HMS Prince of Wales is leading Carrier Strike Group 25 – but who's sailing with her?
Multiple ships, frigates, destroyers and submarines are preparing to set sail for Carrier Strike Group 25.
Also known as Operation Highmast, the UK is partnering with 12 other nations to strengthen European security across the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific regions.
HMS Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy's flagship, is spearheading the operation – but who else is sailing with her and what capabilities do they bring? Here's a look at some of the ships and boats taking part.
HMS Prince of Wales
HMS Prince of Wales is the largest ship the Royal Navy has ever built.
Alongside a crew of about 700 personnel, the vessel has three Phalanx Gatling guns, multiple other machine guns and a top speed of 32 knots.
She also carries her own airborne early warning helicopters and will have up to 24 F-35B Lightning jets embarked.
The F-35B is the UK's premier strike fighter, and the jets themselves offer the group considerable extra defensive and offensive capability.
HMS Prince of Wales is scheduled to sail from Portsmouth on 22 April, where she will join a formation of warships, supply ships and aircraft off the coast of Cornwall.
HMS Dauntless
Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless is one of the vessels accompanying the carrier.
Specialising in air defence, she will be the primary point of protection for the aircraft carrier.
Dauntless benefits from an upgraded propulsion system and is equipped with Sea Viper missiles capable of engaging airborne targets up to 75 miles away.
Her top speed is 30 knots and in addition to her Sea Vipers she's armed with a 4.5-inch main gun, Phalanx Gatling guns and 30mm Oerlikon cannons.
HMS Richmond
Also in the force is the Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond – a specialist anti-submarine hunter carrying Sting Ray torpedoes.
Richmond is equipped with the latest Sea Ceptor air defence missile system which can engage targets up to 15 miles away.
She also has a 4.5- inch main gun and smaller close-in weapons systems.
Both Dauntless and Richmond carry Wildcat helicopters with Martlet multi-role missiles.
RFA Tidespring
Tidespring is a Royal Fleet Auxiliary Tide Class tanker.
This ship was also the primary replenishment vessel on the previous CSG21 deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2021.
This RFA vessel will typically stay close to the aircraft carrier. Tidespring carries two Phalanx Gatling guns for close-in defence.
The crew is approximately 60 ranks, not including any protection parties and helicopter maintenance personnel. The ship has hers own hangar and can carry a Wildcat or Merlin helicopter.
Astute Class Submarine
The CSG will also include submarine protection. The submarine on the previous CSG21 deployment was HMS Astute.
This class of submarine is powered by a nuclear reactor and can travel underwater at speeds up to 30 knots.
She has a crew of around 100 and is armed with Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The submarine will be in the same region as the CSG but her location will normally be secret apart from port visits.
Her range is only limited by the amount of food she can carry and is capable of circumnavigating the globe without surfacing.
HNoMS Roald Amundsen
Multiple international ships are also taking part in the operation, such as the Norwegian frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen.
This highly sophisticated warship has a crew of 120, and her weapons systems include the defensive Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile with a range of more than 30 miles.
She also carries the deadly Norwegian-made Naval Strike Missile for surface targets – a weapon the Royal Navy is also bringing in.
Amundsen's main armament is a 76mm Melara Super Rapid gun.
HNoMS Maud
This ship is also a replenishment oiler and was constructed at the same shipyard in South Korea as RFA Tidespring, so both ships are visually similar.
She is armed with four Protector .50 calibre remotely controlled weapons stations.
Both Maud and Tidespring can carry limited quantities of weapons ordinance and supplies for the CSG.
ESPS Mendez Nunez
With a crew of 250, Spanish frigate ESPS Mendez Nunez carries a 5-inch gun.
For air defence, she has Standard SM-2 missiles plus Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles.
She also carries Harpoon missiles for anti-ship warfare, and the frigate is normally equipped with a Sea Hawk helicopter.
HMCS Ville de Quebec
Representing Canada is the frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec, which has a crew of about 250.
As well as Harpoon anti-ship missiles and Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles, Ville de Quebec's main armament is a Bofors 57mm Naval Automatic Gun.
It is believed the Ville de Quebec won't be with the Carrier Strike Group for the whole deployment,
Instead, she will depart the CSG in the Far East and head back across the Pacific to Canada.
The group will initially be placed under Nato command as it joins Exercise Neptune Strike, before transiting through the Indian Ocean.
CSG25 will conduct exercises and port visits with partners including the US, India, Singapore and Malaysia before joining 19 partner nations for Exercise Talisman Sabre near Australia.
For more reports about Carrier Strike Group 25 click here.
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