They're back! F-35Bs on deck as HMS Prince of Wales leads UK Carrier Strike Group
F-35B Lightning jets from 809 Naval Air Squadron are on the deck of HMS Prince of Wales as she leads the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) in the Atlantic and High North region.
Working alongside allied navies and air forces, the UKCSG is conducting various exercises to strengthen collective defence and bolster security across Nato's northern flank.
Named Operation Firecrest, the deployment comes against the backdrop of increased Russian military activity in the North Atlantic.
The Carrier Strike Group includes both RAF and Royal Navy F-35B fifth-generation fighter jets.
On 6 June, the Ministry of Defence said "a minor technical issue" was detected on the HMS Prince of Wales while it was docked in Stavanger, a port city in south-western Norway – and the ship was expected to return to sea a few days later.
The warship, which is the largest in the Royal Navy and generally based in Portsmouth, was joined by Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan and tanker RFA Tidespring as she sailed to Nordic waters.
Prior to her deployment last month, HMS Prince of Wales loaded up with ammunition and took on supplies at the Glen Mallan jetty in Loch Long.
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