The UK Carrier Strike group will set sail in May 2021 for a 5 or 6-month deployment. It has not been finally confirmed by government as yet but it seems likely the ships will operate for some of the time in the South China Sea. In this 2-part article, we look at the current situation| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that on 18th June, Royal Navy OPV, HMS Spey, conducted a transit of the Taiwan Strait as a reaffirmation of the UK’s commitment to freedom of navigation and the rules-based international order. The transit through the 110-mile-wide strait that separates Taiwan from China was conducted in accordance| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
As HMS Richmond prepares to join the UK Carrier Strike Group deployment, she has been equipped with a significant communications upgrade, enhancing her ability to share combat data at speed. Richmond is the first Type 23 to receive the integrated Link 16 Crypto Modernised system. This upgrade enables more secure and faster tactical data sharing| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
Royal Navy flagship, HMS Prince of Wales, has arrived in Tokyo for a landmark port visit that deepens UK–Japan defence ties. HMS Queen Elizabeth stopped in the Japanese capital in 2021, but the value of the visit was severely limited by COVID restrictions. The visit is the centrepiece defence-diplomacy activity of the deployment and underscores| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
