Royal Navy to face off with China by sending fleet to Indo-Pacific

The Royal Navy will step up patrols in the Indo-Pacific to counter the increasingly expansionist agenda of China in the region.

HMS Prince of Wales will front the Carrier Strike Group 2025 expedition in a bid to deter aggressive moves by Beijing which have seen its army build military bases on previously uninhabited archipelagos.

The aircraft carrier, Britain's largest warship, has conducted preparatory exercises in recent days with her American counterpart, the USS Harry S Truman, in the North Sea as part of the UK-led Exercise Strike Warrior.

Speaking to Commonwealth leaders in Samoa last night, Sir Keir Starmer vowed not to turn a 'blind eye to the challenges faced by our friends and partners on the other side of the world'.

'My message today is clear: this is just the beginning of our commitment to the Indo-Pacific,' he added.

The CSG 25 mission was unveiled in 2023 by then defence secretary Grant Shapps to add to the two patrol vessels which the UK currently has in the area - HMS Spey and HMS Tamar.

In the mission, HMS Prince of Wales will be accompanied by Norwegian and Japanese vessels.

But boasting a minimum crew of 700, which can grow to 1,600 depending on how many fighter jets and helicopters she is carrying, HMS Prince of Wales will dwarf the other vessels involved in the operation.

She was joined by other Nato allies such as Finland and Belgium in training over the last month.

Aircraft took off from the 230ft-by-920ft flight deck 71 times, to spend a total of 210 hours - nearly nine days - in the air, including practise bombing runs conducted by F-35 stealth jets.

'Intensive warfare scenarios' in the North Sea should hopefully have prepared those in and around HMS Prince of Wales to protect her from a range of threats including anti-submarine warfare, countering attacks from uncrewed systems, air defence exercises, pilot rescues and practising sailing through narrow straits while under threat.

Between these large scale set-piece activities, participating ships have conducted their own training – fighting fires and floods, dealing with mock casualties, replenishing with fuel and stores while underway.

The Royal Navy confirmed there will be further training in UK waters before CSG 2025 deploys.

Downing Street said the UK's expansion into the Indo-Pacific will also be focused on growth, as the Government seeks to increase investment opportunities, with CSG 2025 due to set sail for Singapore as part of its route.

The UK will unveil a 'Pacific Business Club' alongside the Australian government to increase opportunities for UK businesses in developing economies in the region.

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The Prime Minister said yesterday: 'My visit to the Pacific has reinforced how important this part of the world is to the United Kingdom's prosperity and security... I know across business, trade and defence, we play a vital role in supporting the region too.

'As responsible international players, we cannot turn a blind eye to the challenges faced by our friends and partners on the other side of the world. So my message today is clear: this is just the beginning of our commitment to the Indo-Pacific.

'Combining expertise, local knowledge and investment, I truly believe we can create unique opportunities for people both in the Pacific and at home, and in doing so, we play our part in ensuring a safer, fairer world.' 

The announcement comes after Chinese president Xi Jinping attended the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in Russia, at the invitation of Vladimir Putin. Several other prominent developing nations were present at the summit, including key Commonwealth countries India and South Africa.

Britain's commitment to increasing its presence across the globe hinges on its leading aircraft carrier shaking off its 'jinxed' tag.

Since first setting sail in Decembr 2017, the 65,000-tonne vessel has suffered a litany of malfunctions costing an estimated £25 million.

She suffered a succession of major leaks in 2020 that led to flooding and, in 2022, broke down off the Isle of Wight hours after setting sail.

Divers found a malfunction with her 33-tonne starboard propeller, resulting in repairs that took nine months and cost millions of pounds in taxpayers' money. 

Then, in 2023, her port propeller suffered similar issues, caused by misalignment when the vast carrier was constructed.

The findings of an inquiry into the breakdowns led to claims that the vessel had been rushed into service for political purposes. 

Between them, HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth – the Navy's lead aircraft carrier – cost Britain £7 billion. 

Commentators have suggested the vast expense has left insufficient resources for the Royal Navy to build other warships.