HMS Prince of Wales returns to Portsmouth after success of Strike Warrior
The Royal Navy's largest warship HMS Prince of Wales has returned to Portsmouth naval base – and it was live-streamed by BFBS Forces News.
The 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier headed back to her home port after joining forces with one of her US counterparts on Exercise Strike Warrior, a powerful demonstration of resolve and cooperation in the North Sea.
While at sea, the UK Carrier Strike Group, which was spearheaded by HMS Prince of Wales, and the US Carrier Strike Group 8, which centred on the USS Harry S Truman, joined forces in a display of Nato's ability to project power from the sea.
Prince of Wales hosted US Strike Group Commander Rear Admiral Sean Bailey, who watched British F-35B Lightning stealth fighters launch from her flight deck – then join the Truman's F/A-18 Super Hornets and an E/A-18G Growler conduct a flypast of the two naval groups.
The UK Carrier Strike Group also involved an associated air wing, escorts, supporting vessels and almost 2,000 personnel.
Exercise Strike Warrior was one of the final milestones in the preparations of the Strike Group to undertake a global deployment to the Indo-Pacific region in 2025.
Lightnings from the UK's new frontline strike fighter unit, 809 Naval Air Squadron, have been operating from the deck of HMS Prince of Wales, training for strike missions that included the dropping of live ordnance onto the Cape Wrath range in Scotland.
It involved warships and support vessels from the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary along with elements of the British Army, Royal Air Force and Nato warships from Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Germany and Portugal.
The RAF supported the anti-submarine defence of the Carrier Strike Group by providing Poseidon P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, while other Nato aircraft supported the F-35s in defending the strike group from "aggressor” aircraft" that were threatening the fleet.
Since setting sail from Portsmouth last month HMS Prince of Wales's aircraft have conducted 71 sorties accounting for 210 hours airborne, and the F-35s dropped four Paveway bombs on the Cape Wrath range.
Strike Warrior concludes an intensive early autumn of training for the carrier and her 750-strong company.
Her Commanding Officer, Captain Will Blackett, said it had been hard work – but all had benefited from the training.
He said: "We have made huge strides, from improving our ability to deal with emergencies internal to the ship to refining task group defensive tactics, all the way through to accurately delivering live munitions on simulated targets at reach.
"This ship is amazing – and my people are even better."
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