HMS Prince of Wales in Japan: The Royal Navy’s biggest ship, HMS Prince of Wales, has reached Tokyo for a visit.. The aircraft carrier is leading Carrier Strike Group 25 and made a grand entry into the Japanese capital with sailors standing in lines on the flight deck while people waved from bridges and roadsides. The ship will stay in Tokyo for a major port stop where it will open its doors to the public, welcome political leaders, and later host the Pacific Future Forum, an international security summit.
Defence Secretary John Healey also arrived in the city and held talks with Japan’s Defence Minister General Nakatani, reported Reuters. Both of them later spoke together at a press conference. When the ship came in, Healey was there along with Nakatani and the First Sea Lord, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, to welcome the crew.
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Captain Will Blackett, who commands HMS Prince of Wales, spoke about how special this moment was for everyone on board. He said it was a “huge privilege” for the £3.5bn ship to make this visit to Tokyo after she and her escort ships had just finished some maintenance in Yokosuka.
He added, “Before arriving [in] Japan, we exercised with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force at sea. It has been great to see what we can do together and our commitment to working with our partners in the Indo-Pacific region.” He also shared how much the crew enjoyed their time in Japan, saying, “Japan has been an incredible place to visit, our sailors have been so welcomed here and have explored all across the country.”
Before sailing into Tokyo, many of the ship’s company got some time to relax in Yokosuka. Groups of sailors climbed Mount Fuji, while others explored towns like Kamakura and Shibuya. They also enjoyed Japanese food and took part in cultural activities during their break.’
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Now that the ship is in the capital, it will host the Pacific Future Forum. Leaders from defence, security, and industry will gather on board to talk about shared challenges, including new technology for the future. There will also be a Defence and Security Industry Day where the UK will show off its defence strength and new ideas.
Once the Tokyo stop is complete, HMS Prince of Wales will head to South Korea to join her escorts, HMS Richmond and RFA Tidespring, which are already in Busan. This deployment is being called Operation Highmast, or CSG25. In total, about 4,500 British military personnel are part of this mission. That number includes 2,500 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines, almost 600 from the RAF, and close to 900 soldiers.
