Latest news with #QueenElizabeth-class
Asia Times
12-06-2025
- Business
- Asia Times
Forging a European third pole in the Indo-Pacific
At the 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, European leaders signaled an ambitious new intent to play a bigger role in Indo-Pacific affairs. French President Emmanuel Macron called for a 'strategic balance' in Asia, while European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas described Europe as a 'partner, not a power.' Officials from Germany, Sweden, and Finland echoed these views. The proposition is that Europe could serve as a stabilizing third pole, positioned between China's assertiveness and the United States' fluctuating and uncertain commitments. This framing has intuitive appeal. Europe is viewed as technologically capable, geopolitically distant and less hegemonic than either the US or China. Yet the Indo-Pacific remains a maritime-first theater, where strategic relevance is defined not by sentiment but by presence and sustained investment. The Indo-Pacific region accounts for over 60% of global maritime trade and encompasses some of the world's most contested flashpoints, including the South China Sea, the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. China now fields the world's largest navy, with 355 ships in 2025 and a projected 440 by 2030. The US retains dominance in tonnage and strike capability but is capable of building only 1.5 ships annually, compared to China's at least eight. By contrast, European capabilities remain insufficient for sustained operations in the Indo-Pacific. Only France, the United Kingdom and Italy operate aircraft carriers. The UK has two Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, but only one is deployable at a time due to maintenance cycles. As of 2025, the UK's Royal Navy fields just 16 operational F-35Bs, well short of the 24 typically required for a full carrier air wing. France's sole carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, when docked, removes its carrier-based airpower from the theater. Italy's Cavour and Trieste remains reliant on AV-8B Harriers, with fewer than 10 next-generation aircraft available as of 2024. All three navies face shortfalls in escorts and support vessels. While a US carrier strike group typically includes four to six escorts and one to two support ships, European deployments often manage only two to three escorts. It is therefore unsurprising that less than 5% of Europe's naval assets are deployed to the Indo-Pacific. Europe's current naval presence may be limited but three avenues offer Europe the opportunity to make meaningful, near-term contributions to Indo-Pacific security. First, Europe could pursue full membership in the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), the region's foremost multilateral security forum. Established in 2010, ADMM-Plus comprises ASEAN and eight dialogue partners: The United States, China, Japan, India, Australia, Russia, New Zealand, and South Korea. The forum has conducted more than 20 joint exercises and supports expert working groups in areas such as maritime security, counterterrorism and cyber defense. However, bloc cleavages are deepening. Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea are much more dependent on US defense systems, while Russia, in the aftermath of its war in Ukraine, is increasingly dependent on China. ADMM-Plus may be due for a strategic evolution, one in which Europe could act as a stabilizing third pillar of Indo-Pacific security. Europe's full membership as dialogue partners would enable it to contribute meaningfully to regional capacity-building, particularly in maritime domain awareness, counter-piracy and cybersecurity, areas where it possesses deep technical expertise. Second, Europe can increase its strategic relevance in the region by linking defense exports to local industrial development. Southeast Asian states increasingly expect arms deals to include technology transfers, job creation and long-term economic value. This was reflected in ASEAN chairman Anwar Ibrahim's SLD25 statement that 'trade is part of our strategic architecture.' Recent European defense deals have embraced this logic. Sweden's Gripen sale to Thailand included training and maintenance infrastructure. France's 7.5 billion euro (US$8.6 billion) Rafale agreement with Indonesia and Germany's 1.2 billion euro submarine contract with Singapore similarly offered industrial participation. To move beyond fragmented, bilateral arrangements, however, the EU should use instruments such as the European Peace Facility (EPF) and Security Action for Europe (SAFE), a 150 billion euro defense investment fund approved in May 2025. These mechanisms can support coproduction, joint ventures and localized assembly aligned with both European supply chain interests and Southeast Asia's development needs. Finally, programs like SAFE are designed to strengthen Europe's defense industrial base by financing large-scale joint procurement and infrastructure. But scaling this capacity cost-effectively may require trusted partnerships beyond Europe's borders. ASEAN offers that potential, particularly if it is more closely integrated into European defense supply chains. If structured to meet SAFE's eligibility criteria – such as majority EU ownership or controlled IP – these arrangements could support the program's objectives of efficiency, resilience and industrial depth while enabling Southeast Asian states to modernize affordably under transparent, rules-based frameworks. All in all, Europe's growing Indo-Pacific aspirations are diplomatically significant but strategically incomplete. To play a central role, Europe needs to embed itself in regional institutions such as ADMM-Plus, align defense engagement with economic development and integrate trusted regional partners into its defense industrial supply chains. These moves won't match American force projection or offset Chinese naval expansion, but they could anchor Europe as a durable, strategic partner in a region looking for options beyond the familiar two superpower poles. Marcus Loh is chairman of the Public Affairs Group at the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) Asia Pacific. He also serves on the executive committee of SGTech's Digital Transformation Chapter, contributing to national conversations on AI, data infrastructure, and digital policy. A former president of the Institute of Public Relations of Singapore, Loh has played a longstanding role in shaping the relevance of strategic communication and public affairs in an evolving policy, technology and geoeconomic landscape.
