The British aircraft carrier as the flagship of NATO's rapid reaction force will face a severe test

According to British media reports, the Royal Navy aircraft carrier Prince of Wales has served as the flagship of NATO's rapid reaction force since January 11. The new role will give the battleship the opportunity to participate in NATO's military operations in the Arctic, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean. Currently, the carrier has sailed out of Portsmouth Naval Base for a 3-week sea trial and is preparing for a 12-month first operational deployment.

On 4 January, before departure, the NATO Rapid Reaction Force Maritime Power Task Force held a ceremony in Portsmouth to formally transfer command of the fleet from the French Navy to the Royal Navy. British media said that the "Prince of Wales" will mainly operate in the Atlantic Ocean, northern Europe (Baltic Sea) and the Mediterranean Sea this year, and participate in a series of maritime military exercises. Its mission is to be ready to respond to major global crises.

Captain Steven Hayham said the first operational deployment of the Prince of Wales comes at a time of continued tensions between NATO and Russia. In the event of a conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the Prince of Wales would be sent to the "front line" of the confrontation. "It's our job," he said. The Prince of Wales will be ready to respond to emergencies and provide maximum support and assistance to the Allies. ”

Michelle, U.S. Navy Liaison Officer to the Royal Navy, is confident in the first operational deployment of the Prince of Wales. He said the 70,000-ton aircraft carrier could respond to threats anywhere in the world in a matter of days and provide humanitarian assistance to disaster areas at any time. Under its leadership, NATO's Rapid Reaction Force "is able to deter all threat factors around the world."

However, british domestic public opinion generally lacked confidence in the "Prince of Wales" to carry out this mission. According to reports, the "Prince of Wales" is the No. 2 ship of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier of the British Navy, as a multi-purpose carrier of the British three armed forces, with strong diversified combat capabilities. Although it can take into account both ocean-going operations and coastal operations, its ocean-going combat capability is not strong. Moreover, due to the tight defense budget of the United Kingdom, there have been rumors that the aircraft carrier may be "re-routed" and used as an amphibious combat platform. It is also believed that it is enough for the United Kingdom to have an aircraft carrier (queen Elizabeth) and the Prince of Wales is dispensable.

The media of other European countries are not optimistic about the development prospects of the "Prince of Wales". The French "Express" commented that the lack of funds will make the British aircraft carrier face the embarrassment of not being able to put together even the carrier-based aircraft. Germany's Frankfurt Mirror analyzed the operational capabilities of the Prince of Wales from a formation perspective, saying that the carrier was "extremely vulnerable" because the number of ships that the Royal Navy could use to escort it was too small - only 6 Type 45 destroyers, the old Type 23 frigates were overwhelmed, and the new Type 26 frigates could not be launched. That is to say, there are major loopholes in the overall air defense, anti-ship and anti-submarine capabilities of the "Prince of Wales" aircraft carrier formation, and it is difficult to confront the real strong enemy at sea.

Analysts pointed out that the British Ministry of Defence in March 2021 released the "National Defense in the Age of Competition" report, proposed the British version of the "two-ocean strategy", that is, relying on "transatlantic relations" and tilting towards the "Indo-Pacific region", with one eye fixed on the Atlantic Ocean and the other eye overlooking the Pacific Ocean. To this end, the Royal Navy will strengthen the construction of maritime forces, including aircraft carriers, eliminate old frigates and destroyers, and build new warships.

However, from the reality of the situation, the Royal Navy is facing not only the problem of the scarcity of ships, but also the weakening of the overall strength of the British shipbuilding industry. The latter directly led to delays in the design and construction of new royal ships, as well as slow repairs for active warships. In addition, in order to save money, the British Ministry of Defence cut support ships without any alternative, affecting the overall combat capability of the Royal Navy. British domestic commentators warn that if the British government continues to reduce the royal navy's activities, the royal navy will not be able to make any replacement of the fleet in the next 5 years.

Source: China National Defense Daily