Royal Navy: HMS Prince of Wales to make triumphant return to Portsmouth after huge Nato exercise - when

HMS Prince of Wales will be back in the Solent tomorrow following Exercise Steadfast Defender - Nato's largest military operation since The Cold War. According to the King's Harbour master shipping movements, the 65,000 tonne vessel will be sailing towards the Princess Royal Jetty at 12.30pm.

She will be travelling past The Round Tower in the same timeframe. HMS Prince of Wales replaced her sister ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, as the lead aircraft carrier of the UK Carrier Strike Group (CSG). The group carried out manoeuvres alongside allied vessels in Exercise Joint Warrior in February before proceeding to the North Sea for more intense operations.

She joined more than 30 ships, four submarines, multiple aircraft from maritime patrol to F-35 Lightning jets and more than 20,000 personnel from different nations off the coast of Norway to conduct surface, air and land scenarios. Nations represented include Canada, Denmark, France, Spain, Norway and others. A formation of 15 ships formed in March for close manoeuvres as part of Exercise Nordic Response.

Commodore James Blackmore, Commander of the UK Carrier Strike Group, said it was the largest maritime manoeuvre of the exercise; adding that they were "challenging to plan" but demonstrated might and capability once they were organised.

Some of the ships involved in the operation included USS Paul Ignatius, ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbon, HMS Portland, HNLMS Karel Doorman, HNOMS Magnus Lagabote, RFA Tidespring, HNOMS Olav Tyrggvason, ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, FS Normandie, RFA Mounts Bay, HNOMS Otto Sverdrup, HNOMS Gnist, Kv Bjornoya and FGS Bonn.