HMS Prince of Wales has set sail from Portsmouth ahead of leading the UK Carrier Strike Group on a major exercise in the North Sea.
The 65,000-tonne Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier is set to embark on an essential autumn training programme, which features the UK-led Exercise Strike Warrior. This exercise serves as a crucial preparatory phase for the vessel, its air group, and accompanying escorts in advance of a global deployment scheduled for the following year.
F-35B Lightning fighter aircraft from the joint Royal Navy and RAF 809 Naval Air Squadron are set to board the carrier as it commands a multinational naval task force of warships and collaborates with allied nations. This marks the inaugural deployment of 809 NAS with a Queen Elizabeth-class carrier, following its establishment at RAF Marham in Norfolk at the end of last year.
In addition to participating in Exercise Strike Warrior, the training provides the pilots of 809 Naval Air Squadron with the opportunity to obtain their carrier qualifications, operating both during the day and at night. Meanwhile, the engineers, technicians, and armourers involved will gain experience in maintaining and supporting the United Kingdom’s most advanced fighter aircraft under the more demanding conditions aboard a warship at sea.
The task group will also include Wildcat helicopters from 815 Naval Air Squadron, stationed at RNAS Yeovilton. These attack helicopters will utilize the Martlet missiles to enhance their air-to-air capabilities for the defence of the ship. HMS Prince of Wales dedicated the summer to ensuring her readiness for deployment. In late August, she embarked on Operational Sea Training, which confirmed the ship’s preparedness to manage any state 3 (peacetime) emergencies, ranging from fires to floods. Following Exercise Strike Warrior, she will achieve a heightened level of operational readiness.
After the completion of Exercise Strike Warrior, the aircraft and Carrier Strike Group personnel will disembark, and HMS Prince of Wales will proceed with her winter schedule, which includes a final support period in Portsmouth in preparation for the Carrier Strike Group’s deployment in 2025.
