UK aircraft carrier docks at Marina Bay Cruise Centre as part of eight month Indo-Pacific deployment

SINGAPORE: While a military band played and schoolchildren waved British and Singapore flags, British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales sailed into the history books on Monday (Jun 23) as the first warship to dock at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre.

Singapore is the first formal port call in the region for the carrier, which is on an eight-month Indo-Pacific deployment. It is the flagship of a strike group comprising five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters.

Some other vessels in the strike group are docked at naval bases around Singapore.

While the warship is at Marina Bay Cruise Centre, it will host Singapore officials and industry leaders from “defence and security, trade and business, and science and research sectors”, the British High Commission said in a press release.

Planned activities include a "defence and security industry day" held at the carrier’s hangar, as well as a friendly e-sports tournament with military personnel from the UK, Singapore and the Singaporean e-sports community competing in a “specially installed onboard gaming facility”. 

Mr Peter Kyle, Britain's secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, and General Sharon Nesmith, vice-chief of the defence staff, will also be in Singapore during the visit.

Mr Nik Mehta, British High Commissioner to Singapore, said the strike group's visit symbolises the UK's “enduring commitment” to the Indo-Pacific region and its “strong partnership” with Singapore.

“As we celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and Singapore, the timing of this visit could not be more fitting,” he added.

“Through our engagements with Singaporean and regional partners over the coming days, we will strengthen our defence cooperation, explore new avenues for trade and innovation, and reaffirm our shared vision for security and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific."

The British High Commission said that “growth” is at the heart of the group's visit to Singapore.

“Events hosted on board the carrier are aimed at connecting UK and Singaporean stakeholders in the areas of defence and security, science and technology, business and investment,” the press release stated.

A "LONG-TERM STRATEGIC POSTURE"

HMS Prince of Wales has a flight deck 70m wide and 280m long – enough space for three football pitches – and is one of the British Royal Navy‘s two Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.

The carrier set off from Britain in April for Operation Highmast, a deployment which involves around 4,000 UK military personnel, including 2,500 from the Royal Navy, 592 from the Royal Air Force, and about 900 from the British Army.

The deployment involves 30 countries through exercises, operations and visits across the Mediterranean, Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific. This includes exercises with the United States, India, Singapore, and Malaysia. 

"The UK is one in a small group of countries with the capability to lead a deployment of this scale, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to maintaining the international rules-based system. The deployment is a further demonstration of the UK’s unwavering commitment to the Indo-Pacific," the British High Commission said.

"The UK is clear that the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific is indivisible from that of the Euro-Atlantic – and our commitment to this region is a generational mission, a long-term strategic posture."