When the Carrier Prince of Wales Cruised into Singapore

From 23 June to early July 2025, the UK's Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09) ("PofW") made a port visit to Singapore, to mark 60 years of relations with the UK and Singapore and to demonstrate the UK's commitment to the Indo-Pacific.

HMS Prince of Wales arrives at Singapore's Cruise Centre
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PofW leads the UK RN’s CSG25 Carrier Strike Group deployment, which held exercises in the Mediterranean with the Italian Navy around 5th May. CSG25 then cleared the Red Sea and conducted exercises via the Arabian Sea with the Indian Navy. There, one of the UK F-35Bs had a weather avoidance divert to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (on India's southern tip) and had to be left behind after a mechanical issue. CSG25 then split up for port visits to Port Klang (Malaysia), Jakarta (Indonesia) and Singapore.

Several of CSG25’s ships docked at the traditional berths for visiting warships in Singapore, at Changi Naval Base and Sembawang wharves. PofW docked at Singapore’s Marina Bay Cruise Centre (photo above) which easily accommodated her. The main reason for CSG25’s visit, apart from stunning photos against the background of Singapore’s Central Business District, is that CSG25 was in Singapore to promote UK political and business interests.

PofW's docking at Marina Bay Cruise Centre therefore made it simpler for visiting guests and dignitaries. It also permitted the 1,600+ crew, in groups, to disembark quickly to catch a 15-minute Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) (subway) ride to Singapore's city centre.

In the photo above there are, what look like, a large number of marine security cameras. These may be used against commando/terrorist would be boarders, divers, suicide boats and shallow diving UUVs. These, perhaps fixed or mobile, cameras might be aimed horizontally and "look" down. Immediately below the walkway, on the bridge, there appears to be a large electro-optical sensor (camera) that may have night vision and infrared capabilities. It may be used to cover the rear half of the vessel for security and aircraft movement management duties. All these close range security cameras and sensors may have been to counter slow moving threats. They may have been installed before the rise of faster (and from longer ranges) one-way "kamikaze" UAVs and USVs, which can strike a high value target simultaneously from many directions.

 

During her stay PofW permitted the Singapore public to visit. A friend visited the ship who took these photos for me, and did not want to be credited. In its hangars PofW hosted a “defence and security” industry day (showcasing 30 British firms, including the Gravity Industries Jet Suit) and an Esports (video game) tournament. 

The last Royal Navy ship named HMS Prince of Wales to visit Singapore was the ill-fated King George V-class battleship . It jointly sank the Bismarck in May 1941, then later sailed to the "Far East" sailing into Singapore on 2 December 1941. It left on 8 December 1941, leading Force Z, to interdict an approaching Japanese invasion fleet, before being sunk by Japanese aircraft on 10 December 1941. 

May the current HMS Prince of Wales enjoy a far brighter future than her predecessor and fair seas throughout her career. 

Note CCTV cameras directly under bridge that are angled to monitor deck crews.

CSG25, joined by HMAS Sydney, has now departed Singapore and will participate in Exercise Talisman Sabre 25 in Australian waters, but on the return leg. CSG25 will also participate in Bersama Lima 25, the annual Five Power Defence Act (FPDA) exercise between Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK. According to the Straits Times, the last time a UK RN aircraft carrier took part in a FPDA exercise was HMS Invincible in 1997.

In mid-July HMS Prince of Wales is due to make a port visit to Darwin, Australia, then later to Japan, back near Southeast Asia, India and then via the Red Sea, Mediterranean, back to the UK.  

Singapore hosts major Submarine Rescue Exercise while HMS Prince of Wales sails in for FPDA

Singapore is now hosting Exercise Pacific Reach 2025, a multinational Submarine Escape and Rescue exercise (SMER) with 600 participating personal from Australia, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Thailand, Türkiye, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and the International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office (ISMERLO).

Image from X@indiannavy: Submarines and ships participating in Exercise Pacific Reach 2025
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This exercise is unique as it is the first time RSS Invincible is taking part in an international exercise, alongside two other AIP submarines, ROKS Shin Dol-seok and JS Kuroshiro. 

A mass evacuation exercise (MASSEVEX) was staged in the waters of Changi Naval Base to simulate the evacuation of a distressed submarine, and included simulated medical treatment of decompression injuries. 

