UK and Allied Show of Strength in the North

Several F-35B Lightning fighters stand ready on deck as High North News lands on HMS Prince of Wales, Britain's and Europe's largest warship.

But before that, aboard a British Merlin Mk2 helicopter, we catch sight of the vessels escorting and guarding this floating air station: the British destroyer HMS Dauntless, the French frigate FS Bretagne and the Norwegian frigate HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen.

The carrier strike group is operating at an undisclosed location in the Norwegian Sea as part of the British operation Firecrest, as well as NATO's exercise Neptune Strike and vigilance activity Arctic Sentry.

Power projection

Having removed our survival suits and helmets, we set off through the “countless” corridors and up the stairs towards the bridge. It is easy to get lost here, the crew tells us, as the aircraft carrier – measuring 280 metres long and 70 metres wide – has enough space for three football pitches.

On the bridge, we meet the Commanding Officer of HMS Prince of Wales, Captain Ben Power, who looks out across the deck.

“This deployment is about demonstrating the UK's commitment to NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force and supporting our partners by operating in the High North and the Arctic. As an aircraft carrier, our activities focus primarily on using our air wing to project power,” Power tells HNN.

As if to underline this, an F-35B speeds off on a mission. The F-35B looks very similar to the F-35A model operated by Norway, but can take off from a very short runway and perform vertical landings.

“We are also here to demonstrate to our adversaries that we have credible hard power which we are capable of using if necessary,” the commanding officer emphasises.

On board are dozens of F-35Bs, as well as Merlin Mk2 and Mk4 helicopters, Wildcat helicopters and Malloy drones.

While the Merlin helicopters are specialised for advanced anti-submarine warfare, maritime force protection and troop transport, the Wildcat is a versatile helicopter with considerable firepower. Malloy drones are used to transport supplies such as ammunition, food and equipment.

Complex activity

The commander of the UK-led carrier strike group, Commodore Richard Hewitt, also joins us on the bridge.

The carrier strike group is now operating under NATO command, specifically under the leadership of NATO’s Joint Force Command Norfolk in Virginia, United States. This command has particular responsibility for the North Atlantic and the Arctic.

Hewitt provides an insight into the various activities being carried out:

“In 2026, the UK Carrier Strike Group is deployed in the High North and the North Atlantic for Operation Firecrest. The first part of the operation took place over three months until the end of July, and we are now carrying out the second phase,” he says.

Cooperation with allies is central to this, and during the first phase, the carrier strike group took part in the NATO exercises Dynamic Mongoose, Ramstein Flag and Neptune Strike 26-3. It also conducted NATO's Icelandic Air Policing mission.

"In the best interests of the UK and NATO"

The focus of the second phase of Operation Firecrest is to maintain operational readiness, strengthen interoperability and ensure that the carrier strike group is prepared to respond to challenges in an increasingly important region.

“All of this takes place under the umbrella of Arctic Sentry, NATO’s enhanced vigilance activity in the Arctic region,” Hewitt explains, continuing:

“At present, we are undertaking activity as part of Neptune Strike 26-4, demonstrating a range of capabilities in the air, on the surface and below the surface across NATO.”

A concrete example is that F-35B fighters from HMS Prince of Wales conducted a live-firing exercise with a Norwegian joint terminal attack controller at the Setermoen firing and training range in Troms, Northern Norway. The carrier strike group has also carried out live-firing exercises at sea.

"Over the next few days, more British and Norwegian units will join us and my job is to ensure that the carrier strike group is as tactically proficient as possible. We and our allies have complementary capabilities, and operating together in this region is in the best interests of the UK and, more importantly, NATO," he states.

The recent activity of HMS Prince of Wales in the Norwegian Sea has also involved strategic deterrence. During the US-led exercise Global Thunder, a US B-52 strategic bomber was escorted by British F-35Bs while operating alongside Norwegian F-35As for the first time.

In the face of Russian activity

Do you observe Russian units attempting to monitor your activities?

"It is common for Russia to try to monitor what we are doing. We have seen an increase in Russian activity across all domains, both beneath and above the waves. Part of the reason we are here is to demonstrate to Russia that we have carrier strike capability and are willing to use it to defend both the UK and our NATO allies if necessary," says Power.

According to the Royal Navy, its activations of own units to monitor Russian activity in British waters and the North Atlantic increased by 25 per cent in the first seven months of this year compared with 2025.

When HMS Prince of Wales operated in the Norwegian Sea during Operation Firecrest in July, the ship was monitored by a Russian Tu-142 maritime patrol aircraft, which also deployed sonobuoys to detect and track submarines. Two F-35B jets were scrambled to intercept the patrol aircraft.

Also in this round of the operation, fighters on HMS Prince of Wales were scrambled when a Russian Tu-142 approached the carrier strike group, reports GB News.

Hosting conferences

Having completed its operations in the north, HMS Prince of Wales will sail to Oslo. There, the aircraft carrier will serve as a venue for major meetings, initially the International Sea Power Conference on 10 November.

“We will also host the Atlantic Future Forum, led by the UK government. The forum brings together leaders in defence, security and technology from a number of NATO nations for important discussions on security in the North Atlantic,” says commanding officer Power.

"Norway is at the heart of NATO’s northern flank and acts as a gateway to the strategically vital High North and Arctic; consequently, it provides the perfect place to convene senior leaders to engage and explore how collective deterrence and defence can be sustained and enhanced into the future," the organisers state.