"HMS Prince of Wales has always been on very high readiness. The MoD is increasing the preparedness of the carrier, reducing the time it would take to set sail for any deployment, but there is no decision taken to deploy her."
"HMS Prince of Wales had already been scheduled to go to the Arctic later this year, but it is unclear why the decision was made to place it on an advanced state of readiness. Some in government suggested over the weekend that the decision was because of an ongoing assessment of events in the Middle East."
"The UK did not allow British bases to be used in the initial US strikes on Iran but has since given permission for them to be used for defensive action against Iranian missile strikes."
HMS Prince of Wales, one of Britain's two aircraft carriers, is unlikely to be deployed to the Middle East despite initial speculation about protecting British interests amid Iranian tensions. Instead, the carrier is expected to proceed with previously planned NATO exercises in the Arctic. The UK government has placed the carrier on high readiness and reduced deployment timelines, though officials state no formal deployment decision has been made. The decision to increase readiness was not connected to recent Iranian events, according to sources. Meanwhile, additional fighter jets and HMS Dragon warship are being sent to the Middle East region following drone attacks on UK bases.
#military-deployment #hms-prince-of-wales #nato-arctic-exercises #iran-tensions #uk-defence-strategy
Read at www.bbc.com
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