Royal Navy: HMS Prince of Wales assembles alongside Portsmouth ships and Strike Group for North Sea exercise

HMS Prince of Wales will lead the UK Carrier Strike Group as Exercise Strike Warrior starts today (October 14). Operations will involve military drills, preparing pilots and sailors for a future deployment to Japan and the Indo-Pacific region in 2025 - where British warships will join international forces.

Commodore James Blackmore, Commander of the UK Carrier Strike Group, is running the exercise from the 65,000 tonne aircraft carrier alongside his staff, who are all tasked with ensuring group works as a highly effective unit. He said: “The UK’s Carrier Strike Group is the 1* battle staff that commands the fleet embarked on HMS Prince of Wales.

“This exercise is important because it will validate my team as a ‘Very High Readiness’ force, which means we can be ready to command a fleet with a few days’ notice. This is all in preparation for next year’s exercise across which will see us traverse the globe to achieve.”

The assets forming Exercise Strike Warrior include F-35B Lightning jets, frigates, destroyers, submarines, Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) tankers, and helicopters. They are tasked with working in harmony to carry out operations they’ll come across on deployments. Aircraft support is being provided by the RAF for anti-submarine drills - testing the air defence capability of the group.

HMS Prince of Wales will be joined by two Portsmouth-based ships - Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless and Type 23 frigate HMS Iron Duke - as well as HMS Portland and an Astute-class submarine. HMS Portland will be tasked with anti-submarine operations, aided by Merlin helicopters and P8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft from the RAF.

HMS Dauntless will be carrying out air-defence drills, being equipped with Sampson radars and Sea Viper missiles. Both systems were successfully used by HMS Diamond to counter drones and missiles while she was on deployment in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. An Astute-class hunter killer submarine will act as underwater opposition to the strike group.

Intense warfare scenarios will be replicated over the next two weeks, which will include protecting the £3.2bn aircraft carrier from threats. This will involve her air group carrying out flying operations throughout. NATO warships from Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 - the alliance’s premier task force in Northern European waters - will join the Carrier Strike Group throughout the operation.

The two task forces will test tactics across a range of scenarios. These will include anti-submarine warfare, countering attacks from un-crewed systems, air defence exercises, pilot rescues and practising sailing through narrow straits while facing opposition. F-35B jets from 809 Naval Air Squadron will be flying sorties - which involves making an attack from a defensive position. Pilots will carry out mock mock long-range strikes.

It is the first time Marham-based 809 have deployed on the carrier after standing up at the end of last year. Commanding Officer Commander Nick Smith said: “The F-35 Lightning Force, specifically the front-line units 617 Squadron and 809 Naval Air Squadron, bring the headline Carrier Strike capability to the task group. The 5th Generation capability we bring ranges from projection of firepower ashore, to support of other theatre assets or defence of the task group.”