Latest news with #HMSPrinceOfWales
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Lone piper plays at Edinburgh Castle to mark 80th anniversary of VJ Day
A lone piper has played on the battlements of Edinburgh Castle to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, which marked the end of the Second World War. Senior Pipe Major Peter Grant was one of six armed forces bagpipers playing simultaneously at locations in the UK and east Asia on Friday. The pipers all played the traditional tune When The Battle's O'er, and a wreath was laid at the Japanese Garden of Peace in Hammersmith, London. Two other UK pipers played at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire and the Cenotaph in London. Meanwhile, the three pipers in east Asia played at the British Army camp in Kathmandu, Nepal, the Royal Gurkha Rifles Memorial in Brunei, and on board aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, which is currently at sea in the Far East. Other events to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day are also taking place on Friday. A national two-minute silence will be held at noon and the Red Arrows will join historic Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft for a flypast over the commemorations at the National Memorial Arboretum. A number of public buildings around the UK are also set to be lit up on Friday evening. Sites in Scotland will include Stirling Castle, Scone Palace, Ness Bridge, the Kelpies, Glasgow Bridge, Hamilton Town House and Edinburgh City Chambers. By 1945, some 365,000 British and 1.5 million Commonwealth troops had been deployed across Asia and the Pacific. More than 90,000 British troops were casualties in the war against Japan, and nearly 30,000 died, while more than 12,000 Britons were among the 190,000 Commonwealth troops held as prisoners of war by the Japanese. Of the Allied forces, the US suffered the greatest losses, with more than 100,000 killed in action. In an audio message released at 7.30am on Friday, the King paid tribute to the 'courage and camaraderie' of those who fought in the Pacific and Far East in what he said was 'humanity's darkest hour'. He also acknowledged the hardships suffered by 'innocent civilian populations of occupied territories'. 'Their experience reminds us that war's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life – a tragedy all too vividly demonstrated by conflicts around the world today,' he said. 'On this landmark anniversary, we should also pause to acknowledge that in the war's final act, an immense price was paid by the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – a price we pray no nation need ever pay again.' He added: 'But in recalling so much suffering, we must not lose sight of how great was the cause and how sweet the victory.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Lone piper plays at Edinburgh Castle to mark 80th anniversary of VJ Day
A lone piper has played on the battlements of Edinburgh Castle to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, which marked the end of the Second World War. Senior Pipe Major Peter Grant was one of six armed forces bagpipers playing simultaneously at locations in the UK and east Asia on Friday. The pipers all played the traditional tune When The Battle's O'er, and a wreath was laid at the Japanese Garden of Peace in Hammersmith, London. Two other UK pipers played at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire and the Cenotaph in London. Meanwhile, the three pipers in east Asia played at the British Army camp in Kathmandu, Nepal, the Royal Gurkha Rifles Memorial in Brunei, and on board aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, which is currently at sea in the Far East. Other events to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day are also taking place on Friday. A national two-minute silence will be held at noon and the Red Arrows will join historic Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft for a flypast over the commemorations at the National Memorial Arboretum. A number of public buildings around the UK are also set to be lit up on Friday evening. Sites in Scotland will include Stirling Castle, Scone Palace, Ness Bridge, the Kelpies, Glasgow Bridge, Hamilton Town House and Edinburgh City Chambers. By 1945, some 365,000 British and 1.5 million Commonwealth troops had been deployed across Asia and the Pacific. More than 90,000 British troops were casualties in the war against Japan, and nearly 30,000 died, while more than 12,000 Britons were among the 190,000 Commonwealth troops held as prisoners of war by the Japanese. Of the Allied forces, the US suffered the greatest losses, with more than 100,000 killed in action. In an audio message released at 7.30am on Friday, the King paid tribute to the 'courage and camaraderie' of those who fought in the Pacific and Far East in what he said was 'humanity's darkest hour'. He also acknowledged the hardships suffered by 'innocent civilian populations of occupied territories'. 'Their experience reminds us that war's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life – a tragedy all too vividly demonstrated by conflicts around the world today,' he said. 'On this landmark anniversary, we should also pause to acknowledge that in the war's final act, an immense price was paid by the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – a price we pray no nation need ever pay again.' He added: 'But in recalling so much suffering, we must not lose sight of how great was the cause and how sweet the victory.'
