The Commander of the UK led Carrier Strike Group has announced the combatants which will sale for the South China Sea in May. In the not-so-distant past, China could count on the U.K. as a reliably friendly country that partners on international initiatives and welcomes Chinese investments in sensitive sectors.
Those ties have since unravelled as Britain stepped up its criticism of Beijing’s national security law covering Hong Kong and its treatment of the Uighur minority — issues China sees as domestic matters.
Nearly 5,000 Hong Kongers have applied to become full British citizens in the two weeks since a new pathway opened up on Jan. 31, the Times of London reported.
The U.K. navy will dispatch the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier to the Indo-Pacific region as early as this spring, where the vessel will participate in joint drills with Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force.
The move is in response to China’s naval expansionism. The tighter collaboration will serve as a counterweight against attempts to alter the status quo concerning the East China and South China seas.
As per the announcement, the UK led Carried Battle Group will consist of Nine ships, aircraft from 5 squadrons. Over 3,700 personnel will comprise the UK-led Carrier Strike Group that will sail in late May.
The formation commander also said “Many of the men and women under my command are now taking a final period of well-deserved leave before our first operational Carrier Strike deployment later this spring.
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Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS Evertsen will join the UK Carrier Strike Group for the duration of its inaugural deployment – from the North Atlantic, through to the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and on to the Indo-Pacific. The strike group will undertake a range of operations and training with allies and partners, including maritime missions with NATO in the Mediterranean and Coalition operations in the Middle East. As an Air Defence Frigate, she will provide vital air defence protection to the Carrier and control air missions from her operations room.
Frigate Evertsen joins a squadron of US Marine Corps F35 jets and a US Navy Destroyer as a contribution from our NATO Allies to the 2021 deployment. They will be integral elements of the Carrier Strike Group, showcasing NATO’s first 5th generation Carrier Strike asset and demonstrating NATO’s credible deterrence through joint expeditionary capability.
CSG21 will be an ambitious deployment, covering over 20,000 nautical miles from the North Atlantic, through to the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and on to the Indo-Pacific.
