'Demonstrates resolve': Royal Navy ships set for huge South China Sea exercise despite Beijing threats
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Exercise Bersama Lima - a huge workout across ten days - comes despite previous threats from China
British forces will be joining allies for a large exercise in the Pacific despite previous warnings from China.
HMS Spey and Tamar - based in Portsmouth but forward deployed to the region - will be operating in the South China Sea. Joining forces with Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Singapore, Royal Navy personnel will be playing a vital role in Exercise Bersama Lima.
Lieutenant Commander Cheryl Goodwin, HMS Tamar’s Executive Officer, said: “We’re looking forward to being a part of Bersama Lima 26 – an exercise which unites some of our closest allies, tests the crew in a traditional war-fighting role, and demonstrates the UK’s resolve to maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region through supporting our partners.”
All five nations will use their ships, troops, and air power to flex their muscles across land, sea, and air. A major part of the drills will be patrols in the South China Sea, an area where British forces have patrolled in the past.
The UK Carrier Strike Group, headed up by HMS Prince of Wales, conducted freedom of navigation patrols, all while being subject to threats and “constructive kill” drills. Fighter jets also performed simulated missile attacks while HMS Richmond transited through the Taiwan Strait.
Beijing also made threats to HMS Spey when she patrolled the same area in June 2025, working in accordance to international law and rights provided under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). A 2016 ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, said the South China Sea is governed by international maritime laws, including the principle of freedom of navigation - despite China’s protestations and assertions of control there.
As part of Exercise Bersama Lima, Australian F-35A Lightning will lead a mock fight. Other assets include divers, specialist boarding teams, a tanker, corvette, patrol vessels, frigates, and a submarine. They will be tested in scenarios as varied as soldiers directing naval gunfire, through board and search exercises at sea, a submarine hunt, and naval air defence supported by air forces.
The first week will be an acclimatisation period where the international forces learn how to work together effectively. All nations are members of the Five Power Defence Arrangements’ (FPDA). Their aim is to reinforce regional security in the Indo-Pacific region by working side-by-side.
Royal New Zealand Navy officer, Lieutenant Williams, said: “It’s a first for me and my team, but it’s a well-trodden path which has been established through a deep history of our navies working together. We’ve got a lot of experience to share, are always looking to improve and we’re ready to go.”
The Royal Navy has maintained a presence in the Indo-Pacific for more than five years. HMS Spey has returned to her duties after undergoing a summer overhaul in Singapore, while HJMS Tamar has been active on various operations.