Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales has led an impressive multinational carrier strike group into the Mediterranean, captured in spectacular images showing the size and strength of the UK-led force.
As the Carrier Strike Group approached the Strait of Gibraltar, HMS Prince of Wales formed up with an Astute-class submarine, Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless, Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary tankers RFA Tideforce and RFA Tidespring. They were joined by allied vessels including Spanish frigate Méndez Núñez and Norwegian ships HNoMS Maud and HNoMS Roald Amundsen.
Below is a gallery, click to enlarge. All imagery is Crown Copyright 2025 and is the work of the talented PO Phot James Clarke.
The formation was dramatically captured by Royal Navy photographers flying aboard a Wildcat helicopter of 815 Naval Air Squadron, showing the full scale of the task group as it prepares for a global deployment.
The Carrier Strike Group, under the command of Commodore James Blackmore, is beginning Operation Highmast — a mission that will see British forces operating alongside over a dozen allies across the Mediterranean, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Japan, and Australia between now and December.
This is the second global deployment by a British carrier strike group, following HMS Queen Elizabeth’s 2021 mission. This time, with the world facing an even more volatile geopolitical climate, the task group’s goal is to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to collective security, strengthen ties with key allies, and showcase British defence capability and industry on the world stage.
More than 4,500 British personnel are involved, including around 2,500 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines, nearly 600 RAF personnel, and 900 soldiers.
Images of the Carrier Strike Group show the extraordinary scale and coordination of the British-led formation, offering a striking reminder of the UK’s enduring ability to project maritime power globally.
Can’t wait to see halwit’s take I hope someone close has the paddles ready in case he has a heart attack witnessing such near universe shaking power projection. 🤯
However you cut it that’s a damned impressive sight
Great pics; very impressive. Hope they can later capture one with all 24 F35Bs on deck. I always like the major port arrivals when they line up a selection of the air group. Looking forward to see what they can do operationally too.
@George
Thank you for putting all these beautiful images up.
I hope Mad Vlad enjoys them.
Great photos.
We need a widely published photo of the deck full of aircraft, to put to bed the ongoing snipes that they are Carriers with no planes.
Would be good to see on the BBC news at 10.
And yet somehow someone will still say they are a white elephant waste of space, will be immediately sunk by a magic super powered carrier killing missile and detection system, before noting they have no aircraft and even if they did the fifth generation F35 is clearly inferior to a seafire.
As you have said often enough J, political warfare operatives with an agenda, or UK haters with axes to grind.
Carrier capability is vital, and we have it. Most don’t.
Aircraft numbers can be improved, FSS is a shambles, Crowsnest below par. We don’t often hear about the successful bits as that’s not keeping to the agenda.
It is really a telling testament to the nations ability to project power and still act as a deterrent.. and a carrier battle group with 24 fifth generation fighters, a top end AAW destroyer, SSN with tomahawks is a deterrent that can intimidate any opponent with its capabilities… we forget that although mass is not where anyone would like it to be and the RN, RAF and army struggle to support all commitments the UK is still a potent world player that can tip the geostrategic balance anywhere it puts its eye.. only a tiny number of nations can say that.
Look all I’m saying is the Sopwith Camel had anti-ship weapons, was low observable and cheap… we didn’t have bothered with this 5th gen malarky
I’ve wondered whether the lack of ASM for F35 and the relegation of this role to helicopters such as Wildcat is borne out of similar decisions that left the fleet air arm with Swordfish biplanes instead of high performance monoplanes at the outset of WWII?
How dare you denigrate the Stringbags.
SPEAR 3?
A squadron of slow low flying swordfish would suffice
Joking aside, I do very much hope they are all ready to defend themselves against Houthi drones which have become noticeably more effective recently with a near miss on a French frigate and the US carrier Harry Truman having to manoeuvre to avoid taking a hit (which resulted in an F18 sliding off the deck). The phalanx might be the most important system to keep well maintained whilst they pass through the Red Sea.
Gareth, I am sure they will be ready for the Houthis – including flying CAPs with the jets.
I didn’t know that’s why the Truman lost the F/A-18. Did not see that in the press reports.
Would not want you a my side in a war..you joke
Man! isn’t that something.. Brill!!! Great pictures.
