Royal Navy to confront China: Aircraft carrier to lead strike group in Indo-Pacific to counter growing threat of aggression from Beijing

The Royal Navy will step up patrols in the Indo-Pacific to counter China’s increasingly expansionist agenda in the region.

HMS Prince of Wales will lead the Carrier Strike Group 2025 expedition in a bid to deter Beijing’s aggressive moves, which have seen its military build military bases on previously uninhabited archipelagos.

The aircraft carrier, Britain’s largest warship, has been conducting preparatory exercises with its American counterpart USS Harry S Truman in the North Sea in recent days as part of the UK-led Exercise Strike Warrior.

Speaking to Commonwealth leaders in Samoa last night, Sir Keir Starmer vowed not to turn a “blind eye to the challenges facing our friends and partners on the other side of the world”.

“My message today is clear: this is just the beginning of our commitment to the Indo-Pacific,” he added.

The CSG 25 mission was unveiled in 2023 by the then defense secretary, Grant Shapps, to add to the two patrol vessels the UK currently has in the area – HMS Spey and HMS Tamar.

On the mission, HMS Prince of Wales will be accompanied by Norwegian and Japanese ships.

With a minimum crew of 700, which can rise to 1,600 depending on how many fighter jets and helicopters it carries, HMS Prince of Wales will outnumber the other ships involved in the operation.

It has been joined by other NATO allies such as Finland and Belgium in training over the past month.

The planes took off from the 230-foot by 920-foot flight deck 71 times to spend a total of 210 hours — nearly nine days — in the air, including practice bombing runs by F-35 stealth jets .

“Intensive warfare scenarios” in the North Sea were supposed to prepare those on and around HMS Prince of Wales to protect her from a range of threats, including anti-submarine warfare, countering attacks from unmanned systems, defense exercises aviation, pilot rescue and navigation practice. through narrow straits while under threat.

In between these large-scale activities, the participating ships conducted their own training – extinguishing fires and floods, treating simulated casualties, replenishing fuel and reserves while underway.

The Royal Navy has confirmed that there will be further training in UK waters ahead of CSG 2025.

Downing Street said Britain’s expansion into the Indo-Pacific will also focus on growth as the government seeks to increase investment opportunities, with CSG 2025 due to depart for Singapore as part of its route.

The UK is to unveil a ‘Pacific Business Club’ with the Australian government to boost opportunities for UK businesses in the region’s developing economies.

The Prime Minister said yesterday: “My visit to the Pacific reinforced how important this part of the world is to the UK’s prosperity and security… I know that in business, trade and defence, we have a vital role to play in supporting the region. too.

“As responsible international players, we cannot turn a blind eye to the challenges facing our friends and partners on the other side of the world. So my message today is clear: this is just the beginning of our commitment to the Indo-Pacific.

“By combining expertise, local knowledge and investment, I truly believe we can create unique opportunities for people both in the Pacific and at home, and in doing so play our part in ensuring a safer and fairer world.”

The announcement comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in Russia at the invitation of Vladimir Putin. Several other prominent developing countries were present at the summit, including key Commonwealth countries, India and South Africa.

Britain’s commitment to increasing its presence around the globe depends on its main aircraft carrier shaking off its “jinxed” label.

Since first sailing in December 2017, the 65,000-tonne vessel has suffered a series of breakdowns costing around £25 million.

She suffered a succession of major leaks in 2020 leading to flooding and in 2022 broke down off the Isle of Wight hours after setting sail.

Divers found a fault in her 33-tonne starboard propeller, leading to repairs that took nine months and cost millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money.

Then, in 2023, her port propeller suffered similar problems, caused by misalignment when the vast carrier was built.

The findings of an inquiry into the malfunctions led to claims that the ship was commissioned for political purposes.

Between them, HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth – the Navy’s main aircraft carrier – cost Britain £7 billion.

Commentators suggested that the large expenditure left insufficient resources for the Royal Navy to build other warships.