Times
02-07-2025
- Times
Kerala tourist board pokes fun at stranded British F-35 fighter jet
The F-35B Lightning can fly at 1.6 times the speed of sound, suppress enemy radar with electronic warfare systems and shoot other fighter jets out of the sky using guided missiles and a 25mm cannon. One thing Britain's most advanced warplane cannot seem to do, though, is take off from an Indian airfield. 'Kerala, the destination you'll never want to leave,' the state's tourist board has joked after one of the jets broke down at Thiruvananthapuram international airport last month. The Royal Navy aircraft has been marooned there for nearly three weeks after bad weather forced it to make an emergency landing during a routine flight from HMS Prince of Wales. It then developed an engineering problem that prevented it from returning to the aircraft carrier, which has been operating in southeast Asian waters with Nato allies. After an assessment by the carrier's engineers, it was decided that support from specialists in the UK was needed to get the F-35 airborne again. No forecast has been given by the Ministry of Defence on when the repairs will be finished, and British military personnel have been deployed to guard the £89 million jet. The saga has prompted Kerala Tourism to poke fun at the situation with a fake five-star review of the southwestern region of India, as if it had been written by the stranded warplane. 'Kerala is such an amazing place, I don't want to leave. Definitely recommend,' the spoof review by the user 'UK F-35B' said on the tourist board's social media pages. A member of India's Central Industrial Security Force is reported to have also been guarding the solitary aircraft, over concerns that its technological secrets may be vulnerable. Although India has a strong relationship with the UK, it also has close ties with Russia. The aircraft has so far been left out in the open on the tarmac of the civilian airport but is due to be moved to a space in the maintenance repair and overhaul facility hangar when specialist equipment and UK engineering teams arrive. A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: 'We are working to repair the UK F-35B at Thiruvananthapuram international airport as quickly as possible. We thank the Indian authorities for their continued support.'
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
UK sailors convinced the Royal Navy to get a computer room on its newest aircraft carrier for esports and video games
The HMS Prince of Wales, a UK Royal Navy aircraft carrier, has a computer gaming suite. Petitioned for by sailors, it's fitted with Alienware gaming computers and a widescreen TV. Space can be tight on the 1,600-crew warship, but they got approval to set up the room in February. Decks below F-35B Lightning II fighters and Wildcat attack helicopters, Chief Petty Officer Martin Miller keeps watch over the Royal Navy's first-ever seafaring computer gaming room. It's not his main job, of course. Miller is one of two logistics store chiefs on board the HMS Prince of Wales, the UK's second aircraft carrier. Business Insider took a look inside the ship as it docked in Singapore during an eight-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific. Miller, the vice-chairman of the Royal Navy's esports committee, voluntarily manages the onboard gaming room, which was set up in February. After wrapping up a typical day at 8 p.m., Miller tends to spend a few hours in the suite, enjoying robust air conditioning and playing the strategy game "Sid Meier's Civilization VI." "Other ships have PlayStations and Xboxes down on the mess deck so they can play where they live, but this is the first ship that's got a PC setup like this," Miller said. Officially dubbed the ship's "esports suite," it's more like a computer lab for now. The facility is an old exam room fitted with LED lights, a widescreen TV, office chairs, and eight beefy Alienware gaming computers. While on the high seas, the carrier's internet is typically only good enough to support simple text messages, so sailors make do with local multiplayer games such as "Halo" and "Team Fortress 2." The suite's gaming gear is sponsored by the Royal Navy, which disburses funds to troops petitioning for official support in a sport. To get money, sports committees must prove their pastime has a large following within and outside the British forces. In March 2024, the UK's defense ministry recognized esports as a military sport, saying it valued digital skills associated with gaming and hoped the activity would help retain young talent. "If you're a top gamer, or a coder, your country needs you," UK Defense Minister John Healey said in a September speech. The ministry told BI that it launched a recruitment plan this year to "fast-track gamers into cyber defence roles," and that the suite was approved on the carrier to "enhance the lived experience