Manila: There is a possibility of a Manila port call by the escort ship of the United Kingdom's aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, which will set sail for the Indo-Pacific region in the coming months, UK Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils said. At a media reception at her residence in Makati City on Wednesday night, the envoy noted that the HMS Prince of Wales departed from Portsmouth on April 22 for its eight-month mission in the Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific.
According to Philippines News Agency, the ambassador revealed that the HMS Prince of Wales is accompanied by a carrier strike group (CSG), which includes around 2,500 personnel from the Royal Navy and 592 from the Royal Air Force. The mission, named 'Operation Highmast,' will see the CSG sail through the Indian Ocean, conducting exercises and port visits with partners including the United States, India, Singapore, and Malaysia, before joining 19 partner nations for Exercise Talisman Sabre near Australia.
The CSG has confirmed port visits to India and Japan, where it will train alongside the Japanese Self-Defence Forces. However, UK Defense Attache to the Philippines Bea Walcott indicated that while the CSG intends to 'spend a little bit more time in the Indo-Pacific region,' engagement with the Philippines is not yet finalized.
Should a Manila port visit materialize, Walcott mentioned that the UK could seize the opportunity to enhance bilateral cooperation with the Philippine Navy. She added that if there is a port visit, there might be an opportunity for the Philippine Navy to sail with the UK vessels, although discussions regarding further collaboration are yet to occur.
Ambassador Beaufils emphasized that defense engagements between Manila and London have intensified recently, covering air, land, maritime, space, and cyber domains. Amid rising geopolitical uncertainties in the region, she affirmed the UK's 'commitment to peace, stability, and fostering an open, inclusive rules-based international order.'
The UK Ministry of Defence stated that this deployment underscores the UK's leadership in promoting stability in the Indo-Pacific, describing the area as a 'critical region' for British trade.