Prince of Wales returns for the Five Power Defense Arrangement (FPDA) Bersama Lima 2025

Arriving at Changi Naval Base on 22 September 2025 was the RN flagship HMS Prince of Wales (PofW), which is on the return leg of the Carrier Strike Group CSG25 deployment. Speaking to USNI News on arrival, Commodore James Blackmore, RN CSG25 commander, highlighted that the strike group's arrival back in Singapore marks "the end of an incredible three months in this region where we have advanced military capabilities, understanding and cooperation with our partners and allies".

Image: British High Commission in Singapore. Prince of Wales berthed at Changi Naval Base
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Prince of Wales is now taking part in Exercise Bersama Lima 25, an annual exercise for the Five Power Defense Arrangement (FPDA) between Australia, the UK, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore. Australia is participating with 400 ADF personnel, F-35A jets, as well as the RAN frigate HMAS Ballarat, which is part of CSG25.

As I mentioned in my July 2025 article on PofW's first visit to Singapore, the last RN aircraft carrier to take part in an FPDA exercise was HMS Invincible in 1997. 

Carrier HMS Prince of Wales Soon in Darwin, Australia.

This is a follow up to Shawn C’s excellent article “When the Carrier Prince of Wales Cruised into Singapore” of July 11, 2025 at https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2025/07/when-carrier-prince-of-wales-cruised.html 

See a great photo of HMS Prince of Wales (PofW) docking in Singapore at https://www.navylookout.com/uk-carrier-strike-group-sails-to-australia-for-multinational-exercise/ 

China’s Type 815 ship Beijixing (Polaris). Photo courtesy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_815_spy_ship#Type_815   
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Chinese spy ships (possibly Type 815s, photo and link above) are now in the Southeast Asian-Australian northern region, in part to monitor PofW, its F-35Bs and its carrier battle group https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-12/adf-watching-for-chinese-spy-ships-as-pm-heads-to-shanghai/105523778. This is during the Talisman Sabre 2025 (TS25) and Bersama Lima 25 exercises Shawn mentions. 

Note the UK RN has insufficient ships (only 14 destroyers/frigates in the whole RN) to fully escort PofW and the carrier Queen Elizabeth on Indo-Pacific missions. Between one and three non-British escort ships always form part of their carrier battle groups. A US SSN might also lend a hand.

The Chinese navy's job is made easier because PofW's coming and going from the Chinese owned port of Darwin can be easily tracked. PofW will likely be docking at Kuru Wharf, HMAS Coonawarra, Port of Darwin, mid to late July 2025. More on Kuru at https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2025/03/darwin-port-hosts-us-ssn-us-submarine.html .

PofW is to host an afternoon tea for the Australian British Chamber of Commerce at Port of Darwin, Friday July 25, 2025. https://www.britishchamber.com/events/hms-prince-of-wales-darwin

A harder to spot Chinese Type 093 SSN surveillance submarine mission will also likely work with the Chinese spy ships, satellites and maybe UUVs, to surveil PofW and the other Western vessels involved in the 2025 exercises.

HMS Prince of Wales Irrelevant To Australia's Defence

This is a particularly good video here and above, courtesy Nguoi Giai Ma, of AsiaPacificMilitaryWatch entitled “HMS Prince of Wales in Australia: A New Era of UK-Indo-Pacific Dominance?” uploaded July 24/25, 2025.
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Sorry to be negative about UK Queen Elizabeth (QE)-class carriers' usefulness in the defence of Australia, but:

Shared between both QEs the UK Royal Navy has only "37 F-35B aircraft (including 3 or 4 based in the U.S.) [as of] May 2025,^[45][46][47]"

Already the UK's NATO FIRST (against Russia) policies, with the UK to buy more than 100 F-35As (12 to be nuclear armed) are weakening any UK military assistance in defending Australia. The UK has decided to buy 12 F-35As (to be nuclear armed by 2030). This is instead of buying the planned 12 F-35Bs to strengthen the 2 QEs' (Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales) understrength airwings. 

I'm glad another expert, on July 29, 2025, agreed https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/debate/aukus-stress-test-alliance-pressures-australia-s-strategic-choices .

Those 2 carriers are also weakly protected by a shortage of UK surface and SSN escorts when in the Indo-Pacific. It may be that, at the moment, the Royal Navy operates with its 2 QE carriers sharing the one airwing of 17 F-35Bs. The Royal Navy does not have enough escorts to protect both carriers simultaneously.