of her sailors and foster social connections." One of the crew's selling points for the carrier's gaming suite is that it can be a tool for cross-rank team bonding. Mess halls are sometimes equipped with consoles for couch gaming titles like "Mario Kart," but free access to these rooms is bound by seniority. Miller said officers and leaders book the gaming suite via email about three times a week for their teams. Sailors also use it ad-hoc every evening while at sea, he said. Aircraft carriers and amphibious assault vessels, with hundreds or thousands of troops on board, often boast a range of recreational facilities. The Prince of Wales, commissioned in 2019, comes with ice baths, saunas, inflatable swimming pools, a golf simulator, three gyms, and karaoke. But with 1,600 crew, squadron staff, and marines aboard, space on the 72,000-ton vessel can be a luxury. Two of the suite's computers are unused because they can't fit in the room, and Miller said the committee has a near-impossible ambition of installing an F1 driving simulator rig. Sub-Lieutenant Joshua Hill, the treasurer of the Royal Navy's esports committee, told BI that its members have been setting up gaming suites like this one in the UK's naval bases. Warships are a different story, and getting a room to build a gaming suite on a carrier was an encouraging sign of Royal Navy support, Hill said. "A lot of our infrastructure in the Navy is used, so trying to find the space that they can give up is what we're struggling with at the moment," said Hill. He doesn't work on the carrier, but is an assistant logistics officer on the HMS Dauntless, an accompanying destroyer. Hill hopes this suite can serve as an example of how computer multiplayer games can be introduced to other UK warships. "The next step is, can we get connectivity?" he said. "That's kind of the aim for stuff on ships as a whole." Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UK aircraft carrier in Indo-Pacific on rare deployment
A British aircraft carrier has docked in Singapore on a rare Indo-Pacific deployment which will see it call on Australia, Japan, Korea and take part in several multinational exercises. HMS Prince of Wales' visit comes weeks after two Chinese aircraft carriers concluded simultaneous drills in the region, in an unprecedented move prompting Japan's protest. The carrier strike group's commander James Blackmore says he does not expect conflict with Chinese counterparts, noting the UK and China each "has every right to sail its ships in international sea space". "I almost expect they'll want to come and want to watch what we're doing... Lots of other parties will wish to witness what we're doing," he tells the BBC. "But I do recognise it will be safe and professional. That's the way we operate in the maritime." Just last week, China had criticised another British warship HMS Spey's passage through the Taiwan Strait as an act of "intentional provocation" that "undermines peace and stability". HMS Spey is one of two British warships - the other being HMS Tamar - permanently on patrol in the Indo-Pacific. HMS Prince of Wales, which docked in Singapore on Monday, is one of the UK Navy's largest ships with a flight deck large enough to fit three football pitches. During its eight-month deployment, HMS Prince of Wales will be supported by ships from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and Spain, among others. The deployment begins with around 2,500 military personnel and will grow to over 4,500 for some key exercises. The warship's presence in the Indo-Pacific also comes at a time when Washington has become more unpredictable, which introduces uncertainty to military alliances in the region. For instance, it is now reviewing its multi-billion dollar submarine deal with the UK and Australia. Asked how crucial the Aukus pact is to his carrier strike group's mission, Commodore Blackmore declined to comment, noting that the deal is "being entirely dealt with at a government to government level". The group is headed down under next month to participate in an Australia-led exercise which will involve the US and other regional militaries. It will then sail through the Philippine Sea to Japan, where it will support Japanese authorities in developing the country's F-35 capability, Commodore Blackmore says. HMS Prince of Wales' deployment demonstrates the UK's commitment to the region, he adds. "It's about upholding a rules-based international order and recognising the importance of trade between a free and open Indo-Pacific and the European theatre," he says. On its way home in September, HMS Prince of Wales will take part in the annual warfighting exercise of the Five Power Defence Arrangements - referring to defence pacts between Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK established in 1971. The last time a UK aircraft carrier joined these drills was in 1971.
