Dramatic new photographs from the deck of HMS Prince of Wales offer a rare glimpse into the intensity of night-time flight operations during Operation Highmast, the UK’s flagship carrier deployment to the Indo-Pacific.
Captured by Leading Photographer Bill Spurr and released by the Ministry of Defence, the images show British and American F-35B stealth fighters conducting take-offs and landings in near-total darkness. Pilots from the Royal Navy and U.S. Marine Corps’ VMFA-242 squadron are seen working in close coordination with deck crews under the glow of red and green lights.
These striking scenes unfold aboard HMS Prince of Wales as the ship leads Carrier Strike Group 25 through the Indo-Pacific phase of the eight-month deployment. Now operating in Asian waters following visits to Singapore and Australia, the task group has previously sailed through the Mediterranean, Middle East and Indian Ocean.
The images underscore the complexity of flight operations at sea, particularly under low-visibility conditions, and highlight the precision required by both aircrew and deck personnel to maintain operational tempo and safety during round-the-clock sorties.
The MOD says Operation Highmast involves more than 4,500 British military personnel across the Royal Navy, RAF and British Army. HMS Prince of Wales is supported by multiple destroyers, frigates and auxiliaries as part of a wider effort to strengthen defence ties with regional partners and reaffirm the UK’s commitment to Indo-Pacific security.
The ship herself
HMS Prince of Wales is a Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier operated by the Royal Navy and based at HMNB Portsmouth. At full load, the vessel displaces approximately 80,600 tonnes and measures 284 metres in length with a beam of 73 metres overall. The carrier features nine decks below the flight deck, with 16,000 square metres of aviation space. It has a top speed tested at 32 knots and a range of 10,000 nautical miles.
The ship’s sensors include the S1850M long-range radar, Type 997 Artisan 3D radar, and Ultra Electronics electro-optical systems. Armament consists of Phalanx CIWS, 30mm DS30M Mk2 guns, and .50 calibre heavy machine guns. The standard ship’s company is 679, with the ability to carry up to 1,600 personnel, including 250 troops.
The vessel has significant aviation capabilities, including a hangar, two aircraft lifts, and support infrastructure for fuelling and rearming. It is designed to operate a carrier air wing of around 24 F-35B Lightning II aircraft alongside various helicopter types such as the Merlin, Chinook, Wildcat, and Apache. The ship also supports airborne surveillance aircraft under the Maritime Airborne Surveillance Capability (MASC) programme.
Construction began in 2011 at Rosyth Dockyard, and the carrier was formally commissioned into Royal Navy service on 10 December 2019, the 78th anniversary of the loss of the previous HMS Prince of Wales.
In 2023, HMS Prince of Wales undertook a series of uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) trials. These included logistics tests with W Autonomous Systems in the English Channel and, later, more advanced flight operations in the United States. On 15 November 2023, a General Atomics Mojave UAV successfully launched from and landed on the carrier’s flight deck, marking the first time such a large uncrewed system operated from a non-US Navy carrier.
In 2024, the ship replaced HMS Queen Elizabeth in Exercise Steadfast Defender, deploying to Norway and returning to Portsmouth on 26 March, and eventually sailing for this deployment.
I thought it was designed for a 40 aircraft air group not 24. How many aircraft are on it now? 18 British F35s, 10 American + 6 Merlins = 34 aircraft. So it is still operating under capacity.