11th April 2025 at 1:56pm

A retired Royal Navy Commodore says the UK’s latest carrier strike group (CSG) deployment is a clear demonstration of a credible force – even without US warships in support.

Commodore Steve Prest, who served as Commander Weapon Engineer on HMS Queen Elizabeth, told the Sitrep podcast that the group’s ability to strike, deter, and reassure allies made it a “serious bit of capability”.

“The Carrier Strike Group is ultimately is designed to take action against heavily defended targets,” he said.

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“So the F-35, which is really the core element of the tip of the spear of the strike group, if you like, is designed to penetrate contested airspace and deliver ordinance in order to destroy targets to achieve military objectives.”

HMS Prince of Wales is due to leave Portsmouth on 22 April for an eight-month deployment.

She’ll be joined by HMS Dauntless, HMS Richmond, an Astute-class submarine, and RFA Tidespring.

Allied vessels from Norway, Spain and Canada will also take part, although the United States is not contributing a ship or aircraft this time.

Despite the change from 2021’s deployment led by HMS Queen Elizabeth, Cdre Prest said the group remains well defended.

“HMS Dauntless, a Type 45 destroyer absolutely on top of her game, is an exceptional air defence asset,” said Cdre Prest, who is a former Director of Navy Acquisition.

“HMS Richmond is there with a Sea Ceptor missile system, and they’ve been shown to be effective in that theatre… She’s well defended. Plus, of course, our Norwegian chums will be there providing escort duties as well.”

“Does it deliver all of the things that the Americans deliver? No,” he added. “But very few nations in the world can come anywhere near close to matching that.”

The deployment, named Operation Highmast, includes participation in Nato’s Neptune Strike exercise in the Mediterranean and operations with partners in the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, Japan and India.

Cdre Prest said the presence of the group is about more than military strength.

“It also sends a message to those who might seek to oppose the United Kingdom in its interest to say that actually we’re serious about this,” he said. “We have some credible capability. We are able to go places and do things.”

He also stressed the importance of building relationships through deployments like this.

“Nato in particular, but also these alliances in the Asia-Pacific, are an absolute cornerstone of the government’s defence policy,” he said.

“Because, as the Americans would famously say, you can’t surge trust.

“And there’s another saying that I came across recently from the Finns, which I thought was excellent. And they say you can only prepare in advance.”

The group will also test the use of drones to carry supplies between ships – a Royal Navy first.

Cdre Prest said this would help free up helicopters for more critical tasks like surveillance and anti-submarine missions.

“This is a fantastic and really interesting innovation,” he said.

The CSG is expected to operate in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Indo-Pacific before returning later this year.

You can listen to Sitrep wherever you get your podcasts, including on the BFBS Forces News YouTube channel.

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