China's land based medium range DF-21D anti-ship missiles and intermediate range DF-26 missile (which may have an anti-ship capability) present a major threat to powerful US Nimitz/Ford-class carrier groups. The threat to weaker UK QE carrier groups is even greater. 

Unlike the USN, which can send ships across the open Pacific Ocean, to Australia, the UK RN must send its ships through the straits and narrows of the Middle East and across the smaller Indian Ocean to reach Australia. It is in the narrows that China's large navy, with its powerful submarine force, can intercept under-protected QE carrier groups.

Like HMS Repulse and an earlier HMS Prince of Wales (both sunk by Japanese aircraft in 1941) the UK having nowhere near sufficient power projection to defend Australia, again applies to the UK's latest 2 big ships (the QE carriers).

Submarine Mental Health Nurse in UK Royal Navy

Greig Watson in Nottingham for the BBC on December 7, 2025 reported, at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn981qn7pnyo.amp :

"Submarine mental health nurse is 'Woman of Year'"

Leading naval nurse Abigail Wright said periods of isolation presented unique mental health challenges.

A service woman who is the sole dedicated mental health nurse assigned to the Submarine Service has been named "Woman of the Year".

Leading naval nurse Abigail Wright, 33, from Nottingham, said one of her main challenges is to help crews deal with repeated changes of location and colleagues, as well as being isolated from friends and family for months. [SSNs may patrol for 3 months. Then SSBNs for even longer - being out of contact for most of that time.]

She also organised the first International Women's Day at Faslane, the Scottish submarine headquarters where she is based.

Ms Wright has now been named "Woman of the Year" at the 2025 Women in Defence Awards for her work.

Ms Wright, a trained mental health nurse, joined the Navy in September 2020 where she worked at hospitals in Portsmouth, supported Royal Marines training in Norway, and then went to Faslane.

Working with the 5,000 members of the Submarine Service, Ms Wright has undergone specialist training to allow her to go on shorter trips with the vessels, to better to understand crews' experience.

She said she helped crews deal with "adjustment reaction" which was seen widely in the military.

"We are constantly adjusting, whether that be changing where we work, where we live, the people around us.

"But particularly with submarines; you are under the water, there is no daylight, your fresh food runs out pretty quickly.

"There's little contact with home, just one-way transmissions called familygrams which are just as long as a tweet, for 100, maybe 200 days," Ms Wright said.

Ms Wright was - remotely - presented with her award by Rear Admiral Jude Terry

And when boats return, Ms Wright has ensured submariners receive the support needed to reintegrate into everyday life.

She has also worked to make the role of women - who make up only 10% of the Royal Navy and 6% of the Submarine Service - as productive as possible.

"A lot of my work in Faslane, in my spare time, was to improve the experience of women.

"It's so important as we face challenges that perhaps men don't.

"It's important we continue to push those policies and changes to make it as comfortable as possible for women otherwise the recruitment and retention won't improve," she said.

Ms Wright said she was on "cloud nine" after being told about her award - a ceremony she had to attend remotely as she was on HMS Prince of Wales.

"One of my friends who was with me caught my reaction on video and it is pure shock.

"Rear Admiral Jude Terry was the first [RN] woman to reach that rank, so it was extra special to get it from her," she said.

[The RN further reports https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news/2025/november/26/20251126-woman-of-the-year : Abigail Wright holds a degree in Psychology and Masters in Nursing. Abigail has been assigned to the medical team on HMS Prince of Wales since August 2025. In 2026 she'll be promoted to Petty Officer and will move to Plymouth to use her expertise working in the Department for Community Mental Health.]

Commonwealth Day Royals at Work vs Scarlet Starlet

Cartoon courtesy The Australian.

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As indicated in my profile, my interests include the British Royal Family.

Commonwealth Day, which takes place on March 8th this year, is Covid distanced. 

In the video here and below the senior members of the British Royal Family (minus Prince Harry the Absent and Prince Andrew the Disgraced) join the celebrations and speak about why our Commonwealth links are so important. Presented by Anita Rani from Westminster Abbey, the celebration hears voices from across the world alongside music and readings.

Uploaded on behalf of the British Royal Family, and the Commonwealth Secretariat by the BBC, 4 hours ago.
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Within the video the following senior Royals speak and appear:

4:46 -  Queen Elizabeth II shares her annual address. 

