The U.K.’s flagship aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, has entered the Mediterranean carrying 24 F-35Bs — all from British squadrons — for the multinational Exercise Falcon Strike. According to The War Zone (TWZ), this record-setting complement represents a major leap forward for Britain’s carrier strike ambitions, which have faced years of scrutiny over whether the U.K. could deploy a credible, all-domestic F-35B air wing without U.S. Marine Corps assistance.
The 24 stealth jets come from No. 617 Squadron and 809 Naval Air Squadron, along with training aircraft from No. 207 Squadron RAF. They embarked aboard the carrier after six additional F-35Bs flew in from RAF Marham last week, joining those already onboard following the ship’s transit through the Suez Canal. The deployment marks the largest concentration of fifth-generation fighters ever assembled at sea by any nation.
For the duration of Exercise Falcon Strike, HMS Prince of Wales leads a powerful U.K. Carrier Strike Group that includes the destroyer HMS Dauntless, the frigate HMS Richmond, the support tanker RFA Tidespring, and a Royal Navy Astute-class submarine. Allied vessels, including Italy’s Luigi Rizzo and Norwegian warships, have joined the formation for intensive air and maritime operations led by the Italian Navy. Commodore James Blackmore, commander of the Carrier Strike Group, described the deployment as “a real demonstration of warfighting readiness,” underscoring Britain’s growing ability to project power globally.
Until now, British carrier operations relied on U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs to boost numbers, as seen during HMS Queen Elizabeth’s 2021 global cruise, which carried eight British and ten U.S. jets. Even then, the total of eighteen fell short of the twenty-four now embarked aboard Prince of Wales. This number even surpasses the U.S. Marine Corps’ own record of twenty F-35Bs aboard USS Tripoli during the 2022 “Lightning Carrier” trials, highlighting the Royal Navy’s rapid progress toward operational maturity.
The War Zone (TWZ) notes that this achievement is a crucial prerequisite for declaring full operating capability (FOC) for the U.K. Carrier Strike mission — a milestone originally planned for 2023 but delayed several times. The Royal Navy has long stated that embarking 24 jets is the minimum standard for FOC, and the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers have the capacity to carry more if required.
Still, this milestone comes amid renewed criticism of the U.K.’s F-35 program. The Public Accounts Committee recently warned that budget pressures and cost-cutting have hurt the aircraft’s readiness, availability, and long-term sustainability. The U.K. has so far committed to only 48 F-35Bs, with plans to acquire another 27 F-35s split between the F-35A and F-35B variants — a move that could further limit the number of jets available for carrier operations. Analysts suggest that between 60 and 70 F-35Bs would be needed to maintain full carrier strike capability across both ships while meeting training and maintenance needs.
Despite the limited fleet size, the Royal Navy’s vision for the future is expanding. As The War Zone (TWZ) has highlighted, the service is investing heavily in uncrewed aircraft to augment its carrier air wings, envisioning a hybrid force of manned and unmanned systems. Future upgrades to the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers could include catapults and arresting gear, allowing the operation of conventional takeoff aircraft and jet-powered drones under a phased transition from STOVL to CATOBAR operations.
Colonel Phil Kelly, the Royal Navy’s head of Carrier Strike and Maritime Aviation, outlined this progression last year, noting that the service plans to “move from STOVL to STOL, then STOBAR, and finally CATOBAR.” Concept art released by General Atomics shows HMS Prince of Wales launching a Gambit-series drone via catapult alongside F-35Bs and carrier-capable MQ-9Bs — a glimpse into what may become the Royal Navy’s future “hybrid carrier” model.
By 2029, the U.K. hopes to integrate collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) drones aboard its carriers. First Sea Lord Sir Gwyn Jenkins has even expressed ambitions to launch a jet-powered CCA demonstrator by 2026, further blending manned and unmanned operations.
For now, however, the F-35B remains the beating heart of Britain’s carrier strike capability. Hosting twenty-four of the stealth fighters aboard HMS Prince of Wales not only meets a critical operational benchmark but also sends a clear signal of renewed strength. After years of challenges, delays, and dependence on allies, the Royal Navy’s vision of an independent, fifth-generation carrier strike force is finally taking shape — and The War Zone (TWZ) calls it the clearest proof yet that the U.K. has entered a new era of maritime air power.
