Hundreds of UK Armed Forces personnel have been deployed in the
Indo-Pacific region this summer to participate in a series of
major multi-national exercises across air, land, and sea in
support of collective security and stability.
The Indo-Pacific is crucial to the UK's economy due to the
significant trade volume associated with the region and the UK
works closely with partners and allies to promote its stability.
Activity throughout the last month has seen Royal Air Force
fighter jets fly more than 9,000 miles to train in a series of
exercises alongside aircraft from more than 20 different nations,
while the Royal Marines landed on the northern shores of
Australia as part of a series of amphibious assault exercises.
The deployments provided a unique opportunity to demonstrate the
ability of the UK Armed Forces to conduct global deployments and
work closely with partners and allies to integrate and operate
alongside each other more effectively.
Defence Secretary said:
This Government is determined to build on our Indo-Pacific
commitments.
Euro-Atlantic security is inextricably linked to stability in the
Indo-Pacific. These deployments of the Royal Air Force, Royal
Navy and Royal Marines strengthen our bonds and interoperability
with our important partners.
Our deployment of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of
Wales next year will further deliver on our commitment to
strengthening UK relationships in the region.
Flying more than 9,000 miles from the UK to Australia, six Royal
Air Force Typhoon fighter jets and a Voyager refuelling aircraft
joined more than 140 aircraft from 20 different nations for
Exercise Pitch Black during July.
The journey to Australia, called Griffin Strike, was carried out
jointly with the French Air and Space Force, further emphasising
our deep defence ties during the 120th year of the Entente
Cordiale.
In week one, the RAF practiced air-to-air combat engagements
against another nation, while in weeks two and three the aircrew
focused on intercept scenarios in a complex air environment,
meaning participants were divided into either ‘red team' or ‘blue
team', flying from separate locations attacking one another in
varying scenarios. The overarching aim was to practice offensive
counter-air and defensive counter-air combat in an airspace that
is larger than the UK.
Meanwhile, landing on the beaches of Northern Australia, the Royal
Marine Commandos conducted amphibious warfighting exercises with
Australia, the US and the Philippines. Exercise Predators Run
enabled the Commandos to practice deploying from small boats onto
the shore, where they could form the spearhead of an assault onto
land.
Patrolling the skies around Hawaii, two RAF P-8A Poseidon
aircraft also joined 28 other nations at the Rim of the Pacific
(RIMPAC)
exercises for their longest and furthest range exercise ever.
The P-8A is a state-of-the-art multi-role maritime patrol
aircraft that excels at anti-submarine warfare, surveillance and
search and rescue missions.
And starting this week, an RAF contingent of 130 personnel, six
Typhoons, two Voyagers, and an A400M transport aircraft arrived
in India to take part in India's largest multinational air
exercise, Tarang Shakti. The RAF will fly alongside aircraft from
the US, Germany, France, and other nations in the coming weeks.
International alliances are a crucial component of a secure
Britain, and domestically the Government will ensure that defence
and security are at the heart of economic growth and the
prosperity of the UK. In 2023 the defence industry supported more
than 200,000 UK jobs to make and sustain the critical equipment
used globally by our Armed Forces.
The UK remains committed to upholding the stability of the
Indo-Pacific as demonstrated through the Royal Navy's maintenance
of a persistent presence through HMS Spey and HMS Tamar, and in
2025 the Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group will deploy to
region to exercise with partners and allies to help promote a
free and open Indo-Pacific.
