The United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG), led by Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, has arrived in Singapore, marking a significant milestone in the UK’s ongoing strategic engagement with the Indo-Pacific region. Docking at Marina Bay Cruise Centre, the first time a warship has berthed at the terminal. The visit forms part of Operation Highmast, an eight-month deployment involving approximately 4,000 UK military personnel and engagements with more than 30 partner nations.
HMS Prince of Wales, a Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier and one of the most advanced warships in the world, leads an integrated task group comprising five core ships, 24 jets, and 17 helicopters. Personnel from the Royal Navy (2,500), Royal Air Force (592), and British Army (approximately 900) are taking part in the deployment, which spans the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Indo-Pacific. The Carrier Strike Group has already conducted joint exercises with partners including the United States, India, Malaysia, and Singapore.
23rd June 25 – Aircraft Carrier HMS Prince of Wales sails into Singapore.
The ships of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group arrive in South-east Asia. Led by the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, which is visiting Singapore. The stop coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the UK and Singapore.
The Carrier Strike Group is the Royal Navy’s key deployment of 2025. Led by UK flagship HMS Prince of Wales and involving a dozen nations, the eight-month mission – known as Operation Highmast – will take the task group to the western Pacific Rim via the Mediterranean and Middle East with a series of large-scale exercises with Britain’s allies and partners.
The goal is to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to the security of the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific region, demonstrate collective resolve with our allies and showcase British trade and industry. Over the course of the deployment, upwards of 4,500 British military personnel will be involved, including nearly 600 RAF and 900 soldiers alongside 2,500 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines.
The visit to Singapore reflects the UK’s commitment to long-term regional partnerships and the rules-based international order. Events onboard HMS Prince of Wales are being hosted to connect UK and Singaporean stakeholders across defence and security, science and technology, and business and investment sectors, highlighting mutual priorities in innovation and economic growth.
While in Singapore, HMS Prince of Wales will host a series of engagements with government, industry, and research leaders underscoring not only defence collaboration but also broader bilateral cooperation. The visit also signals the UK’s strategic intent to maintain a lasting presence in the Indo-Pacific and support regional resilience amid global challenges.
The deployment of the Carrier Strike Group is seen as both a symbol and substance of the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt—underscoring how Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security are closely linked, and reaffirming Britain’s role in shaping a stable, open, and prosperous international order.
