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Kyodo News
12-08-2025
- Politics
- Kyodo News
British navy carrier group makes port call in Japan, 1st in 4 years
YOKOSUKA, Japan - A British aircraft carrier strike group made a port call in eastern Japan on Tuesday, marking the first such visit in about four years in a show of deeper security cooperation between the two nations. The aircraft carrier the Prince of Wales docked at the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, southwest of Tokyo, while the destroyer the Dauntless and the Norwegian frigate the 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. 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.
Japan Times
12-08-2025
- General
- Japan Times
Britain's Prince of Wales aircraft carrier makes Japan debut
Britain's Prince of Wales aircraft carrier made its Japan debut on Tuesday, arriving at the Yokosuka Naval Base just days after some of its embarked F-35B fighter aircraft touched down and took off from the deck of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Kaga carrier as part of 'cross-decking' training activities. The 280-meter warship, which is in the final leg of a monthslong Indo-Pacific deployment at the helm of a multinational carrier strike group, docked at the base in Kanagawa Prefecture alongside British destroyer Dauntless and Norwegian frigate Roald Amundsen. The move marks not only the second time that a British aircraft carrier has docked in Japan — after the HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2021 — but also the latest in a series of incremental steps between Japan and European partners to deepen military ties amid concerns over Chinese assertiveness in the region. The cross-decking activities were part of a larger naval exercise held between Aug. 4-12 in the western Pacific that featured U.S., Spanish and Norwegian warships, including four aircraft carriers. They marked the first time that British short-takeoff-and-landing F-35Bs have landed on a Japanese carrier — a move designed to enhance interoperability, flexibility and operational capacity between the partner navies, especially as Japan just recently took delivery of its first three of a planned fleet of 42 F-35Bs, most of which will be deployed from Kaga and its sister ship, Izumo. Such level of interoperability could prove crucial In the case of a contingency as cross-decking would allow for the extension of flight operations beyond the range of a single carrier or platform as similar aircraft could be refueled or rearmed on different ships, including those from partner nations. The Prince of Wales and the two other warships are part of the U.K. Carrier Strike Group 25. The remaining members of the group proceeded to South Korea. Before the carrier's arrival in Japan, however, one of its F-35Bs suffered a malfunction that forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing on Sunday at Kagoshima Airport in southwestern Japan. The incident closely followed the forced landing of another F-35B at Thiruvananthapuram Airport in Kerala, India, in June. After Yokosuka, the Prince of Wales will head to Tokyo for six days from Aug. 28 while the Norwegian warship will be in the Japanese capital over Aug. 19-22 before returning to Yokosuka. All three ships are scheduled to leave Japan on Sept. 2. Tokyo has hailed the visit as a 'demonstration of Britain and Norway's commitment to contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, with a view to realizing a 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific.' The Japan visit will mark the strike group's final leg during Operation Highmast — the name of this year's deployment — before the group reassembles and heads back to Europe. The route has already taken the warships from Portsmouth in England to the Mediterranean, across the Red Sea via the Suez Canal and through the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia to conduct exercises and port visits with partners such as the U.S., India, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. Last month, elements of the strike group took part in this year's iteration of the multinational Talisman Sabre exercise in Australia and Papua New Guinea, highlighting that the eight-month deployment was not only aimed at showing presence and making port calls. An image published Saturday on X shows British F-35B aircraft landing for the first time on Japan's JS Kaga carrier. | BRITISH ROYAL NAVY Just like with the Queen Elizabeth carrier-led deployment four years ago, this year's mission has tested the Royal Navy's logistical capabilities as well as its ability to operate alongside regional partners. This is key as the navy seeks to understand how to better operate and exchange capabilities with non-NATO partners while discussing how best to handle potential regional contingencies ranging from disaster-relief operations and gray-zone activities to countering hostile cyberactivities and engaging in high-end warfighting. But the British deployments are also meant to send a dual strategic message — one of deterrence to potential adversaries and another of reassurance to allies and partners that Britain remains focused on maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific. This comes after the U.K. Ambassador to Tokyo told The Japan Times last year that London will remain laser-focused on the Indo-Pacific as the region remains critical for British economic and security interests. Of particular importance are ties with Japan, which views Britain as its closest European defense and security partner. In recent years, the scope and frequency of joint military activities with the Self-Defense Forces has grown, including port calls and exercises such as the Vigilant Isles drills. Many of the military maneuvers are now being facilitated by a visiting-forces pact that entered into force in October 2023. The Prince of Wales is the third European aircraft carrier to visit the region and exercise with the MSDF over the past 12 months, following the Italian Navy's Cavour deployment last August and the French Navy's Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier in February. The move is part of an attempt by some of Europe's largest nations to expand security cooperation and interoperability with Indo-Pacific partners. This has, at least in part, been prompted by fears that a crisis akin to that in Ukraine could erupt in Asia — whether due to developments in the South China Sea or in relation to Taiwan — with both European and U.S. regional allies embracing the argument that Indo-Pacific security is 'inseparable' from that of the North Atlantic.
