Earlier today, the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales arrived in Australia alongside its Strike Group for an official visit to the city of Darwin, marking the first time since 1997 that a ship of this nature has reached the country. That previous instance refers to the visit of HMS Illustrious and its stop at the Fremantle base during the deployment known as Ocean Wave.
Expanding on the details known about the visit, it is worth noting that the Royal Navy’s flagship docked at HMAS Coonawarra naval base in Darwin, located in Australia’s Northern Territory. Upon arrival, the ship and its crew were welcomed both by their Royal Australian Navy allies and a delegation from the Indigenous Larrakia people, who honored them with a traditional welcome ceremony on lands that have historically belonged to them.
The arrival of HMS Prince of Wales and its Strike Group in Darwin marks the final stop in the force’s Indo-Pacific deployment, part of what has been called Operation Highmast—the Royal Navy’s largest planned mission of the year in terms of scale and duration. In recent weeks, the vessel took part in Talisman Sabre 25, the eleventh edition of the exercise hosted by Australia in cooperation with Papua New Guinea.
Delving further into details, the British aircraft carrier and its escort have participated in operations conducted along Australia’s northern coast in recent weeks, during which it even operated alongside the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington. As part of Talisman Sabre 25, British sailors joined a multinational force comprising 18 nations and a total of 35,000 personnel.
Regarding this, it’s worth recalling that the United Kingdom deployed approximately 4,500 personnel as part of the HMS Prince of Wales Strike Group. This figure includes 2,500 troops from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, 900 from the British Army, and 600 from the Royal Air Force. The carrier’s arrival in Darwin marks the halfway point of Operation Highmast, an eight-month mission involving a dozen of the UK’s international partners across the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific.
Image credits: Royal Navy
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