Royal Navy: Air squadron commander on HMS Prince of Wales hails "vital" aerial exercises on major deployment

F-35B Lightning stealth fighters from 809 Naval Air Squadron are operating on the flight deck of HMS Prince of Wales for the first time in 15 years. RAF Squadron 617 and The Dambuster have joined the 65,000 tonne warship for a moth of training in the North Sea.

The fifth-generation jets made the short flight from their base at RAF Marham so some personnel will learn how to operate aircraft from a carrier and gain specific qualifications. Commander Nick Smith said the embarkation of the F-35Bs on HMS Prince of Wales during her deployment is a milestone moment for the squadron. “This is a big moment for 809 Naval Air Squadron, a vital building block to working up with the carrier strike group in preparation for the deployment next year,” said Commander Smith.

“To be the commanding officer of a squadron with such a proud heritage is a huge privilege. We are still in our infancy forming as an F-35B squadron, so joining a carrier for the first time is truly a milestone.” The 809 Naval Air Squadron formed at the end of last year as the second of two UK front-line F-35B squadrons. Its personnel is drawn from the RAF and Fleet Air Arm, with a high proportion of them going on their first deployment at sea. Commander Smith added: “For me, it’s about forging one team, embracing everything from operating from the flight deck to arming and maintaining the F-35s in the hangar.”

Lieutenant Commander Armstrong, F-35 pilot, said while the Lightning aircraft is generations ahead of the Harrier craft which proceeded it, operating from a carrier remains a challenge in itself. He and his colleagues trained extensively on simulators before touching down on HMS Prince of Wales’ 920ft-long flight deck in real life. It’s a common misconception that everything on an F-35 is automated,” he said. “The aircraft will relieve you of a great deal of the workload. Landing is easier, but not easy. Imagine approaching, in the dark, 105ft above the ship, then moving across to set down on the deck.”

Commander Smith added: “The fundamentals of operating F-35B at sea, compared to land – whether you are a pilot or an engineer – are broadly the same. It’s just that everything is much more challenging on a ship. It’s noisier, windier and much darker at night, while space is far more confined in every sense.” For RAF Sergeant “Thorpy” Thorpe, this will be his first deployment at sea, despite working side-by-side with the Royal Navy for four years. He’s part of a team of six experienced non-commissioned officers/senior ratings responsible for the mechanical side of Lightning maintenance. Sgt Thorpe is excited ahead of the carrier’s deployment to Japan next year.

“On paper eight months is a long time away, but if you look at the potential stops involved – places we in the air force wouldn’t normally visit,” he said. “I’ve worked alongside the Navy for four years now and while there are slightly different skills and trades, at the end of the day, we’re all working to the same, high, professional standard. There’s some good banter – and that’s absolutely a good sign that we get on. We go out of our way to call the carrier a ‘boat’ and ask where it’s ‘parked’ to wind up sailors – who always like to remind us that they are the ‘senior service’.” HMS Prince of Wales will soon be heading to the North Sea, near Scotland, to lead the UK Carrier Strike Group on a fortnight-long operation - Exercise Strike Warrior.