A Steel Tide Rising: HMS Prince of Wales and the UK's Highmast Voyage into the Indo-Pacific

As the spring of 2025 unfurled, a steel leviathan, HMS Prince of Wales, slipped its moorings in Portsmouth, the Royal Navy’s newest aircraft carrier embarking on an odyssey that reaches far beyond the horizon. Operation Highmast, the United Kingdom's premier naval endeavour for the year, is underway – an eight-month maritime reach, diplomatic intent with the intricate dance of global power projection. This is more than a deployment; it's a statement, carrying nearly 2,500 personnel initially – a number set to swell past 4,500 during critical manoeuvres – and weaving together the threads of over a dozen allied nations into a single, formidable maritime adventure.

At its heart, Highmast is the sharp end of Britain's 'Indo-Pacific Tilt,' a strategic compass adjusted in 2021, pointing towards a region pulsating with economic vitality yet increasingly defined by geopolitical currents. The waters HMS Prince of Wales and her multinational guardians navigate are arguably choppier, the global security climate more challenging than that faced by her sister ship's voyage four years prior. The mission: to send an undeniable message of sophisticated naval and air capability, and to showcase a uniquely British attribute – the 'convening power' to marshal international partners beyond traditional alliances.

Leading this maritime enterprise is HMS Prince of Wales (R09), a 65,000-tonne sovereign airfield capable of housing around 1,600 personnel when its potent air wing is fully embarked. Yet, the shield around this spearhead, the UK’s own escort contingent, reveals a narrative of ambition tempered by reality. One Type 45 destroyer, HMS Dauntless, provides the primary air defence umbrella, while a single Type 23 frigate, HMS Richmond – reportedly upgraded for enhanced data sharing – focuses on the underwater threat. Lurking unseen is an Astute-class nuclear attack submarine, a silent guardian wielding formidable intelligence and strike capabilities. Sustaining this force is the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker, RFA Tidespring.

This leaner UK escort package, roughly half that of the 2021 deployment and below doctrinal ideals, underscores the tangible constraints facing the modern Royal Navy – challenges of ship availability and crewing that necessitate a reliance on partners not merely as welcome additions, but as essential components from the outset. This interdependence elevates multinational synergy from a desirable feature to an operational imperative.

Soaring from the carrier’s deck is the mission's kinetic edge and a primary objective in itself. Up to two dozen UK F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters, drawn from the legendary 'Dambusters' (No. 617 Sqn RAF) and the reborn 'Immortals' (No. 809 Naval Air Sqn), are set to deploy. This marks the first time two UK F-35B squadrons will operate together from a carrier at sea, with the explicit goal of achieving Full Operating Capability (FOC) during Highmast. This ambition transforms the deployment into a crucial validation of the UK's multi-billion-pound investment in carrier strike. Supporting the fighters is a significant rotary wing contingent: nine Merlin Mk2 helicopters providing anti-submarine and airborne surveillance (using the Crowsnest radar – the group's 'eyes and ears'), alongside Commando Merlin Mk4s for transport and Wildcat HMA Mk2s for reconnaissance and surface attack. Intriguingly, the mission also carries an experimental edge, testing nine heavy-lift T-150 drones for ship-to-ship resupply – a potential glimpse into the future of naval logistics.

Operation Highmast is, by intention, 'international by design.' Norway commits the frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen for the entire duration and a tanker for European waters. Canada sends HMCS Ville de Québec, Spain deploys ESPS Méndez Núñez for the Mediterranean and beyond, while New Zealand's HMNZS Te Kaha is slated to join in the Indian Ocean. Interactions with an Italian carrier group are planned, and engagements with key partners like Japan, Australia, and the United States are pivotal, even without a dedicated US Navy escort integrated throughout as in 2021. The participation list hints at a broader coalition, potentially involving Denmark, France, South Korea, India, Singapore, and Malaysia at various stages, reflecting the mission's diplomatic resonance.