Japan Today
08-08-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
British aircraft carrier group to visit Japan
A British aircraft carrier strike group is set to visit eastern Japan for three weeks from next Tuesday, the Japanese Defense Ministry said. The aircraft carrier the Prince of Wales, the destroyer the Dauntless and the Norwegian frigate the Roald Amundsen are all slated to make a port call in Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, the ministry said Friday in a press release. 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 remains "committed to proactively contributing to regional peace and stability in close coordination with like-minded partners" including Britain and Norway, the ministry said. It will be the second such British naval visit, as Japan hosted an aircraft carrier strike group in 2021 led by the Queen Elizabeth, according to the ministry. Japan and Britain, both U.S. allies, have been boosting their defense collaboration including a trilateral project with Italy to jointly develop a next-generation fighter jet by 2035. © KYODO
Scottish Sun
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Two major games enjoyed by 35 million players are shutting down in DAYS – spend currency now before it's lost forever
See a full list of more games closing down this year - including a top title next month GAME OVER Two major games enjoyed by 35 million players are shutting down in DAYS – spend currency now before it's lost forever Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A PAIR of games enjoyed by more than 35million players at their peak will go dark in a matter of days. Servers for the two titles are set to be switched off, making it impossible for people to continuing accessing them online. 2 Dauntless will no longer be available from May 29 onward Credit: Phoenix Labs 2 MultiVersus is also going offline Credit: Warner Bros Games Dauntless is the first to bow out, on May 29. At its peak, the free-to-play action role-playing game enjoyed 15million active players. But six years after launching, developers said there had been a "decline of active players". They blamed the drop off on "negative public reception of TK" (team kill). But players have pointed the finger at changes in ownership of the company behind Dauntless which they say "ruined the game". "The game is nothing like I remember it when it first launched," one previous fan wrote on Reddit. As such, servers will close on all platforms - PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Nintendo Switch and PC - on May 29. But it's not the only gaming casualty in May. On May 30, the MultiVersus title will also go offline. The free-to-play crossover fighting game features characters from popular Warner Bros franchises, including Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo and Cartoon Network. At its height, the title had 20million players but only a year later numbers waned leading to MultiVersus's online functionality being discontinued. While the servers are closing, players who already have the game installed will still be able to use it offline instead. "After careful consideration, our next Season will serve as the final seasonal content update for the game," developers said. "All online features will continue to be available until Season 5 concludes on May 30 at 9 a.m. PDT. "At that point, there will be an option to play MultiVersus offline via the local gameplay mode, either solo against A.I. opponents or with up to three friends." Watch trailer for doomed Ubisoft shooter game set to close down in weeks More game closures this year Online games are routinely shut down as user numbers drop. Here's a list of other games closing this year to take note of: xDefiant - June 3 The First Descendant - June 19 Black Desert - June 26 Resident Evil ReVerse - June 29 Madden NFL 21 - June 30 Arizona Sunshine - July 1 Skyworld - July 1 Danmachi Battle Chronicle - September 29 WWE 2K24 - September 30 Madden NFL 22 - October 20 PGA Tour 2K21 - October 30 NBA 2K24 - December 31
The Sun
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Two major games enjoyed by 35 million players are shutting down in DAYS – spend currency now before it's lost forever
A PAIR of games enjoyed by more than 35million players at their peak will go dark in a matter of days. Servers for the two titles are set to be switched off, making it impossible for people to continuing accessing them online. 2 2 Dauntless is the first to bow out, on May 29. At its peak, the free-to-play action role-playing game enjoyed 15million active players. But six years after launching, developers said there had been a "decline of active players". They blamed the drop off on "negative public reception of TK" (team kill). But players have pointed the finger at changes in ownership of the company behind Dauntless which they say "ruined the game". "The game is nothing like I remember it when it first launched," one previous fan wrote on Reddit. As such, servers will close on all platforms - PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Nintendo Switch and PC - on May 29. But it's not the only gaming casualty in May. On May 30, the MultiVersus title will also go offline. The free-to-play crossover fighting game features characters from popular Warner Bros franchises, including Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo and Cartoon Network. At its height, the title had 20million players but only a year later numbers waned leading to MultiVersus's online functionality being discontinued. While the servers are closing, players who already have the game installed will still be able to use it offline instead. "After careful consideration, our next Season will serve as the final seasonal content update for the game," developers said. "All online features will continue to be available until Season 5 concludes on May 30 at 9 a.m. PDT. "At that point, there will be an option to play MultiVersus offline via the local gameplay mode, either solo against A.I. opponents or with up to three friends." Watch trailer for doomed Ubisoft shooter game set to close down in weeks More game closures this year Online games are routinely shut down as user numbers drop. Here's a list of other games closing this year to take note of: xDefiant - June 3 The First Descendant - June 19 Black Desert - June 26 Resident Evil ReVerse - June 29 Madden NFL 21 - June 30 Arizona Sunshine - July 1 Skyworld - July 1 Danmachi Battle Chronicle - September 29 WWE 2K24 - September 30 Madden NFL 22 - October 20 PGA Tour 2K21 - October 30 NBA 2K24 - December 31 WHY DO GAMES CLOSE? By Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun With most games online these days, tech companies need to maintain quite hefty servers to manage everything. It's no cheap business to operate with millions of gamers across the world. Naturally, people move on, leaving older games behind in the process. There comes a point where it's no longer viable to continue offering server access so studios shut them down. For some games that are entirely online this can render it completely useless. But others may have a way for you to continue playing solo still. You should usually see a prominent notification in the game warning you with instructions on what to do - provided you're still playing the game of course. Image credit: Alamy
