"It's about upholding rules": HMS Prince of Wales starts "largest-ever" Australia exercise amid China patrols
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Determined Royal Navy sailors have started a huge military exercise which will push them to their limits.
HMS Prince of Wales, at the helm of the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG), has started her involvement Exercise Talisman Sabre. The operation involves forces from 19 nations, all banding together to conduct various drills off the coast of Australia.
Commodore James Blackmore, Commander of the UKCSG, said the mission is the centrepiece of Operation Highmast and reinforces the Royal Navy’s commitment to supporting British allies in the Indo-Pacific - what he describes as “Europe’s backdoor”. Speaking to Sky News Australia aboard the 65,000 tonne warship in the Timor Sea, he said the group will be keeping a watchful eye on China.
He added: “It is about upholding the rules based international order. We watch all nations closely. We have to be really clear about what goes on in any region.”
What will Exercise Talisman Sabre involve and is it a message to China?
Exercise Talisman Sabre is the Australian forces’ biggest annual military operation. The Australian government previously said this year is the “largest-ever” iteration of the exercise, consisting of various live firing drills, field training tasks, and air combat and maritime operations - testing personnel on land, in the air and at sea. British F-35 fighter jets will be testing various manoeuvres, while Royal Navy ships conduct different tasks with other naval forces. It will run until August 4.
Over 30,000 military personnel are set to participate, from countries such as Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, and the United Kingdom.
Cdre Blackmore said HMS Prince of Wales can launch four aircraft in three minutes, meaning they can respond quickly to any scenario. When asked what message this sends to adversaries, he added: “This shows capability and credibility. For our allies and partners, it’s about reassurance.”
The Commodore said international forces will be keeping a watchful eye over China. Beijing was furious after the Portsmouth-based patrol vessel, HMS Spey, sailed through the Taiwan Strait last month to protect the freedom of navigation. A 2016 ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, said the South China Sea is governed by international maritime laws, with now ownership governance by China.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer previously called for more patrols in the Indo-Pacific to combat Beijing’s sphere of influence. Sky News Australia said the UKCSG will be moving towards the South China Sea, and could go through the Taiwan Strait. They added that the Indo-Pacific makes up 20 per cent of the UK’s trade, with the Royal Navy wanting to maintain a constant presence in the region.
The UK is increasing its spending on defence so it can work in an “increasingly uncertain” world and be ready to respond at any time, Cdre Blackmore said. He added: “I don’t know what my specific routing will be. My key focus is on executing any orders which I’m given. I don’t think anyone can do this alone anymore.”