HMS Prince of Wales (US Navy photo by Dane Wiedmann)
Four aircraft carriers from the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom converged in the Philippine Sea on Sunday for Operation Highmast 2025, mounting a powerful display of allied maritime and air capabilities.
The lineup featured a U.S. Nimitz-class super carrier, the F-35B-capable JS Kaga, a U.S. Wasp/America-class amphibious assault ship, and the Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales, the UK Defence Journal reported Sunday.
Each carried fast jets, helicopters, and a full escort group, with dozens of combat aircraft conducting a joint formation flight overhead.
Operation Highmast is the Royal Navy’s flagship 2025 Carrier Strike Group (CSG) deployment, led by HMS Prince of Wales, it was also reported.
The eight-month mission spans the Indo-Pacific, combining port visits, high-intensity exercises, and joint training to bolster partnerships and operational readiness with regional allies.
Previous drills have included integrated air operations with Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force, the U.S. Navy, and the Australian Defence Force.
The deployment emphasizes complex multinational interoperability, encompassing combined carrier strike and anti-submarine warfare operations, as well as humanitarian assistance operations.
Covering over 26,000 nautical miles, the CSG will visit more than 40 countries and conduct over 70 engagements.
The UK Defence Journal further reported that nearly 4,000 British personnel from the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, and British Army are participating.
The mission underscores the UK’s strategic commitment to a “free and open Indo-Pacific” and highlights a broad coalition of support, it said.
Twelve nations are contributing ships or personnel, including Norway, which has assigned a warship for the entire operation, while Canada, Spain, and New Zealand have deployed vessels for key segments.
