Royal Navy: What time will HMS Prince of Wales leave Portsmouth for Indo-Pacific mission? Big crowds expected

HMS Prince of Wales is set to depart from HMNB Portsmouth and head towards the Indo-Pacific. She will be taking charge of the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) - a large military formation of warships, aircraft and assets from British allies.

According to the King’s Harbour Master shipping movements, the 65,000 tonne carrier will leave the Victory Jetty at 12.45pm on Tuesday, April 22. She is expected to be seen sailing past The Round Tower in Old Portsmouth at roughly 1.50pm.

Alongside a Pilot and Tug Escort - joined by Ministry of Defence Police boats - HMS Prince of Wales will head towards the NAB Tower. HMS Dauntless, a Type 45 destroyer which is also part of the UKCSG, will follow behind her and leave the North West Wall at 3pm. Hundreds if not thousands of people are expected to line the Hot Walls and other viewing spots across the city to watch her depart.

The UKCSG will take part in an eight-month mission called Operation Highmast. This will consist of roughly 2,500 Royal Navy personnel and 592 RAF pilots joining forces for international military’s for a series of combat exercises and diplomatic visits. After sailing through the Mediterranean, Red Sea and Arabian Sea, the UKCSG will make several port visits to Malaysia, Singapore, India, Japan, Australia and elsewhere.

Around 900 British Army soldier will then join them for the exercises. One of the largest is Exercise Talisman Sabre off the coast of Australia, where 19 nations will carry out attack and defence drills involving warships, aircraft, and weapons. Other Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary assets will join HMS Prince of Wales, alongside a suite of aircraft capabilities and ships from Norway, Spain and Canada.

Defence secretary John Healey previously said: “This is a unique opportunity for the UK to operate in close coordination with our partners and allies in a deployment that not only shows our commitment to security and stability, but also provides an opportunity to bolster our own economy and boost British trade and exports.

“As one of only a handful of countries in the world able to lead a deployment of this scale, the Royal Navy is once again demonstrating its formidable capability while protecting British values and sending a powerful message of deterrence to any adversary.”