Following 8 months away, the Royal Navy’s centrepiece deployment of 2025 will conclude as ships return to Portsmouth and Plymouth on Sunday 30 November, a day earlier than planned, due to forecast bad weather.
HMS Dauntless leads the homecoming into Portsmouth, reaching the Outer Spit Buoy at around 0800, passing the Round Tower at approximately 0820 and berthing by 0845. HMS Prince of Wales follows at 1230, making her final approach past the Round Tower twenty minutes later and securing alongside at about 1315. Norwegian frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen will also come alongside shortly before 1545.
In Plymouth, HMS Richmond will reach the Breakwater at 1330 before conducting an 11-gun salute off the Hoe at around 1345, passing Devil’s Point at approximately 1400 and berthing at Devonport by 1430.
The task group has covered more than 40,000 nautical miles and involved around 4,000 sailors, soldiers, aviators and marines. Its aircraft have flown more than 2,500 sorties. Ships of the group have visited 12 countries, interacted with 30 nations and participated in activities with nine different carrier groups. UK F-35Bs operated from four other aircraft carriers during the deployment, contributing to the announcement that the Queen Elizabeth-class Carrier / Lightning Force has achieved Full Operating Capability.
F-35B aircraft from 617 Squadron and the 809 Naval Air Squadron provided the group’s fast-jet strength, with up to 26 jets embarked at peak, making it the largest sovereign fifth-generation air wing ever assembled at sea. Merlin and Wildcat helicopters from 814, 815, 820 and 845 Naval Air Squadrons delivered anti-submarine warfare, surface surveillance and lift tasks, while 700X NAS conducted ship-to-ship transfer with uncrewed aircraft.
Industrial and diplomatic engagement featured heavily throughout the mission. The group hosted 4,230 visitors and 28 senior political guests, and 82 UK companies used the deployment to demonstrate equipment and services, with export opportunities supposedly estimated at over £17Bn.
The Highmast deployment also achieved a series of significant firsts: the first landing of an F-35B on the Japanese ship Kaga; the first UK-India dual-carrier exercise; the first participation by a UK carrier group in Exercise Bersama Lima since 1997; and the first visit by a British carrier group to Australia in nearly three decades. HMS Prince of Wales became the first aircraft carrier to dock in both Tokyo and Singapore cruise liner terminals.
HNoMS Roald Amundsen set national milestones of her own, sailing further east than any previous Norwegian warship and making first-ever visits to India, Japan and Singapore. Throughout the deployment, she also embarked a UK Wildcat helicopter and crew, another first for a Norwegian vessel.
RFA Tideforce, which sustained the group during its final month, will return to Portland, while sister ship RFA Tidespring remains deployed, having visited the remote South Atlantic island of St Helena this week.