Overview
- The strike group returned from a five-month Indo-Pacific phase via the Red Sea and Suez to join the Italian-led NATO exercise with US and Greek forces.
- UK and Italian F-35s will conduct day and night training, with 24 British F-35Bs now embarked on the carrier, the largest UK contingent to date, according to Navy Lookout.
- The deployment involves about 4,000 UK personnel, has spanned roughly 26,000 nautical miles, and has engaged with around 40 nations, according to the Ministry of Defence.
- The group paused at NATO’s Souda Bay facility on Crete, with planned port visits to Greece, Albania, Italy and Spain intended to deepen defence and industrial ties.
- Commodore James Blackmore says the drills will demonstrate the carrier group’s warfighting readiness, as escorts work with allied ships and HMS Richmond conducts anti-submarine training with the Greek Navy.