10:52 - Charlie the Prince of Wales,

22.28 - Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall (clearly the brains of the couple) 

32:40 - rising, talented, Sophie Countess of Wessex, wife of lowkey Prince Edward, and

42:30 - Prince William (good kingly material) and dear Kate Duchess of Cambridge
            (perfect for the future Queen consort or even regnant role).

Scarlet Starlet Has Her Revenge

Those marrying into the Royals can be trouble. Starlet follows the Americans-not-right-for-UK- royalty wrecking tradition of Wallis Simpson. I’m a lot more sympathetic to Diana, who weak-kneed Charlie cheated on from day one.

Now there’s money making tabloid fodder in the form of a strangely “young” boo-hoo, poor little me who, with hubby, shortly after abandoning the working Royals:

-  signed US$10+ million Hollywood contracts with Netflix and Spotify 
-  Also there is that startup cross advertized with Oprah.

All helping to buy their US$14 million Hollywood mansion.

Meanwhile hubby deserves much sympathy, following his mother's death. Yet he doesn’t look/sound all that bright - reflected in his unfortunate choice of current starlet.

Is it at all possible that the less bankable problems of Meghan's own family have some bearing on her state of mind?
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The aftermath: A clash of Royal Service versus Hollywood Me Generation.

The Queen's Passing: God Save Charlie

Princess Elizabeth around 1936. Before she became Queen Elizabeth II in 1952. (Photo courtesy Royal Family via Town&Country and Getty images)
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Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022 at 96. As a long-term Constitutional Monarchist I am black clad in grief for widely loved Queen Elizabeth II’s passing.

Elizabeth was a superbly neutral Head of State and successfully evolved the Commonwealth.

With sorrow comes uncertainty whether the institution of the Royal family will falter under new King Charles III. 

Historically the two previous King Charles didn’t perform well. King Charles I mismanaged his job into five years of English Civil War (1642-1647) and after his performance appraisal, lost his head. King Charles II wasn't crash hot either. 

King Charles III brings the baggage of neglect of his first wife Diana mainly due to his adulterous love of the new Queen Consort Camilla. Camilla's popularity as ex-royal mistress has always been tarnished. King Charles III, during his long Prince of Wales job, also brings the stigma of failing to be politically neutral – see the “Black spider memos”. 

For Australians King Charles III popularity, or lack of it, will be crucial regarding the long running issue of Australia becoming a Republic. An Australian Republic would replace the British Monarch, as Head of State, with a President. It is significant that following the Australian Labor Party’s victory in the May 2022 Federal Election, new Prime Minister Albanese created the position of Assistant Minister for the Republic. This signalled a commitment to prepare Australia for a transition to a Republic during the future second term of a Labor government, in 2025 to  2028.

I think Charles will have trouble filling the shoes of the widely loved Queen  Elizabeth II.

Submarine Matters, in its very wide brief, will continue to provide updates on the King Charles III vs Australian Republic issue.

27 seconds into this video is ordinarally the Coronation Anthem. But I see it as a remembrance Anthem for the young, now late, Queen Elizabeth II. Constitutional Monarchists are in trepidation that Charlie can fill the job well.
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Chinese Military Security & Intelligence Already in Hong Kong

China's one party Parliament in Beijing decided on May 28, 2020 to apply China's national security laws to Hong Kong. This is unsurprising as I predicted on July 2, 2019 that this may happen, saying:

"Perhaps a broader circle of democracy activists in Hong Kong will also be arrested. The Beijing Government can suspend the legal convention that the PLA cannot interfere in Hong Kong's internal affairs. This is because the PLA has always had an underlying or active role in internal security for all regions of China." 

National security laws in most developed countries, including China, cover 4 categories:

-  terrorism, 
-  foreign interference, 
-  secession and 
-  generally subversion. 

Secession and subversion would include undermining the authority of China. even including insults to the National Anthem. 

Apart from the obvious police presence what most people inside and outside Hong Kong don't know is that China already draws on 10s of 1,000s of people including military/PLA (see below) and civilian agencies (I'll discuss them on Monday). 

Some are inside Hong Kong and even more outside (operating remote security technology that focusses on Hong Kong) to address the 4 categories.

China’s Armed Forces Garrison in Hong Kong

The People's Liberation Army's (PLA's) Hong Kong Garrison has more than 12,000 men headquartered in the PLA’s 28 storey Hong Kong Building (aka the “Prince of Wales Building” (image below courtesy "Exploringlife")) in the center of the city. 

The Garrison previously concentrated on external defence but under Beijing’s legal changes will grow significantly and with an internal security mission – especially against protesters.

