UK Carrier Strike Group, Led by HMS Prince of Wales, Joins NATO's Falcon Strike Exercise in Mediterranean

UK Carrier Strike Group Integrates into Key NATO Exercise

The UK Carrier Strike Group (CSG), led by the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09), has recently integrated into NATO's Exercise Falcon Strike in the Mediterranean Sea. This significant multinational drill comes as the CSG approaches the culmination of its extensive eight-month global deployment, known as Operation Highmast.

The exercise, primarily hosted by Italy, commenced on November 3 and is scheduled to conclude on November 14, 2025. It involves more than 1,000 personnel and over 50 aircraft from participating nations, including Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Greece.

Focus on Fifth-Generation Air Power and Interoperability

A central objective of Exercise Falcon Strike is to enhance the integration of fourth and fifth-generation aircraft into cohesive formations, refining tactics for modern air combat. Participants are also training in Agile Combat Employment (ACE), a concept designed to test NATO's ability to rapidly deploy and operate from dispersed locations while maintaining combat effectiveness.

The HMS Prince of Wales has embarked an unprecedented 24 F-35B Lightning II jets from 809 Naval Air Squadron and 617 Squadron, marking the largest concentration of fifth-generation fighters ever assembled on a British aircraft carrier. This milestone is crucial for the carrier to achieve its Full Operational Capability certification.

Composition and Strategic Importance of the Deployment

The UK Carrier Strike Group for this phase includes a formidable array of vessels:

• Aircraft carrier: HMS Prince of Wales (R09)
• Destroyer: HMS Dauntless (D33)
• Frigate: HMS Richmond (F239)
• Royal Norwegian Navy frigate: HNoMS Roald Amundsen (F311)
• Fleet oiler: RFA Tideforce (A139)

Commodore James Blackmore, Commander of the Carrier Strike Group, emphasized that the exercises with NATO allies are 'a real demonstration of the warfighting readiness' of the UK CSG. The eight-month Operation Highmast deployment has spanned over 26,000 nautical miles and involved engagement with 40 nations, reinforcing the UK's role as a leading European power contributing fifth-generation aircraft and carrier capabilities to NATO.

Deployment Nears Conclusion

Having transited through the Red Sea and Suez Canal after five months of operations in the Indo-Pacific, the UK CSG's return to the Mediterranean signifies the final stages of its extensive mission. The group is expected to return to its homeport of Portsmouth in the first week of December.