The F-35Bs of 809 Naval Air Squadron, one of two front-line UK Lightning formations alongside the RAF’s 617 Squadron, were embarked on the Portsmouth-based aircraft carrier. Merlin and Wildcat helicopters also operated from the ship’s flight deck, providing part of the UK’s aerial contribution to the exercise.
Sorties were launched from the North Sea, often in unseasonal June weather. Air-to-air refuelling tankers extended the range of the stealth fighters, allowing sustained long-range missions more than 700 miles from their floating base.
Ramstein Flag 26 tested NATO’s ability to respond rapidly, cohesively and decisively to an attack on a member state. The scenario was based on the triggering of Article 5, requiring a response from all Alliance nations.
The exercise was spread across 20 locations from Norway to Spain and Finland, as well as HMS Prince of Wales’s carrier strike group at sea. The group included destroyer HMS Duncan and tanker RFA Tidespring.
Up to 150 NATO aircraft from 18 nations flew around 150 sorties daily during the 11-day exercise. Aircraft involved ranged from land- and carrier-based F-35s to Typhoons, F-18s, Swedish-made Gripens, French Rafales and Mirages, tankers, transport aircraft and Reaper drones.
Among the more unusual activity were US Marine Corps F-35Bs landing on Finnish highways, refuelling and taking off again. The Royal Navy’s 809 Naval Air Squadron jets made a more conventional visit to Finland, using Pirkkala air base near Tampere, about 100 miles north of Helsinki.
The aim was to ensure that different types of aircraft, sensors and weapons systems could work together effectively. The exercise also tested how pilots with several different first languages could operate under direction from headquarters hundreds of miles away while facing the latest threats.
Commodore Richard Hewitt, Commander UK Carrier Strike Group, said the carrier strike group’s involvement had delivered a clear message to allies and any possible aggressor. “The seamless coordination of our Carrier Strike Group with 18 Allied partners during Exercise Ramstein Flag is a powerful testament to the skill of our sailors and aviators.”
“The UK Carrier Strike Group is fully integrated into NATO’s frontline defence. Operating under NATO command, the fifth-generation capability we are generating from HMS Prince of Wales delivers a deliberate message to any potential adversary: together, the Royal Navy and our allies provide the precise, synchronised combat power required to secure the Northern Flank.”
Alongside flight operations, HMS Prince of Wales also conducted medical operations in its hospital facilities. The Royal Navy said a conflict on the scale of a Ramstein Flag-style scenario would almost certainly lead to sustained and serious casualties.
The ship has a comprehensive hospital suite, including an operating theatre able to provide Role 2 medical support. This gives emergency surgical capability for urgent operations on the most severe casualties before they are moved to a full-scale hospital for further treatment and recuperation.
The ability to assess, stabilise and treat critically injured or unwell personnel quickly is intended to improve survivability. A medical team of around 20 personnel is on call 24 hours a day, supported by the Maritime Medical Emergency Response Team.
The response team acts as a flying ambulance, delivering life-saving aid where needed before transferring casualties to HMS Prince of Wales. It can also accompany casualties to a hospital ashore when required.
The Royal Navy’s participation in Ramstein Flag 26 highlighted the role of HMS Prince of Wales in NATO air operations. The deployment showed how UK carrier-based aircraft and supporting forces can integrate with Allied partners across a wide European operating area.
