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By Ryan Chan
China News Reporter
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The United Kingdom and Japan—key NATO and Northeast Asia allies of the United States—deployed aircraft carriers for a joint naval operation in the western Pacific.
The naval maneuver follows China's dual aircraft carrier operation in the same region in June, part of Beijing's efforts to challenge U.S. military supremacy and its alliances.
Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment.
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Why It Matters
Aircraft carriers are a major instrument for demonstrating a country's naval strength. In addition to the U.S. and China—which possess 11 and two operational vessels respectively—the U.K. has sent its carrier strike group to the Pacific twice since 2021, while Japan is converting two helicopter carriers into aircraft carriers in response to China's threat.
Facing China's growing military presence and the world's largest navy by hull count, the U.S. and its allies are bolstering their defense posture to deter and defend against potential Chinese aggression at sea, including deploying anti-ship missile systems and nuclear-powered submarines, as well as conducting freedom of navigation operations.
What To Know
The Royal Navy shared undated photos on Tuesday showing the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales conducting operations in the western Pacific with the U.S., Australian, Canadian, Japanese, Norwegian, and South Korean navies within 24 hours.
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One of the participating Japanese ships was the aircraft carrier JS Kaga. It is being converted from a helicopter carrier and is scheduled to complete all modifications in 2028 to operate F-35B fighter jets, the same type as those on the Prince of Wales.
The Royal Navy said the operations took place in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea in South Korea. The Prince of Wales' F-35B jets took part in an exercise with Japanese aircraft in the region on September 6, according to a previous announcement.
This marked the second time the Prince of Wales and the Kaga have operated together, having participated in a war game in the Philippine Sea in August, which saw a British F-35B jet conduct flight operations from the Japanese aircraft carrier for the first time.
The British aircraft carrier likely departed the Sea of Japan as it trained with the South Korean navy south of the Korean Peninsula on Monday. The carrier strike group has passed the halfway point of its deployment and is heading home, the Royal Navy said.
Before reaching Southeast Asia as the next stage of its deployment, the Prince of Wales deployed its F-35B jets for a trilateral exercise with U.S. and Japanese military aircraft. The war game took place east of Japan's southwestern island of Okinawa on Thursday.
What People Are Saying
The Royal Navy said in a Facebook post on Tuesday: "Now past the half-way point, the U.K. Carrier Strike Group's 2025 deployment, Operation Highmast, is on the long road home—with a string of exercises with regional partners and allies throughout, mixed with high-profile defense engagement visits."
The Joint Staff of Japan's Defense Ministry said in a press release on Friday: "This trilateral exercise reaffirms the strong intention among Japan, U.S. and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (U.K.) not to tolerate unilateral changes to the status quo by force, and demonstrates the commitment of the U.K. to contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether the British aircraft carrier will conduct further exercises with the U.S. and Japan before departing the western Pacific on its homeward voyage.
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