What has HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Dauntless and Carrier Strike Group done on the Pacific deployment so far?

HMS Prince of Wales has taken charge of the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) on an eight-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific region. Setting off from Portsmouth on April 22, the 65,000 tonne carrier is due to sail through the Mediterranean, the Red Sea via the Suez Canal, and towards the Pacific.

During Operation Highmast, various military drills will take place with international allies, alongside diplomatic visits in Japan, Australia and elsewhere. HMS Dauntless, HMS Richmond, RFA Tidespring, an Astute-class submarine, HMCS Ville de Québec (Canada), HNoMS Roald Amundsen (Norwegian frigate), HNoMS Maud (Norwegian tanker/support ship) and ESPS Mendez Nunez (Spanish frigate) will sail alongside the £3.2bn carrier.

Aerial assets consist of F-35B Lightning strike fighters (operated by RAF 617 Squadron ‘The Dambusters’ and 809 Naval Air Squadron ‘The Immortals’), Merlin Mk2 anti-submarine helicopters (814 and 820 Naval Air Squadron), Merlin Mk4 commando helicopters (845 Naval Air Squadron), Wildcat HMA (815 Naval Air Squadron) and T-150 Malloy and Puma drones.

The UKCSG reached the Mediterranean on April 30. Hundreds of Royal Navy sailors and RAF pilots - roughly 2,500 and 592 respectively - have been hard at work carrying out various exercises and other tasks.

Here is a roundup on what has happened on the deployment so far.

Photo Exercise

The whole military formation drew up for a photo exercise, with ships sailing in perfect harmony at certain distances and similar speeds. It’s a test for sailors to manoeuvre the vessels at the specific ranges for the UKCSG look picture perfect for the Royal Navy pHots.

It was also the first time an Astute-class submarine sail alongside HMS Prince of Wales outside UK waters for the first time. In a surprise addition, the Singaporean frigate RSS Formidable passed alongside the UKCSG as it drew up in formation. This was undertaken as part of Exercise Neptune Strike.

HMS Prince of Wales exercises and PM visit

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer stepped aboard the carrier to speak to sailors, aviators, Royal Marines and other personnel. He said the deployment sent a “clear message of strength to our adversaries”.

F-35b fighter jets set off from the flight deck to undertake night flying operations. This was to quality pilots who will carry out various drills in south-east Asia.

Replenishment at sea and helicopter drills

Support ships operated by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the Norwegian naval will play a vital role in keeping the deployment moving. They will transport crucial supplies including munitions, food, fuel, and other items.

Replenishment at sea drills - the process of transferring fuel and other resources form one vessel to another while they’re sailing - are one of the key operations these ships undertake. As part of training, RFA Tidespring carried out one of these drills with the Portuguese frigate NRP Bartololeue Dias - attached to the UKCSG for Exercise Neptune Strike.

Helicopter crews then practice winch training alongside the RFA Tideforce, a Tide-class replenishment tanker. Some Merlin Mk2 helicopters travelled to and from RAF Gibraltar during the process.

A total of 11 replenishments at sea were completed as of yesterday (May 1), with around 3,000 cubic meters of fuel - 3m litres - being transferred.

HMS Dauntless air defence drill

The Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless, described as “impressive” while she followed HMS Prince of Wales out of Portsmouth on April 22, is in charge with protecting the UKCSG from the air. Personnel put themselves through their paces during an Air Defence Exercise (ADEX). An F-35 fighter jet also carried out a fly past. Un-crewed aircraft were also trialled during different proceedings.