What has the crew of HMS Prince of Wales been up to and where is the flagship off to next?
HMS Prince of Wales has completed her maiden visit to Australia, marking the first time since 1997 that a Royal Navy aircraft carrier had visited the land Down Under.
The flagship's six-day stay in Darwin was part of her eight-month global deployment, leading Carrier Strike Group 25.
Over three months into the deployment, the vessel's 2,500-plus personnel had the chance to enjoy some down time in the largest city in Australia's Northern Territory, before setting course for Japan.
Trying kangaroo meat, but no time for the outback
"It's an experience being out in Australia," said 18-year-old chef Able Seaman Owen Altoft. "I enjoyed exploring Darwin, looking at the beaches and waterfront areas.
"I was going to go to the outback but didn't have enough time, so would definitely like to come back to Australia and visit again for that."
CSG25 is AB Altoft's first deployment. He said this is what he signed up for.
"This deployment has been great – seeing what the world's like, seeing different places, cultures and food," he explained.
"I tried kangaroo at the local food market and would try it again in a restaurant."
It is likely that many among HMS Prince of Wales' crew weren't born when the previous carrier, HMS Illustrious, docked in Fremantle in Western Australia in the late 1990s.
Supporting Oz's biggest military exercise
While in Australia, Carrier Strike Group 25 participated in Talisman Sabre, the country's biggest military exercise.
Although Talisman Sabre runs until the beginning of August, with UK Commando Forces committed ashore in northern Australia, the carrier group's involvement ended when the force arrived in Darwin last week.
Talisman Sabre saw a total of 40,000 personnel from 19 different countries take part, including more than 3,000 from the UK.
This was one of the key phases of Operation Highmast - the operational name of the CSG25 deployment.
F-35s over Japan: May the B variant unite us
The next leg of the Carrier Strike Group deployment will see the UK force link up with a Japanese carrier to focus on air operations.
The plan is to practise combined F-35 operations since both nations operate the same version of the fifth-generation strike fighter - the B variant.
The F-35B is the world's only stealth jet fighter with a short take-off/vertical landing capability, making it ideal to deploy as part of the UK's Carrier Strike Group.
While, the F-35A and F-35B are two of the most cutting-edge fighter jets currently in use, the UK, Japan and Italy are developing the newest sixth-generation Tempest, which is set to soar by 2035.
After a week of flying, the Carrier Strike Group will split. HMS Prince of Wales will continue to Japan, while others in the task group will head to South Korea.
Join Our Newsletter
