HMS Prince of Wales Leads Task Group to Nordic Exercises

Britain's largest warship, HMS Prince of Wales, departed from Loch Long in Scotland this week for a series of naval exercises in Nordic waters, accompanied by the Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan and the fleet tanker RFA Tidespring.

The Portsmouth-based aircraft carrier, which loaded munitions and supplies at the Glen Mallan jetty before sailing, leads a task group under Commodore Rich Hewitt, Commander of the UK Carrier Strike Group. The vessels will first conduct Exercise Tamber Shield in the fjords near Bergen, Norway. The drills focus on defending high-value assets against small, fast-maneuverable threats in confined waters through swarm attack scenarios. Participants include Wildcat helicopters from 815 Naval Air Squadron, P2000 patrol boats and heavily armed Norwegian missile craft.

The group will then shift to open waters in the High North for NATO's Dynamic Mongoose, an antisubmarine warfare exercise. The deployment involves training alongside NATO allies and the Joint Expeditionary Force to enhance interoperability and operational readiness.

Captain Ben Power, commanding officer of HMS Prince of Wales, said, "HMS Prince of Wales stands ready as the nation's flagship to...