This major international training event, held in the Ionian Sea between Sicily and Taranto, will run from 5 to 11 May. It brings together two carrier strike groups, 21 warships, three submarines, 41 fast jets, 19 helicopters, ten patrol aircraft and more than 8,000 personnel.
The UK-led CSG includes a powerful mix of warships, an Astute-class submarine, and the F-35B Lightning aircraft, which are central to the group’s operational capabilities. These stealth jets enable close cooperation with NATO allies, delivering advanced air power across land and sea.
The Italian Navy’s Carrier Strike Group, headed by flagship ITS Cavour, joins the UK CSG in this exercise. Together they will practise a range of capabilities, including anti-submarine warfare tactics.
“This is a major moment in the UK Carrier Strike Group’s global deployment and will test our skills alongside NATO allies in a region of fundamental importance to UK security,” said Commodore James Blackmore, Commander UK Carrier Strike Group. “It is with great pride that we begin operations in the Mediterranean. I know UK and allied service personnel on the warships and aircraft of the Strike Group stand ready to deliver.”
He added, “Working at the heart of a powerful NATO force sends a strong message and shows clearly the phenomenal capabilities that not only the UK possesses but the alliance as a whole.”
Exercise Med Strike follows the CSG’s involvement in NATO’s Exercise Neptune Strike earlier this week. This mission demonstrated the UK’s ability to contribute effectively to Euro-Atlantic security and deter threats to freedom of navigation.
The UK CSG operates under NATO command and integrates regularly with multinational forces. Ahead of Neptune Strike, it was joined by the Spanish frigate Méndez Núñez and Norwegian ships HNoMS Maud and HNoMS Roald Amundsen.
Alongside the UK and Italy, Exercise Med Strike includes participation from Canada, France, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Türkiye and the United States. These collaborative efforts underline the strength and unity of the NATO alliance.
This marks the second major deployment of the UK Carrier Strike Group, following its inaugural mission led by HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2021. Unlike that operation, which took place during the global Covid pandemic, Operation Highmast unfolds amid increasing geopolitical instability.
Running through to December, the CSG will conduct a series of exercises across the Mediterranean, Middle East, South-east Asia, Japan and Australia. The aim is to reinforce UK commitment to international security, strengthen alliances and promote British trade and industry.
Source: Royal Navy.
