The HMS Prince of Wales departed Portsmouth to prepare for a NATO mission challenging Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic Circle, major media reported. However, defence sources told the BBC that the carrier had been placed on advanced readiness to sail within five days, suggesting it may still be in port. The discrepancy over the ship's departure status remains unresolved.
The carrier strike group, known as Operation Firecrest, will protect undersea infrastructure and work with allies from the US, Canada, France, Germany, and Norway, according to reports. The ship's crew of 900 will take part in combined training in British waters and briefly stop in Scotland for ammunition. HMS Prince of Wales is equipped with Merlin and Wildcat helicopters and hi-tech Malloy drones.
HMS Prince of Wales ship’s company is looking forward to sailing, for the first time since returning from deployment in 2025, with their headquarters and air wing embarked.
There has been a 30% increase in Russian naval sightings in British waters over the past two years, including spy ships near telecommunications cables, reports said. HMS Prince of Wales had been docked at Portsmouth Naval Base since November after an eight-month mission to the western Indo-Pacific. HMS Queen Elizabeth will soon be available for operations after finishing maintenance at Rosyth dockyard.
Commander David Mason said the ship's company was looking forward to sailing with their headquarters and air wing embarked. Defence Secretary John Healey said the deployment would help make Britain warfighting ready and boost its contribution to NATO.