"Unprecedented scale": "Unwavering" HMS Prince of Wales joins forces with USS George Washington on huge op
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The Royal Navy flagship joined forces with a huge military contingent as part of an exercise on an “unprecedented scale”.
HMS Prince of Wales played a vital role in Exercise Talisman Sabre off the coast of Australia. Roughly 35,000 personnel from 19 nations conducted various military drills, with an American carrier strike group training alongside the Royal Navy.
Defence secretary John Healey said: “The historic bonds between Britain and Australia run deep, and through AUKUS and exercises like Talisman Sabre we are strengthening these ties for the challenges of tomorrow. Our commitment to the Indo-Pacific is unwavering, as this huge military exercise demonstrates.
“The unprecedented scale showcases the growing importance of cooperation in addressing shared challenges. We will continue to work alongside our closest allies to maintain the security and stability that underpins global prosperity.”
“Powerful demonstration”
The exercise spanned across the Northern Territory of Australia and Queensland, from Darwin to Brisbane. HMS Prince of Wales is currently at the helm of the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) on Operation Highmast. Working alongside international allies is a major component to the British forces.
The US Navy were a major component of the exercise, with the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington and her carrier strike group being a part of the operation. These duel carrier operations took place in the Timor Sea - between the Australian mainland and Timor-Leste and Indonesia.
Commodore James Blackmore, Commander of the UKCSG, said: “This is a real demonstration of the UK and our partners’ warfighting capabilities. As the first UK-led multinational Carrier Strike Group to Talisman Sabre this is a powerful demonstration of our commitment to the Indo-Pacific region.
“Exercise Talisman Sabre is also an opportunity for the UK to develop new levels of integration between systems and capabilities with the US, Australia, and other partners, enhancing our interoperability even further and to unprecedented levels.”
All three of the British armed forces were involved in the drills. Royal Marines played a central role, alongside a Ranger Battalion from the Army and RAF Voyager aircraft. RAF and naval pilots aboard F-35B Lighting jets, and Merlin and Wildcat helicopters, supported the escorted warships.
Task group patrols were held off the northern coast of Australia. Amphibious raids are carried out in northern Queensland and Shoalwater Bay, some 400 miles up the coast from Brisbane.