UK Carrier Strike Group Deployed to North Atlantic Amid Rising Russian Activity
– The United Kingdom will deploy its Carrier Strike Group to the North Atlantic and High North regions this year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced today at the Munich Security Conference. The deployment, led by the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, is intended as a powerful demonstration of the UK’s commitment to Euro-Atlantic security.
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Defence, the strike group will operate alongside the United States, Canada, and other NATO allies. The move comes as Russia’s military activity in the North Atlantic continues to increase, with a reported 30% rise in Russian navy vessels threatening UK waters over the past two years.
“This will be a powerful show of our commitment to Euro-Atlantic security,” Starmer said. The deployment is seen as a response to heightened Russian military activity and competition over Arctic routes and infrastructure, framing the High North as a strategically critical region for NATO.
The operation, dubbed ‘Operation Firecrest,’ will see the UK and US working closely together on security around the North American East Coast. HMS Prince of Wales is expected to visit a US port, with US jets also anticipated to operate from the carrier’s flight deck. The deployment will also incorporate activity under NATO’s newly launched Arctic Sentry mission, bolstering the Alliance’s security in the Arctic region, where melting sea ice is opening new routes and increasing the potential for hostile state activity.
HMS Prince of Wales, commissioned in 2019, is capable of operating an air wing of up to 24 F-35B Lightning II aircraft, alongside helicopters such as Merlin, Chinook, Apache and Wildcat. The carrier recently completed Operation Highmast, an eight-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific in 2025, where it conducted exercises with India and other regional partners.
The deployment underscores the UK’s ability to project power globally while maintaining its commitments to NATO. Starmer also highlighted the UK’s enhanced nuclear cooperation with France, stating that the UK remains the only nuclear power in Europe to commit its deterrent to protect all NATO members.
The move signals a renewed focus on the High North, a region increasingly viewed by NATO as strategically important. The deployment is intended to deter Russian aggression and protect vital undersea infrastructure in the region. The Carrier Strike Group includes world-class Royal Navy warships and RAF fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets, bolstering defence and security capabilities in the North Atlantic.
