Sailors aboard Britain's newest aircraft carrier are training to fight through darkness, rough seas, and radio silence
NATO is increasingly focused on reinforcing its northern flank amid a rise in Russian military activity across the Arctic and North Atlantic.
Sailors aboard the HMS Prince of Wales, Britain's newest aircraft carrier, are honing their skills to navigate darkness, treacherous seas, and radio silence in the Arctic region. As the days grow colder and the daylight diminishes, the crew is training to maintain their warfighting proficiency in the challenging Arctic conditions.
The ship is currently deployed as part of the second phase of Operation Firecrest, a deterrence mission aimed at reinforcing NATO's presence in the High North amid growing Russian military activity. The High North presents formidable challenges, including ice, persistent low-pressure systems, and thick fog, requiring sailors to be ready for such conditions and trained to operate without transmitting radar signals or using radio communications.
NATO's expanded patrols and joint operations across the Arctic and North Atlantic serve to monitor Russian naval activity and serve as a deterrent, particularly as dozens of Russian submarines are based in Murmansk on the Barents Sea. These submarines typically sail south to reach the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Baltic seas, making the North Sea, Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom a critical chokepoint known as the GIUK gap.
Western naval officers have noted the impact of poor visibility, rough seas, and large swells, especially in winter, on operations, particularly flight operations. Despite these challenges, Commodore Richard Hewitt, commander of the UK's carrier strike group, acknowledged the crew's ability to handle the conditions and expressed confidence in the crew's capability to adapt to the complex environment.
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