UK aircraft carrier to sail in Indo-Pacific as part of multi-national task force —PH Navy
The aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (09) before she departed for Operation Highmast. Royal Navy
The Philippine Navy on Tuesday said that a multi-national task force centered around an aircraft carrier of the United Kingdom is expected to sail in the Indo-Pacific region to promote international order.
In a press briefing, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said the activity is under the Royal Navy-led Operation Highmast.
'The United Kingdom last month, April 25, set sail Operation Highmast centered on the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales joined by warships from Norway, Canada,and Spain,' he said.
'The objective here is to reinforce the alliances with like-minded nations in the Indo-Pacific Region and to support the international order, which is currently being attacked by one country that would like to change the international status quo,' he added.
Trinidad said the eight-month deployment will cover the Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean, and the Indo-Pacific Region.
According to him, multilateral exercises will be conducted during Operation Highmast.
HMS Prince of Wales has an embarked air group that includes the F-35B Lightning II stealth multirole fghters, anti-submarine helicopters, airborne early warning aircraft and accommodation for 250 Royal Marines.
Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.
Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country's claim.
The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."
Beijing has refused to recognize the decision. —RF, GMA Integrated News
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