Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited the Royal Navy’s flagship HMS Prince of Wales on Wednesday, 24 April 2025, ahead of its departure on the UK’s premier naval deployment of the year, Operation Highmast.
The visit took place on the ship’s expansive flight deck, where the Prime Minister was given a detailed tour by Commodore James Blackmore, Commander of the UK Carrier Strike Group (COMUKCSG), alongside Captain Will Blackett, Commanding Officer of HMS Prince of Wales.
Joining the Prime Minister were Defence Secretary John Healey, Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Andrew Burns CB OBE, and CSG Commander Air Group Captain Colin McGannity.
HMS Prince of Wales leads an eight-month mission involving a dozen allied nations, with operations spanning the Mediterranean, Middle East, and western Pacific Rim. Known as Operation Highmast, the deployment is intended to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to global security, deepen military cooperation with allies, and promote British trade and defence industry interests.
According to the Ministry of Defence, “The goal is to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to the security of the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific region, demonstrate collective resolve with our allies and showcase British trade and industry.”
The Carrier Strike Group will involve more than 4,500 British personnel, including approximately 2,500 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines, 600 RAF personnel, and 900 British Army troops.
The Prime Minister’s high-profile visit underscores the government’s support for the UK’s growing strategic focus on the Indo-Pacific and the critical role of carrier-enabled power projection in maintaining security and freedom of navigation.
Has anybody else noticed how little press stuff there has been about CSG25?
You’d have thought that there would be pictures somewhere in the major newspapers, but all I’ve seen is Tom Sharpe’s piece in the Telegraph.
“Man overboard!” – Oh Sorry did I say that out loud…wishing thinking! 🙂
Its a pity there isn’t a second type 45 and type 23 available as escorts, nor RFA Fort Victoria or an Arleigh Burke class destroyer, still peacetime deployment, in a war setting you’d think Europe could easily muster enough escorts to provide a very potent carrier battle group.
European Navies between them have +80 major surface combatants of frigate or destroyer classes…including the UK, that’s easily a match for anything Russia can scrabble together. Just 6 of these vessels added to a QEC battle group when operating alongside RN escorts would be a very potent force.
The RN does need more frigates and destroyers- hopefully SDSR will green light another batch of type 31s and possibly a couple more type 26s- with a small uptick in RN personnel numbers.
We shall soon find out- Gov webstie stated last day of March that SDSR will be publish just before the NATO summit in June.
Not quite sure why the PM needs to wear a jacket stating his rank. Does he not think people will recognise him? We have, I believe, had two monarchs on these aircraft carriers neither of which seemed to need any introduction.
I’d be impressed if they had flown in on those F35s.
starmer ,’i see no ships😁!
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Man overboard drills anyone?
I bet they were thrilled when he turned up.
Why did he get back off??
Wednesday was the 23rd.
Less tours and more orders of ships , R.N. is in a catastrophoc situación.
does he even know what a ship is, it might identify as a boat
I have heard from a reliable source, that normally when he visits military establishments away from any cameras, he only talks to the big wigs. I think the photo of him talking to a leading hand may have been staged.
Nauseating. I see no sleeves pulled up, but at least the DS has hands on hips…..
At least he wasn’t wearing bell-bottoms and a flat white hat
And for balance what would everyone think about a primeminster who did not go aboard and visit the nations flagship as it went on a long world wide deployment ?
May visited the carriers, so did Boris….guess who was noticeable by not visiting the RNs flagship… Rishi Sunak
I personally think it’s the duty of the priminister to do these visits….its just what it is.