UK aircraft carrier docks at Marina Bay Cruise Centre in first formal port call in the region

SINGAPORE - British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, one of the largest warships in the world, has docked at Marina Bay Cruise Centre (MBCC).

The carrier, whose flight deck is large enough to fit three football pitches, is making its first formal port call in the region at the head of a group of ships on a multi-nation, UK-led deployment. 

While docked in Singapore, the warship will play host to some 600 members of the public who balloted for free tickets earlier in the year, as well as a series of activities.

This includes a defence and security industry day, where some 30 British businesses will hold an expo in the carrier’s hanger, as well as a science and technology symposium where experts from both countries will discuss technological developments.

It will also host panel discussions on defence and security, and a friendly e-sports tournament between British and Singapore soldiers.

As the carrier pulled into the bay, it was greeted by the Royal Marines Band and a crowd including schoolchildren waving British and Singapore flags. On board, sailors stood at attention on its deck in a navy tradition known as Procedure Alpha.

The arrival of the HMS Prince of Wales is a critical demonstration of Britain’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific, said British High Commissioner Nik Mehta.

The visit comes amid a tumultuous global environment, where there is a “need to demonstrate the importance of stability around the world, stability in the Indo-Pacific, and stability in the Euro-Atlantic”, he said at a media briefing on June 19 ahead of the carrier’s arrival.

Britain’s position is that stability in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic are indivisible, he added.

“You can’t have one without the other, and that’s why the carrier strike group coming to this part of the world is so important.”

The aircraft carrier is the flagship of the UK carrier strike group, which includes several other UK Royal Navy vessels, as well as military ships from other countries. 

Its visit to Singapore is part of an eight-month deployment called Operation Highmast that departed from Britain in April, with the ships sailing from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Its route has included the Mediterranean, and along the way, the group has conducted joint exercises, such as with the Indian Navy.

The HMS Prince of Wales is one of two aircraft carriers currently operated by the UK Navy – two of the largest-ever built for the service, with a displacement of 65,000 tonnes and measuring 284m in length.

It can carry up to 1,600 soldiers and 36 advanced F-35B fighter jets as well as four Merlin helicopters.

Its sister ship, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, docked at Changi Naval Base during its maiden operational deployment in 2021, as part of the UK’s first carrier strike group.

Visit marks ‘momentous’ year for Singapore-UK relations: High Commissioner

Besides Singapore, the HMS Prince of Wales is set to visit other ports in the region including Indonesia, Japan and South Korea, and will take part in several joint exercises, including with the Singapore Armed Forces.

Speaking to the media after the carrier arrived, the ship’s commander, Commodore James Blackmore, said the carrier is supported by ships from Norway, Spain, Canada and New Zealand, and will be joined by Australia’s next week.

“When we move from here next week, we head towards Australia (for) a large multinational exercise, before we then begin our transit up towards Japan through the Philippine Sea, where we’ll be working very, very closely as well with the United States Navy,” he said.

In July, the carrier is set to join Exercise Talisman Sabre, an Australia-led exercise involving the US and other regional militaries.

On its way back to home waters in September, it will participate in the Five Power Defence Arrangements’ (FPDA) signature annual exercise, Bersama Lima.

The FPDA consists of Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK, and was established in 1971 when the British left the city state.

The last time a UK aircraft carrier joined the FPDA’s drills was in 1997, when HMS Invincible participated in Exercise Flying Fish, the first time the grouping conducted a combined maritime and air exercise.

Colonel Eddie Maskell-Pedersen, head of the British Defence Staff for South-east Asia, said the HMS Prince of Wales’ visit to Marina Bay is the latest in a series of security exchanges between the UK and Singapore in 2025. 

There have been reciprocal visits from senior military leadership on both sides, and in May, Singapore frigate RSS Formidable docked in London’s Canary Wharf, he noted.

“(This) provides a clear statement of the importance of the relationship between the UK and Singapore: the partnership we have had, we are moving towards, and hopefully, the momentum we would like to continue as partners for the future,” he said on June 19.

In response to a question on the carrier’s agenda and the UK’s security involvement in the region, Col Maskell-Pederson, who is also the UK’s defence adviser to Singapore, said Britain is not new to South-east Asia or to exercising in it. 

“That’s why our contribution, our commitment to FPDA since 1971 for 54 years now, is so important,” he said.

“And that’s why the carrier strike group, and elements thereof, will participate in Exercise Bersama Lima because it’s an important relationship. It’s an important partnership that we are part of, and we want to continue to be committed to that.”

At the same briefing, UK Trade Commissioner for Asia-Pacific Martin Kent said the visit highlights the UK’s commitment to building “mutual prosperity and security in this region”.

The UK is working with partners in the Indo-Pacific to promote and protect the international rules-based order, he added.

He said: “With defence and security exports to the Asia-Pacific region worth over £2.1 billion (S$3.6 million) in 2023, our commitment to this region is both substantial and enduring.”

Mr Mehta, the High Commissioner, said the carrier’s arrival in the Republic marks a “momentous occasion” in Singapore-UK relations. The two countries are celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations, which the visit also commemorates.

“It’s the first time a warship of any country has been docked (at MBCC), and we wanted to do it because of the symbolism of having it against the iconic Singapore skyline,” he said.