Exclusively pieced together timeline of the visit by the UK Prime Minister and Defence Secretary to HMS Prince of Wales as the nation’s flagship begins its CSG 25 deployment.
On Wednesday Apr. 23, 2025, as HMS Prince of Wales (R09) sailed in the English Channel taking on its air wing for the Carrier Strike Group 25 deployment, the ship was visited by Keir Starmer, the UK’s Prime Minister, alongside Secretary of State for Defence John Healey. The pair arrived in the evening and stayed on board overnight as they toured the ship and spoke to an array of crew members.
Using imagery and footage released by the Prime Minister’s office, mainstream media reporting, and on-the-ground reporting and investigation by the Author, we can establish a full overview of this occasion.
Their journey began at around 1745 UTC, departing RAF Northolt on the outskirts of London in a Royal Air Force Airbus A400M Atlas C1, just hours after appearing in the House of Commons for Prime Minister’s Questions.
The aircraft, serial number ZM404, initially showed on the ground at Northolt as KRF62, translating to the callsign Kittyhawk 62 – Kittyhawk is the RAF’s callsign for VIP movements. However, before departing this was changed to RRR62, or Ascot 62.
The Atlas transported the politicians and their entourage to RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall, the closest military base to HMS Prince of Wales, which was at the time sailing off the coast just beyond the horizon. Arriving just under an hour after departing Northolt, the Prime Minister and other passengers left the aircraft by the rear cargo ramp to be greeted by representatives of RNAS Culdrose.
Vehicles, including armored Range Rover Sentinels commonly used to transport senior UK officials, waited to take everyone across the airfield to a squadron building where those travelling to the aircraft carrier, including the VIPs, were outfitted with their essential safety gear. As the journey involved an extensive over-sea transit, this included bright orange survival suits and floatation devices designed to extend the amount of time a person can survive in the water following a ditching event.
The helicopter chosen to transport the VIPs to the aircraft carrier was a Merlin HC4A, serial number ZK001. The Royal Navy operates a handful of Merlin HC4As, which differ from the standard Merlin HC4 in a number of small ways, including the placement of an extra fuel tank where the HC4 features an underslung cargo hook. Originally these were built for the Royal Danish Air Force, but were acquired by the Royal Air Force due to expanding requirements.
Departing RNAS Culdrose at around 1925 UTC (2025 Local Time), under the callsign Commando 1, by the time the group arrived on board HMS Prince of Wales it was well into the evening. The Prime Minister and Defence Secretary are first delivered a briefing about the vessel and its upcoming voyage by Commodore James Blackmore, Commander, UK Carrier Strike Group. Blackmore is based on board HMS Prince of Wales, but runs the entire task group, while the carrier itself is commanded by Captain Will Blackett.
According to The Daily Telegraph, who were invited to join the visit, the Prime Minister dined with senior crew around a table designed to be reminiscent of that used in the Cabinet Room at Number 10 Downing Street. This was apparently installed to provide an air of familiarity in the unlikely event a Prime Minister should need to run the country (or a war) from the ship.
After this, Starmer settled in the wardroom – the mess for commissioned officers – with a beer, and spoke to members of the ship’s crew. They discussed the difficulties of being away from their family members for such a long deployment. “I am really struck by that. The extent that the family is serving their country because you are serving your country,” the Prime Minister commented.
Spending the night in one of two designated VIP cabins, the Prime Minister is woken at 2:08 AM, local time, by a ship-wide alert notifying crew of an emergency in the engine room. The exact cause of this emergency is undisclosed, although, despite dramatic media stories, it is not uncommon for these incredibly complex warships to experience mechanical breakdowns on a regular basis. In fact, the damage control practices exercised during such incidents as well as during practice runs are the perfect preparation for having to do the same thing while in combat. The issue is resolved within the hour, signaled by another alert.
Keir Starmer, the Telegraph notes, is the first UK Prime Minister to spend a night on board a Royal Navy ship at sea since Harold Wilson in 1966. HMS Prince of Wales is becoming familiar with these milestones, having recently hosted King Charles III for the first visit by a reigning British monarch to a Royal Navy vessel at sea for four decades.
It was a real privilege to welcome @Keir_Starmer and @JohnHealey_MP to meet the #CSG25 sailors, aviators and crew onboard @HMSPWLS taking part in Op Highmast and for wishing us “fair winds and following seas” en route to the Indo-Pacific.#OpHighmast #readyforOps pic.twitter.com/WtQwALVUym
— UK Carrier Strike Group (@COMUKCSG) April 24, 2025
On Thursday morning, after a tour of the flight deck, the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary join junior members of the crew in their mess for breakfast, taking another advantage to speak to personnel about their experiences and how they’ve prepared for the arduous deployment. With a vessel of 280 meters in length and 65,000 tons in displacement, the crew of HMS Prince of Wales are certainly more well equipped than those on many escort ships in terms of recreation. The large flight deck is used daily for physical training, and on previous trips has hosted film nights, sports matches, and more.
Two small sailing boats from the Royal Naval Sailing Association were embarked on the ship to widen the offering of recreational sports. A golf simulator is also on board, privately funded, alongside a gym, cafe, and a small shop.
‘This is about keeping Britain safe at home and strong abroad, and generating billions in potential new investments creating new jobs at home’.
Defence Secretary @JohnHealey_MP joined the crew of @HMSPWLS yesterday as she sails on the UK’s biggest naval deployment of 2025. pic.twitter.com/LWba0NdNiG
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) April 25, 2025
A selection of personnel then gather in the ship’s vast hangar as the Prime Minister delivers a speech in front of one of the air wing’s F-35B Lightning II. A total of 18 F-35Bs will be embarked for the majority of the deployment, surging to 24 for a short period. They are supported by a force of Merlin HM2s, Merlin HC4s, Wildcat HMA2s, and Malloy T-150 and RQ-20 Puma UAVs.
Additionally, a Canadian CH-148 Cyclone is deployed with the strike group on board HMCS Ville de Québec and a Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk is expected to be embarked on ESPS Méndez Núñez, which will join the CSG as it approaches the Mediterranean Sea.
Before the VIPs depart, they are taken to the ship’s bridge to view flight operations by the embarked jets. “Incredible,” the Prime Minister remarks, watching an F-35B land vertically on the flight deck, before another launches from the ski jump.
Mere minutes after observing the F-35B operations, the Prime Minister again boards ZK001 for the flight back to dry land. A Merlin HC4, ZJ130, which had departed Culdrose back to RNAS Yeovilton the night before, flew to the ship in the early hours of Apr. 24 before joining ZK001 on the return leg.
With the carrier now approximately 20 miles south of Plymouth, the Merlin helicopters fly directly to a landing spot near Bristol. The Prime Minister then begins his next engagement, visiting a Rolls Royce engine manufacturing facility in Filton, Bristol.
While on board, Starmer remarked on his decision to visit the carrier: “The Prime Minister can sit in London and the House of Commons and read briefings about this mission, but I thought I would come and see you and talk through the capabilities and plans you have.”
“I want to say a huge thank you to you for your service to our country and the mission you are about to embark on. When I say thank you, I say that as Prime Minister, but also on behalf of millions and millions of people in our country, who would love to have the opportunity to stand here to say thank you,” he added.
CSG 25 will take HMS Prince of Wales and its task group thousands of miles across the world as far as Japan and Australia, training with various countries en route. The exact duration of the deployment is unknown, and will likely be affected by a number of real world factors, but it is predicted to be around 7-8 months and many personnel on board look forward to spending Christmas back in the UK.
