UK carrier roadmap plots route to 2021 deployment
With the formal commissioning into service of the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales the UK Royal Navy has two aircraft carriers in its fleet for the first time in nearly nine years, representing another crucial landmark in the return to big-deck operations.
Poignantly, the commissioning of the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales on 10 December took place 78 years to the day of the sinking of the King George V-class battleship HMS Prince of Wales, the last vessel to carry the name, during operations against the Japanese in the South China Sea during WWII.
Displacing
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
AUKUS plan B? Japan’s submarines stopgap gains traction
Australia’s Collins-class life of type extension has revived debate over whether Canberra needs a contingency plan as risks to every stage of the AUKUS pathway mount. With Japan newly open to exports, the case for a diesel-electric stopgap is gaining traction.
-
Seoul’s SSN programme launch raises questions on fuel, tech and build location
Seoul has unveiled its “Jangbogo-N Project” to develop domestically built, nuclear-propelled attack submarines in close coordination with Washington, marking an escalation of the Republic of Korea’s deterrence posture against Pyongyang’s undersea nuclear capabilities.
-
Tokyo’s naval export drive gains strategic depth in Southeast Asia
Indonesia’s consideration of Mogami-class frigates points to a widening export opportunity for Tokyo across Southeast Asia and raises the prospect of the Mogami becoming the region’s default mid-tier surface combatant.