Royal Navy begins week-long training exercise off coast of Italy
The Royal Navy has begun a week-long exercise with its NATO allies off the coast of Italy.
HMS Prince of Wales is currently leading the UK Carrier Strike Group on an eight-month mission to the Indo-Pacific.
The strike group is made up of warships, aircraft, submarines and fifth generation F-35B Lightning fighter jets.
This week's exercise, called Exercise Med Strike, involves two carrier strike groups, 21 warships, three submarines, 41 fast jets, 19 helicopters, ten patrol aircraft and more than 8,000 personnel training together off the coast between Taranto and Sicily.
The Italian Navy's Carrier Strike Group will join with the UK to carry out anti-submarine warfare tactics.
Commodore James Blackmore, Commander UK Carrier Strike Group said: 'It is with great pride that we begin operations in the Mediterranean. I know UK and allied service personnel on the warships and aircraft of the Strike Group stand ready to deliver.
'Working at the heart of a powerful NATO force sends a strong message and shows clearly the phenomenal capabilities that not only the UK possesses but the alliance as a whole.'
Alongside the UK and Italy, Canada, France, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Türkiye and the United States are also involved in Exercise Med Strike.
The whole eight-month deployment, called Operation Highmast, aims to reaffirm the UK's commitment to the "security of the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific region, demonstrate collective resolve with allies and showcase British trade and industry".
Between now and December, the Carrier Strike Group will conduct a series of exercises and operations with air, sea and land with allies in the Mediterranean, Middle East, South-east Asia, Japan and Australia.
Over the course of the deployment, more than 4,500 British military personnel will be involved, including nearly 600 RAF and 900 soldiers alongside 2,500 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines.
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