Elements of the Garrison include:

-  Army (infantry, artillery, special operations commandos, armoured vehicles (with machine guns) and (significantly) an “intelligence gathering battalion”. That intelligence gathering battalion may supply some of the manpower for China's NSA to monitor landline communications/internet and mobile phones in Hong Kong, undersea cable traffic going through entering/leaving and satellite communications.

-  Navy, and

-  Air Force (especially helicopters carrying troops, sensors and door gunners).

The Garrison is under direct leadership of Beijing’s Central Military Commission. The Garrison's local commander is Major General Chen Daoxiang (2019–present) and the Garrison’s essential Political Commissar is Major General Cai Yongzhong (2018–present who makes sure the PLA loyally carries out the Communist Party's commands).

More about Hong Kong's civilian security intelligence apparatus on Monday.

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In scenes intentionally evoking the cannot-be-talked-about Tiananmen Square Massacre is the Video above which includes:

0 to 40 seconds in     - dark, forbidding music, footage of PLA troops firing assault rifles, aiming a
                                    handgun, firing sniper's rifle

40 to 58 seconds       - anti-riot drill against student-like "protesters"

58s - 1min 25 secs    - armoured cars (can be called "wheeled armoured personnel carriers") crushing
                                    barricades, barbed wire, water canon, protesters herded under guard, 14.5mm
                                    heavy machine guns, more armoured cars

1min 25secs to 2min - off on tangent showing PLA's naval, attack helicopter, artillery-missile and
                                     anti-aircraft might

2min 2secs to the End - happy music, the peaceful alternative of military parades in front of
                                      appreciative, patriotic, cheering crowds and PLA civil assistance roles,
                                      raising flag, gaily goose-stepping.

UK using US S9G IP in UK PWR3 for SSN(R) “Victory” class

In response to Anonymous' comment of Feb 11, 2023. 

UK military-industrial interests, including Rolls-Royce's submarine reactor division,  control the "Made in UK" imperative of the submarine PWR series.

Also for US national security, commercial competition reasons and recognition of Rolls-Royce's industrial importance in the UK, the US appears unwilling to export  whole US reactor designs, including the S9G. The US Government recognises the value of good relations with the UK’s Rolls-Royce given Rolls-Royce supplies many types of jet engines for US military aircraft, large UAVs and civilian aircraft. 

Instead the UK and US use a halfway convention of incorporating some US S9G submarine reactor characteristics into the PWR3 "The Royal Institution of Naval Architects reported that it was likely that the UK [Rolls-Royce, the RN and MoD] was given access to the US Navy S9G reactor design used in their Virginia-class submarines". 

As reactor sizes and other characteristics literally define new SSN types a new reactor for a new 2030-40s SSN using the "Astute" class name will not happen. The Rolls-Royce designed PWR3 (using some US intellectual property (IP)) is likely slightly larger in height/diameter and possibly length making for a larger SSN(R) carrying a different name. 

RN sources indicate the SSN(R) will possibly be called the Victory-class "mainly from the heritage of still technically "in service" HMS Victory, of Trafalgar. "Victory" has not been re-used for a ship, or unit or our navy since before 1918. Other names are unavailable. The Dreadnought-class SSBNs are already re-using "Dreadnought, Valiant, Warspite and using King George VI". Re-used major names for new carriers Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales has already taken place". 

Returning to reactors - increasing the chances a PWR3 “Core ?” version going into the SSN(R)-Victory class is that the UK is allocating huge financial resources into a slightly larger version of the PWR3 for future Dreadnought SSBNs, through to the late 2030s. 

A slightly smaller version of the PWR3, able to fit into the smaller beam/diameter of the SSN(R)-Victory, will go into it from about 2040.

Anonymous is probably right in concluding the US cannot supply SSN hulls to Australia because the US is heavily committed to building Columbia SSBNs, and future Virginias [and I dare say SSN(X)s] for the USN. 

Also valid is Anonymous' concern about excessive Australian reliance on SSN(R) Victory builder BAE as Australia's sole SSN supplier from 2023 into the 2050s. BAE will also be providing spares/upgrades, probably deep maintenance and Australian sovereignty defying reactor repairs until the 2080s. 

Furthermore BAE is also involved in the Australia Hunter-class frigate program which is delayed and overbudget, partly owing to BAE marketing an immature Type 26 ship design.