I want to see 24 F35 and 16 helicopters so I can count them and repost to the Russian Trolls on X 😀
Great to see, finally,
Showcasing the pinnacle of UK Naval Sea and Air Power to the watching World, A powerful reminder of the enormous persuasive influence this still great country brings to an unstable world.
“The lights will shine bright at the admiralty tonight”
“We are sailing, we are sailing, home again, cross the Sea, we are sailing, stormy waters, to be near you, to be free”
Magnificent.
Awesome pictures!!!
Two Tide tankers as well. Interesting to see such a close up picture of the Astute boat as well.
Wasn’t RFA Argus to join up with them too?
Argus was for the 2nd half and return leg.
I think the second tanker is more for the mass for the photo op?
Impressive images for sure, shame they’re sailing straight past Gibraltar, seems to spit in the face of tradition almost certainly on account of the presence of the Mendez Nunez. I saw on Twitter that there is at least some disquiet amongst the Gibraltarians over this, and quite right too.
I recognise that work with allies is essential, but degrading the sovereignty over our decision making process regarding what we do with our own CSG is humiliating and not on. I’m surprised that this inconvenient truth hasn’t been picked up on more widely, it warrants more attention.
I’m inclined to agree but I’m also not sure it’s worth poking a European ally in the eye at a time like this. Sweep it under the rug for now and all that
Fisher, working with allies is essential. NATO is all about that. Even US CSGs usually sail with some allied escorts.
My only gripe is we can only rustle up 2 RN surface ships to escort the Carrier. Is this going to change or do we need “cooperation” throughout the entire 7 month mission?
We could rustle up 2 x T45 and 2 x T23 but that would leave the cupboard bare for other threats.
As others have pointed out most carriers only have a tanker/stores and one or two escorts most of the time.
Fully formed up CSGs are not that common.
And of course the carrier group will be moving through the operations area of the two River Class OPVs. Pretty small fry but in the future similar deployments might be meeting with two Type 31 frigates in the Indo Pacific if they replace the Rivers in that role.
Is the initial air wing of 18 F35s and 14 helicopters now fully embarked? Most articles I’ve seen are pretty ambiguous.
Flight deck looks impressive there, but far from full.
I can count 12 F35s on deck in one of the photos, and one Merlin. I know there could be some in the air and some in the hangar, but doubt that could account for all of the difference.
Are you saying that it is impossible to fit the other 6 in the hanger?
I believe the practice at the moment is to only have aircraft in the hangar for maintenance etc., to save manpower.
The coating doesn’t actually look to be all that vulnerable, would be a damned poor effort on behalf of LM if it was considering both the B and the C are carrier jets.
Never underestimate LM ability to put in a poor effort 😂
Too true.
Remind me, when is SPEAR and Meteor integration happening?
Isn’t it 2028 now? Or should I say 2040?
Why wouldn’t you keep some in the hangar. Sea spray is awful for the stealth coatings.
I’ve nothing against keeping some in the hangar, but I doubt you can fit the other 15 helicopters plus 6 F35s in the hangar.
I stand corrected, Wiki tells me that the hangar has a max capacity of 20 aircraft, so 6 f35s plus 14 helis would just about fit.
But I doubt the decision would be made to pack the hangar so tightly in non-emergency circumstances.
Does anyone know if the 14 helis includes the two on Dauntless and Richmond?
So atleast we know an Astute class is also with them. Lots of Russian bots last week claiming there would not be one.
Now we have pictures.
Those Russian Bot’s and Trolls get on ones nerves, don’t they. They seem to be on all the social media sites, not seen any on here so far though. All is peaceful and calm.
Great to see the UK at the forefront once again.
“Number one, take her out, let’s see what’s out there”. “engage”.
We use to have many Russian trolls on here but since 2022 there numbers started getting smaller.
I think we all miss JohnM 😀
The last overtly Russian commenter was Ulya, who was actually quite a nice guy, however… misguided.
I think even the trolls have been put off by the savaging of the comments here 😂
PS I think I arrived in 2022, maybe I had something to do with it? 😉
Would love to see R09 (or R08) in Malta’s Grand Harbour, somewhat overdue now imo.