From April to December 2025, the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) carves a path through the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and into the vast expanse of the Pacific, potentially engaging with up to 40 nations. Early tests under NATO command during Exercise Neptune Strike off France will hone high-end warfighting skills. The Mediterranean phase sees collaboration with Italian naval forces. A cornerstone engagement is Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 in July-August, co-hosted by Australia and the US – the largest iteration yet, involving 19 nations and focusing on multi-domain operations across land, air, sea, space, and cyber. Engagements with India, Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan punctuate the Indo-Pacific leg, reinforcing regional security ties and potentially involving exercises under the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA).

Beyond military manoeuvres, the deployment serves multifaceted aims: reaffirming NATO solidarity, upholding the rules-based international order (including freedom of navigation), providing credible deterrence, showcasing UK industrial prowess during port visits to hubs like Singapore, Japan, and India, and critically, knitting allied forces into a more seamless, interoperable whole.

The ambition of Operation Highmast is not without considerable challenges. The long journey traverses volatile regions. The Red Sea passage presents a direct threat from Houthi attacks. Operations in the South China Sea, especially any Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) challenging Beijing's expansive maritime claims, risk escalating tensions with China and its rapidly modernising navy. A potential transit of the Taiwan Strait – international waters China deems sensitive – represents a significant political decision point, balancing the assertion of international law against the risk of provocation.

Logistical sinews will be stretched thin over the eight-month duration, particularly with the absence of a dedicated UK solid stores ship, placing greater reliance on tankers and allied support. Perhaps the most critical internal risk lies with the flagship itself. Both Queen Elizabeth-class carriers have faced well-publicised issues with their propulsion systems. A major breakdown far from home could jeopardise the entire mission and severely impact perceptions of UK capability. Maintaining the sophisticated F-35B force at high tempo also presents known hurdles related to maintenance and personnel.

The deployment inevitably strains UK defence resources, tying up high-value assets and demanding intense commitment from personnel. Despite the risks, the potential rewards are substantial. Diplomatically, Highmast is a powerful tool for strengthening alliances, demonstrating the UK's 'convening power,' and enhancing its global standing. By actively operating in contested waters, it makes a tangible contribution to upholding the freedom of navigation vital for global trade – including the £286 billion of UK trade linked to the Indo-Pacific (year to Sept 2024).

Militarily, achieving F-35 FOC would be a landmark success, validating years of investment and cementing the UK's status as a top-tier carrier power. The intense, multinational environment offers unparalleled experience for crews and commanders, sharpening interoperability with key partners. The deployment visibly projects UK power, contributing to collective deterrence and reassuring allies. Even the drone trials offer potential insights for future operations. Strategically, it puts tangible weight behind the Indo-Pacific Tilt policy, complementing allied efforts and allowing for deeper bilateral defence cooperation through exercises like Talisman Sabre and engagements with Japan.

The name HMS Prince of Wales carries a heavy resonance. Its predecessor, a battleship, was tragically lost to air power off Malaya in December 1941, a stark lesson in naval vulnerability. As the current carrier passes near that underwater war grave, ceremonies will undoubtedly connect this mission to the sacrifices of the past, perhaps adding a layer of solemn resolve to demonstrate enduring national resilience and technological evolution.

Operation Highmast emerges as a defining venture for the UK in the mid-2020s. It is a powerful expression of global ambition, meticulously planned yet undeniably operating within the bounds of available resources. Its heavy reliance on international partnership is both a celebration of British diplomacy and a reflection of modern strategic necessity.

This deployment is a litmus test – for the hardware, for the personnel, for the alliances, and for the strategic direction itself. Its success hinges on seamless international cooperation, adept navigation of geopolitical fault lines, the reliability of complex machinery, and the skill and dedication of thousands serving far from home. The ripples from this eight-month voyage – whether of triumph or tribulation – will undoubtedly influence the currents of UK defence strategy and its place on the world stage for years to come. It is a steel tide rising, carrying national aspirations on a global journey fraught with challenge but rich with possibility.