As part of Operation Highmast 2025, the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R-09) arrived yesterday, June 23, at the port of Marina Bay in Singapore, as part of its deployment in the Indo-Pacific, reaffirming the United Kingdom’s naval presence alongside allies and strategic partners in this key region. The vessel docked with Lockheed Martin F‑35 fighters and Augusta/Westland Merlin helicopters displayed on its deck, with a crew of 1,600 personnel, in what represents the Royal Navy’s most ambitious naval mission in the region this year.
The carrier’s escort group includes the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless (D‑33), the Tide-class replenishment ship RFA Tidespring (A‑136), the Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen (F‑311), and, as of this week, the New Zealand Anzac-class frigate HMNZS Te Kaha (F‑77), which after participating in security patrols and counter-narcotics operations in the Indian Ocean alongside the Royal Navy, now joins the Strike Group for combined exercises in the region.
About 500 miles from Singapore, two other units of the deployment—the Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond (F‑239) and the Spanish Álvaro de Bazán-class Méndez Núñez (F‑104)—called at Jakarta, while the Canadian Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH‑332) visited Kuala Lumpur, expanding the multinational scope of the operation.
Regarding this, Captain Will Blackett, commander of HMS Prince of Wales, stated upon arriving in Singapore: “The entire Carrier Strike Group is looking forward to the upcoming port visits, which are vital for advancing defense diplomacy in support of economic and strategic objectives.”
Recently, the air group of HMS Prince of Wales experienced an incident when one of its F‑35B Lightning II fighters, conducting routine flights, had to make an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in India, after declaring an emergency and being unable to return to the carrier. According to the Indian Air Force, the aircraft was detected and identified by the IACCS network and cleared to land, receiving all necessary support for its repair and subsequent return to the carrier.
Operation Highmast 2025 represents a demanding months-long voyage for HMS Prince of Wales and its Strike Group, facing logistical and operational challenges throughout an extensive deployment in Indo-Pacific waters. This operation aims to ensure interoperability with other navies and keep strategic maritime routes open for global trade and security.
*Image credits: Royal Navy.
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