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HMS Prince of Wales gets ready to sail for major carrier strike exercise
26 September 2024
HMS Prince of Wales will sail from Portsmouth this weekend ahead of leading the UK Carrier Strike Group on a major exercise in the North Sea.
The 65,000-tonne carrier will depart for a critical autumn training programme – which includes the major Exercise Strike Warrior – that is a key stepping stone for the ship, her air group and escorts ahead of a global deployment next year.
HMS Prince of Wales will sail from Portsmouth on Saturday morning – weather permitting – and head to the exercise area off the Scottish coast after qualifying her air wing off Cornwall.
F-35B Lightning jets from joint Royal Navy/RAF 809 Naval Air Squadron will embark on the carrier as she leads a multinational naval task force of warships and works alongside partner nations.
It is the first time 809 NAS will deploy with a Queen Elizabeth-class carrier, having formed at RAF Marham in Norfolk at the end of last year.
As well as taking part in Strike Warrior, the exercise gives the pilots of 809 NAS the chance to achieve their carrier qualifications, operating by day and night – while engineers, technicians and armourers supporting will learn how to maintain and support the UK’s most advanced fighter in the more challenging conditions of a warship at sea.
The jets will be joined in the task group by Wildcat helicopters from 815 Naval Air Squadron, based at RNAS Yeovilton. These attack helicopters will take the opportunity to develop their air-air capability using the Martlet missiles to defend the ship.
HMS Prince of Wales spent the summer ensuring she’s ready to deploy. In late August, she sailed to conduct Operational Sea Training, achieving assurance the ship is ready to handle any state 3 (peacetime) emergency from fires to floods. After Exercise Strike Warrior, she will be at a higher level of operational readiness.
Once Exercise Strike Warrior is complete, the aircraft and Carrier Strike Group staff will disembark and HMS Prince of Wales will continue with her winter programme including a final support period in Portsmouth ahead of the Carrier Strike Group 2025 deployment.