strike Group, and I have the huge privilege of taking the strike group out to the Indo-Pacific this year.”
The Commodore described the mission as a defining milestone: “What is CSG25? Well, it’s a seven and a half month deployment to the Indo-Pacific. We’re going to undertake operations in the Mediterranean and the European region. We’ll transit through the Middle East and undertake operations in the Indo-Pacific region.”
He continued: “It’s a global deployment, and it’s international by design… And for me, there are three key head mark deliverables… The first one is the declaration of full operating capability of the UK Carrier Strike Group.”
More than a presence mission, CSG25 is set to mark a final confirmation of the Strike Group’s Full Operating Capability (FOC), something Blackmore noted was the result of years of effort: “It’s been a journey… that started off with those first of class flying trials… through the initial operating capability in 2021 and that first big global deployment, Op Fortis… and now where we are, standing in Prince of Wales, the now-on-watch, very high readiness carrier about to deploy and deliver that full operating capability by the end of the year.”
The significance of achieving FOC is wide-ranging. “It’s our ability to have two carriers, one always available. It’s about the growth of F-35 and its availability to support operations. There’s the Crowsnest capability in the Merlin as well… ships, aircraft, people, capabilities, all contribute to that full operating capability.”
Blackmore reaffirmed the strategic weight of the carrier strike group: “UK Carrier Strike capability is a cornerstone of the UK’s conventional deterrence… contributing to that ‘secure at home, strong abroad’ agenda.”
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