Britain's Defence Secretary John Healey has declared HMS Prince of Wales at "full capability", with the Royal Navy aircraft carrier ready for UK deployment within five days and NATO operations within ten days. Healey made the announcement on Monday during a visit to the vessel anchored off Naples alongside Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
The carrier, one of two in Royal Navy service, carries the largest number of fifth-generation F-35 jets from a single nation ever deployed on a carrier. It forms the centrepiece of the first carrier strike group placed under NATO command, marking what Healey called the UK's "NATO first policy in practice".
The Navy flew 36 F-35 sorties in a single day off the carrier on Friday, the highest rate since the Falklands war in 1982. The jets participated in NATO Exercise Falcon Strike, a joint exercise with Italian aircraft.
Message to Adversaries
Healey framed the announcement as a signal to potential threats. «This today sends a message to Putin and any would-be adversaries,» he said. «The UK and the 20 nations that have been part of this carrier strike group over the last eight months, we are ready together to stand up and reinforce global security and global deterrence.»
He added: «It will be fully ready for NATO commanders at 10 days' notice. It's fully ready for the UK at five days' notice. That's the capability, having two fully operational carriers. It gives the UK our unique strength and unique contribution to NATO as a European nation.»
Eight-Month Deployment
The carrier strike group recently completed an eight-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific, according to Commodore James Blackmore, the UK carrier strike group commander. The group sailed 40,000 miles, operated ships from ten different nations, and worked with 20 different countries.
Future deployments will see the carrier integrate uncrewed ships, uncrewed aircraft, and a hybrid crewed and uncrewed air wing into its strike group, Healey said.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
