HMS Prince of Wales arrived in Darwin Harbour, marking the first visit to Australia by a Royal Navy aircraft carrier in nearly three decades.
The Queen Elizabeth-class vessel is leading the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) as part of Operation Highmast, an eight-month Indo-Pacific deployment involving 4,500 British personnel. The flagship is also spearheading the UK’s involvement in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, Australia’s largest military exercise, which brings together 35,000 personnel from 19 countries across air, land, sea, cyber and space domains.
🚢🇦🇺 HMS Prince of Wales arrives in Darwin, the first Royal Navy carrier visit to Australia in over 25 years. The UK’s flagship joins #TalismanSabre as part of Operation Highmast, strengthening Indo-Pacific ties and allied interoperability. pic.twitter.com/xXCuMbyMj7
— UK Defence Journal (@UKDefJournal) July 23, 2025
As HMS Prince of Wales entered port, she was met by water cannon salutes from Australian tugs before her crew took part in a traditional Welcome to Country ceremony led by the Larrakia people, custodians of the Darwin region.
The visit is the first by a Royal Navy aircraft carrier since HMS Illustrious arrived in Fremantle during the 1997 Ocean Wave deployment. The return of a British flattop underscores growing defence cooperation between the UK and Australia and reflects London’s broader tilt toward the Indo-Pacific.
During recent operations off northern Australia, HMS Prince of Wales worked alongside the USS George Washington carrier strike group in a show of allied naval firepower. The carrier has also hosted US Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys, ahead of further USMC integration later in the deployment, including F-35B operations.
Talisman Sabre 2025 continues into August, with UK forces exercising alongside partners across Australia and Papua New Guinea. The strike group is expected to continue east through the Pacific, with further stops and exercises planned throughout the region.
The Ministry of Defence describes Operation Highmast as a demonstration of collective resolve, deterrence, and British industrial capability. Of the 4,500 UK personnel involved, 2,500 are Royal Navy and Royal Marines, joined by 900 British Army personnel and 600 from the Royal Air Force.
It’s cool to see 4 USMC F-35Bs aboard.
There’s only only one USMC F35B onboard from USS America.
There are definitely 4 USMC jets on deck. There are two near the 3 spot, one near the 1 spot, and one is third from the bow. You might have to find an overhead shot, but they are there.
Also worth noting that the F35 stranded in India is now back with the carrier.
The Nazis invaded France and took Paris faster than an F‑35 can be repaired…
#SlowIsSmoothSmoothIsFast
JJ. If you knew anything about carrier aviation. You would know many a Super Hornet, F18A, F14, Prowler, Seanight, Seaking, Phantom, Harriers, Rafale, Super Etendard and many more types have been stranded for days or weeks at many airfields around the globe over the decades. This is a classic Internet story. So people who don’t have a clue about the complexities of carrier aviation can make cheap gags and share uninformed opinions because it’s the first time they have heard of this happening. Fast jets are extremely complex. And even a relatively simple jet like a Hawk T1 can be offline for weeks when you have complex hydraulic issues to diagnose and fix. It’s not the first,
and it won’t be the last. Better to be safe at a foreign airfield than ditching in the sea.
Rob, fair points—let’s not fall out over the French side of things. They aren’t worth it…
Which Hawk unit were you with? Hawk hydraulics were pretty reliable in my experience. Also pretty easy to fix. Spare parts weren’t a problem
Yeah but how long did it take us to get Spitfires to Australia? Indeed the first lot were confiscated for the Middle East on the way.
Fantastic to see such a powerful sight, wall to wall fast air and no doubt another 18 in the hanger.
I’m no “Naval Architect” 👀 but even this Halfwit can appreciate all the hard effort that has gone in to get us to this point.
God bless her and all who sail on her.
Great to see the lone wolf returned safely back on board. Hope the Vindaloo was up to par with the BIR style stuff.
I was worried this was going to be a damp squid following all the early rumours of planes returning to the UK before Suez, but it’s working up nicely now. Serves me right for taking heed of the rumour mill.
or squib even… most squid being damp from the outset!
Its a great sight. Pretty jam packed. You can only imagine all of this being in the air all at once and armed!
I’m no naval architect either but I’d like to see more defensive armament on these carriers, as would many here. Even a couple of 40mm, Ancilia and maybe CAMM silos rear port sponson. Good weather up in Darwin by the looks of it.
Hope the carrier can visit Sydney. 🚢 🇦🇺 🇬🇧
*rear starboard sponson
I’ve waited a long time to see this picture. Really impressive. A real carrier with real aircraft. Let’s hope it is the forerunner of many more deployments.