Daily Record
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
HMS Queen Elizabeth upgraded with deck-launched missiles amid WW3 threat
The UK's fleet of aircraft carriers are undergoing a major upgrade, with the Queen-Elizabeth-class now equipped with deck-launched long-range missiles Britain's aircraft carrier fleet is set to receive a significant boost in firepower amidst rising global tensions, hinting at the possibility of WW3. The Queen Elizabeth-class carriers are being outfitted with deck-launched long-range missiles and unmanned aerial systems, as revealed by the Strategic Defence Review (SDR). This development represents a monumental shift in naval warfare tactics, transforming carriers from solely jet-launching hubs into versatile striking platforms with formidable offensive capabilities. The SDR details the Royal Navy's transition towards hybrid carrier air wings that combine manned combat aircraft with autonomous strike weapons deployed directly from the ship. "Carrier strike is already at the cutting-edge of NATO capability but much more rapid progress is needed in its evolution into 'hybrid' carrier airwings," the document asserts, reports the Express. It further explains: "Whereby crewed combat aircraft (F-35B) are complemented by autonomous collaborative platforms in the air, and expendable, single-use drones." Additionally, the review calls for the inclusion of "long-range precision missiles capable of being fired from the carrier deck" in the plans for these advanced air wings. Although the specific missile systems to be integrated have not been disclosed, the reference to "long-range precision missiles capable of being fired from the carrier deck" suggests a focus on enhancing the carriers' strike range and precision. This suggests plans that are "beyond current F-35B-launched munitions", as reported by the UK Defence Journal. The development is part of the UK's Future Maritime Aviation Force programme, which is investigating a range of possibilities for carrier operations. Downing Street said talks were ongoing about Nato spending targets amid suggestions the UK could be forced into signing up to a commitment to spend 3.5% of gross domestic product on defence. Sir Keir Starmer and Nato leaders will meet in The Hague later this month, with the alliance's secretary general Mark Rutte thought to be pushing for the current 2% target to be replaced with a 3.5% goal. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'I'm not going to get into the discussions that are ongoing, in the usual way, ahead of (the) Nato (summit). 'The UK is already the third-highest spender in Nato in cash terms behind the United States and Germany, we are one of 22 allies of the 32 in Nato that already exceed the 2% of GDP Nato target. 'But it isn't just about cash, it's about contributions to capability that each Nato ally brings. 'Whether it is our nuclear capability, whether it's our world-class carriers with fifth-generation combat aircraft, our armed forces who are some of the most advanced in the world, the UK has been a leading contributor to Nato and will remain one.'
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The UK must raise defence spending
The danger with any defence review is that it ends up fighting the last war or failing to anticipate the next threat. We are about to have the third in 10 years, which suggests the long-term planning that supposedly underpinned the previous reviews has been found wanting. The current review has been undertaken by, among others, Lord Robertson who as Labour defence secretary under Tony Blair oversaw an earlier iteration completed in 1998. It created the Joint Reaction Force and most controversially commissioned two new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers seen at the time as a sop to Scottish shipyards and Labour's MPs north of the Border. One of those carriers, HMS Prince of Wales, together with accompanying strike group, is on an eight-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific at a time when tensions with China are growing. The US defense secretary Pete Hegseth has somewhat alarmingly suggested that a possible assault on Taiwan is imminent. This has been denied in Beijing but the military build up is ominous and is causing concern in the region. Australia's defence minister has called on China to explain why it needs to have 'such an extraordinary military build-up'. His counterpart in the Philippines has called China 'absolutely irresponsible and reckless' in its the face of this development, the £6 billion investment in carriers able to project UK power as part of a wider coalition designed to stop Chinese expansionism does not seem such a poor investment after all. It has taken close to 30 years for the threat to materialise in the way it has, which is precisely what a strategic review is supposed to do – look to the long term. The latest takes place against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, something that was considered highly unlikely as recently as the 2015 review, even though by then Crimea had been annexed by Moscow. Anticipating the threats to national, regional and global security is difficult but they have not really changed that much in the past three decades. The biggest upheaval is in the willingness of the US to continue bankrolling the rest of the democratic world, which it is no longer prepared to do. The new reality is that much more money needs to be spent on defence than the 2.5 per cent of GDP promised by the Government. Unless we see a financial commitment commensurate to the threat this latest review risks foundering before it takes off. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia fooled by ‘HMS Prince Andrew'