Funky Carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and the SRVLs

In non-submarine news, several weeks ago the captain took control of UK aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, at Rosyth Dockyard in Scotland. The 65,000 to 71,000 tonne, conventionally propelled, Queen Elizabeth and its sister-ship Prince of Wales, will be the second-largest carriers in the world, after the USS Nimitz-class carriers. Then third, after the first US Nimitz sized Ford-class is commissioned.

The UK carrier program was to be a joint UK-French venture but France strongly wants to stay with nuclear propulsion. France is relying on heavily utilising its nuclear Charles de Gaulle rather than building a second or third carrier.

Only the US can afford to simultaneously operate supercarriers dedicated to fixed-wing and amphibious assault carriers (with helicopters, Ospreys, STOVL Harriers and F-35Bs).

Queen Elizabeth  is due to start sea trials in March 2017. Flight trials with helicopters will begin in 2017 and F-35B flight trials towards the end of 2018.  An "operational military capability" will be declared in 2020.

The Queen Elizabeth was designed primarily to carry the mainly F-35B air wing  (up to 40 max). A typical warload, however, might be  be 24 F-35Bs and some helicopters. These could be a Maritime Force Protection package of nine anti-submarine Merlin HM2 and five Merlin Crowsnest for airborne early warning; alternatively a Littoral Manoeuvre package could include a mix of RAF Chinooks, Army Apaches, Merlin HC4 and Wildcat HM2. Command and control of all four armed services (if you counted Royal Marines as independent) might be challenging. 

Shipborne Rolling Vertical Landings (SRVLS)

The F-35Bs will likely adopt shipborne rolling vertical landings (SRVLs) on the carrier's deck. With a rolling vertical landing the aircraft uses downward jet thrust to hover while it is still moving fast enough to also generate wing lift and on hitting the deck will rely on its computer controlled disc brakes. 

SRVLs may not require clearing as much of the deck as conventional fixed wing arrested landings. SRVLs will also enable the F-35B to land on the carrier with an increased weapon and fuel load compared to straight vertical. Straight vertical landings often meant jettisoning weapons and dumping almost all fuel. 

SRVLs can also reduce the level of wear on the lift engines and extend their operational life. However a number of defence analysts have suggested that operational SRVL landings may only be possible within a limited range of sea states and praying that the computer controlled breaks work.

Pete

"NATO First" UK NUCLEAR STRIKE Aircraft Less Emphasis on UK Carriers

Shawn C. made some interesting comments on July 16, 2025. My response on carriers, aircraft and "NATO First" is: 

With the rise of expensive UK RN nuclear submarines the UK turned away from full size carriers for decades until the Queen Elizabeth (QE)-class emerged in 2017-2023. The preceding half or 2/3rds size Invincible-class carriers only had fairly small airwings (of RN Harriers). In the Falklands War the non-Invincible-class Hermes needed to be supplemented by carrier based RAF Harriers. 

So far the Queen Elizabeth (QE)-class, including HMS Prince of Wales, only have half (or less) of a full airwing of UK F-35Bs. That number may remain low because UK carriers are poorly adapted to the Russian threat in Europe and given emerging UK "NATO First" policies. Rather the QEs may have been designed mainly for counter-insurgency airstrikes - a declining mission for the UK. Since June 2025 (see 1/3rd down here) there has also been a pause on buying new F-35Bs for carriers. 

Other "NATO First" priorities may see the low numbers of UK surface ship escorts continue. The UK relies heavily on foreign escorts and US Marine F-35Bs for its carriers when UK carriers are in the Indo-Pacific.

NUCLEAR STRIKE AIRCRAFT

Announced by the UK Government on June 24, 2025 NATO First will include 12 new F-35As for the RAF for NUCLEAR STRIKE by 2030. The "nuclear" F-35As are instead of the original intention of buying 12 new conventionally armed F-35Bs for UK carriers. 

UK defence policy toward the Russian threat will include more conventionally armed F-35s as UK Typhoons are gradually retired over several decades. This may mean more than 100 F-35As or at least a mixture of 138 F-35As and Bs. Scroll a third way down here. F-35As carry a greater war load over longer ranges than F-35Bs, if As and Bs are not mid-air refueled. 

Also the UK Army needs expansion for anti-Russia European wars, particularly in armoured vehicles, artillery and small drones. 

More UK money spent on military aid to Ukraine may also mean less UK money available for the conventionally armed AND conventionally powered UK RN.