Not, typo in Incredible headine.
Excellent pics, many thanks George
I don’t think I can post links. But if you look at MT Anderson on twitter there’s a satellite shot of the group underway as well.
Wonderful pics, that Astute one, with the officers on the conning tower, is certainly getting ‘saved to phone’!
I assume the general brown colour of the flight deck is due to proximity to the Sahara?
You hope… or the heads just gave out in a big way 😱😱🤢🤢🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮
It’s the same for every ship.
That would have to be a seriously pressurised plumbing system to cover the whole CSG…
You just got to feel for them all.. what a mess.. I heard it was just after curry night as well
A picture that shows why a carrier is important..
You show up with 4 escorts off the coast of an opposing nation and they just look and carry on… you send a SSN they don’t even know it’s there ( unless it rains down death and destruction) … you send a carrier battle group and that potential enemy suddenly has to take into account a realist threat to any and all of its critical infrastructure… you just may prevent the need for death and destruction and the whole reason to spend a lot of money on your army, navy and airforce is so you never have to use it anger.. any member of the PLAN will tell you the greatest victory when an army does not turn up to fight, where the ultimate victory is achieved by subduing the enemy without engaging in battle.. that’s why you deploy carrier battle groups because deterrence needs to be communicated and that’s best done by a 70,000 capital ship.
Only thing more impressive was the rare combined US group with a carrier and battleship. I’ve always had a thing for those mean looking big gunned beasts 😍
Has a Zumwalt ever done a Photex with a CSG?
Are submarine movements no longer classified?
Now you see it and then you won’t 👍😀
The submarine could be in the Norwegian sea, mid Atlantic or eastern Mediterranean by next week, or it could be within a hundred miles of PoW. The point is we will never know.
They are, unless they’re presence sends a message.
Their.
To me the lack of ASM and aside from the SSN the total inability to sink another ship is the real limitation at present of UK CSG. If there was one capability I would procure above all other it would be to add JSM to UK F35B . Would also give us decent precision stand off land attack too . The Norwegians already field it on their A’s as do USAF and I believe the Aussie’s too so the software fit is there and apart from the cost clearly it shouldn’t be that difficult to field it on ours.
But they have NSM, Sea Venom and LMM in the anti ship capability. The next CSG will have SPEAR 3 embarked and an option for LRASM which will be interred on F35B by then although not in our stock.
Not to mention that an F35 with a paveway is a pretty potent anti-ship capability!
AND not to mention the whacking great Astute in frame
That means being dangerously close if you are targeting a warship of any significance. F35’s are not invisible to radar, they just get closer to it before being detected.
You can lob a bomb pretty far these days. 25km is a middle of the road estimate I’ve seen for paveway iv with the right height / trajectory. That’s would be towards the max range of a Sea Ceptor type system.
Not sure how a glide bomb would fare against those defence systems once it does get within range though – their flight paths are very predictable. But a saturation attack might do the trick (I suspect that’s a lot cheaper with bombs than missiles!).
HMS Richmond has NSM fitted as well as CAMM which has a secondary ASuW role.
Excellent photos even with all our woes we can still put together a potent naval force!
The new frigates can’t get here soon enough but they are on there way at least we are in a better position than alot of navies.
The Royal Navy is still a bench mark that’s why allied navies want to supply escort ships all is not gloom and doom😁
Great photos , best of luck to CSG 25 🇬🇧
As the French CSG returns to Toulon after 5 months of a very successful and highly effective “Clémenceau 25” mission in the Indo-Pacific with many jpint exercisrs with allies from India, Singapore, Japan, Australia and others, I wonder why so little was reported on this site considering that this deployment was just as important and significant as the British one.
The clue is in the name mate. That said, the authors of this site do accept guest articles if you’d like to write one on CdG
Great pic, but is there an escort missing?
I see Dauntless and Nunez. Was expecting there to be the Norwegian frigate, the Canadian frigate, and HMS Richmond; but can only see two of them. I think maybe Richmond is missing; has she taken a detour?
I think she’s right at the back on the right. The image is a bit fuzzy but you can see her Artisan.
Hi. I’m not qualified to write an article. Having said that, I would have thought that an article comparing the two CSGs would have been very interesting IMO