Russian state media fell for an April Fool's joke that said the UK would expand the Royal Navy with a new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier called HMS Prince Andrew. RT, one of the Kremlin's main propaganda outlets, mistook the parody for real news and repeated comically false claims about the non-existent vessel. Published by UK Defence Journal, the satirical article claimed HMS Prince Andrew would be painted with 'go-faster stripes to improve speed and morale'. Operation readiness would be boosted, the article explained, through an expanded 'crayon provision' programme for the ship's planning rooms and situation boards. As for armaments, HMS Prince Andrew would carry 'infinity-hundred' aircraft and Trident nuclear missiles 'for deterrence purposes'. The outlet, poking fun at the huge delays, operational issues and costs (£6 billion) involved in building HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, said the third ship would cost just a 'modest £987.6 billion'. That is, 'assuming no further adjustments, delays, or 'unexpected procurement events''. The article also joked that that its unlimited aircraft would give the vessel a 'theoretical edge over any known carrier fleet in existence, real or imagined'. It also mentioned 'naval typhoons', which do not currently exist, as it is a land-based fighter jet. It said the new carrier would be a 'vital step toward revitalising British naval power on the global stage – or at least making a very big splash'. RT's report, headlined 'Britain to Expand Navy Due to 'Russian Threat'', lifted lines from the April 1st article from made-up people and presented them as real analysis. It quoted: 'Bryan Robertson, a senior analyst at the DMCS think tank, called the decision to expand the fleet 'a waste of money and human lives' He stressed that one strike would turn the carrier into 'a pile of scrap metal.'' The expert was fictional, and DMCS was in fact an acronym for the 'Daily Mail Comment Section'. RT, formerly known as Russia Today, is a state-funded broadcaster accused of being a mouthpiece for the Kremlin. RT UK was banned in Britain in March 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The UK Defence Journal later mocked RT for what it described as 'poor editorial standards' and a 'worrying lapse in basic journalistic scrutiny'. 'The story was clearly tongue-in-cheek, packed with intentionally absurd claims designed to amuse rather than inform.' It also has raised questions over whether RT deliberately reported the absurd claims to mislead the Russian public and spread disinformation to potentially discredit the Royal Navy. Britain often names its warships after members of the Royal family, however the Duke of York's reputation has declined after a string of scandals including accusations of sexual assault, which he has constantly denied. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Russia fooled by ‘HMS Prince Andrew'
Russian state media fell for an April Fool's joke that said the UK would expand the Royal Navy with a new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier called HMS Prince Andrew. RT, one of the Kremlin's main propaganda outlets, mistook the parody for real news and repeated comically false claims about the non-existent vessel. Published by UK Defence Journal, the satirical article claimed HMS Prince Andrew would be painted with 'go-faster stripes to improve speed and morale'. Operation readiness would be boosted, the article explained, through an expanded 'crayon provision' programme for the ship's planning rooms and situation boards. As for armaments, HMS Prince Andrew would carry 'infinity-hundred' aircraft and Trident nuclear missiles 'for deterrence purposes'. The outlet, poking fun at the huge delays, operational issues and costs (£6 billion) involved in building HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, said the third ship would cost just a 'modest £987.6 billion'. That is, 'assuming no further adjustments, delays, or 'unexpected procurement events''. The article also joked that that its unlimited aircraft would give the vessel a 'theoretical edge over any known carrier fleet in existence, real or imagined'. It also mentioned 'naval typhoons', which do not currently exist, as it is a land-based fighter jet. It said the new carrier would be a 'vital step toward revitalising British naval power on the global stage – or at least making a very big splash'. RT's report, headlined 'Britain to Expand Navy Due to 'Russian Threat'', lifted lines from the April 1st article from made-up people and presented them as real analysis. It quoted: 'Bryan Robertson, a senior analyst at the DMCS think tank, called the decision to expand the fleet 'a waste of money and human lives' He stressed that one strike would turn the carrier into 'a pile of scrap metal.'' The expert was fictional, and DMCS was in fact an acronym for the 'Daily Mail Comment Section'. RT, formerly known as Russia Today, is a state-funded broadcaster accused of being a mouthpiece for the Kremlin. RT UK was banned in Britain in March 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The UK Defence Journal later mocked RT for what it described as 'poor editorial standards' and a 'worrying lapse in basic journalistic scrutiny'. 'The story was clearly tongue-in-cheek, packed with intentionally absurd claims designed to amuse rather than inform.' It also has raised questions over whether RT deliberately reported the absurd claims to mislead the Russian public and spread disinformation to potentially discredit the Royal Navy. Britain often names its warships after members of the Royal family, however the Duke of York's reputation has declined after a string of scandals including accusations of sexual assault, which he has constantly denied.
