British navy carrier group makes port call in Japan, 1st in 4 years
The aircraft carrier Prince of Wales docked at the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, southwest of Tokyo, while the destroyer Dauntless and the Norwegian frigate Roald Amundsen berthed at the near-by Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force base.
The three ships from the Carrier Strike Group 25 are scheduled to stay in Japan until Sept. 2, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry. It is the second such British naval visit, after Japan hosted an aircraft carrier strike group in 2021 led by the Queen Elizabeth.
A welcoming event was held at the MSDF base, with British Ambassador to Japan Julia Longbottom saying, "We are deeply grateful for your hospitality and shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific."
Tomohiko Madono, head of the MSDF's Yokosuka District, said that he is convinced that Japan, Britain and Norway will deepen their bonds given their "quite similar security environments."
The Prince of Wales will move to Tokyo on Aug. 28 and stay there until Sept. 2, while the Roald Amundsen will make a four-day stay in the capital from Aug. 19, the ministry said.
Japan and Britain have been strengthening their defense collaboration in recent years, with a bilateral reciprocal access agreement that simplifies procedures for their forces to engage in joint exercises and disaster relief operations taking effect in 2023.
The two U.S. allies have also been running a trilateral joint project with Italy to develop a next-generation fighter jet by 2035.
In a related move, the MSDF said Tuesday that British F-35B stealth fighter jets from the Prince of Wales, along with U.S. F-35Bs, landed on the Japanese carrier Kaga during multilateral drills in the western Pacific.
Japan is modifying two helicopter carriers, including the Kaga, for future use as de facto aircraft carriers, adding heat-resistant deck coating and other upgrades.
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