Royal Navy: "Formidable" HMS Prince of Wales will strike targets that threaten her in "dangerous" world, MP

Armed forces minister Luke Pollard said HMS Prince of Wales and the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) possess a strong arsenal that can handle any prospective threats.

Speaking on Tuesday (April 22) before the 65,000 aircraft carrier sailed past The Round Tower in Old Portsmouth, he told The News: “We should be under no doubt that anyone seeking to threaten the carrier, or any of the ships alongside her, that we possess formidable capabilities. We will defend the carrier and the other ships. Anyone thinking about that should really think again.”

HMS Prince of Wales will be taking charge of the UKCSG as part of an eight-month deployment to the Indo Pacific region. Various military exercises and diplomatic visits will be carried out in Japan, Australia and elsewhere. F-35B fighter jets, Merlin and Wildcat helicopters, Type 45 destroyers, Type 23 frigates, Royal Fleet Auxiliary support craft and assets from the Norwegian, Canadian and Spanish navies, will all be part of the deployment.

This operation has previously been described as the biggest deployment this century in terms of capability by the CSG Commander, Commodore James Blackmore, something which Mr Pollard concurs with. He said: “You see a real sense of pride that people have in the service of their loved ones aboard the carrier, but also this deployment really matters.

“It matters for the Royal Navy, our country, and the people of Portsmouth. These ships are the pride of Portsmouth. They are something which the community feels very strongly about. You can see that in the way that people are anticipating the carrier coming round and going out to sea. It’s an incredibly formidable deployment.”

Mr Pollard said thousands of people at the top of their game contribute heavily to the hard power the UKCSG possesses, which the government is continuing to invest in. He added that keeping HMS Tamer and HMS Spey permanently in the Indo-Pacific region provides vital support for diplomatic and military engagements in the region.

“We know the deployment of the carrier and everything that makes up the Carrier Strike Group are incredibly well received by our allies,” the Labour MP said. “That’s why so many of them are contributing and training with the ships as they pass through on the deployment. The Royal Navy is the mother navy of the world. They look to it for operating capabilities, training, and prestige for sailing alongside it.

“It's a multinational effort that we can be really proud of, with the UK leading these military efforts in a world which is more uncertain and dangerous. The ability for the UK to project our influence and values on a deployment like this matters more than ever.

“The men and women on board the Carrier Strike Group provide the deterrence just as much as the hardware alongside them. The combination of our people - those in uniform and those behind them in the civilian world - creates the deterrence.”