The Royal Navy will deploy an aircraft carrier strike group to counter Russia in the North Atlantic and the Arctic.
This was announced by the U.K. Ministry of Defence.
The deployment is described as a show of force aimed at deterring Russian aggression and protecting critical undersea infrastructure.
The operation, named Firecrest, will involve large-scale exercises with allies from the United States, Canada and Northern European countries. The aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales will serve as the flagship of the strike group.
As part of the deployment, the group will operate alongside Standing NATO Maritime Group 1. The British destroyer HMS Dragon will act as the flagship of the NATO maritime group throughout 2026.
Part of the operation will be conducted under NATO command, including close coordination with the Joint Force Command in Norfolk, which will be led by a British officer for the first time.
The Ministry of Defence said the deployment comes amid increased Russian military activity in the North Atlantic. Over the past two years, the number of Russian warships posing a threat to British waters has risen by 30%.
As part of the operation, the United Kingdom and the United States will also strengthen cooperation to ensure Euro-Atlantic security off the east coast of North America. British ships are expected to visit a U.S. port.
The deployment includes participation in NATO’s Arctic Sentry mission, which began this week and is aimed at strengthening security in a region where melting sea ice is opening new maritime routes and increasing risks linked to hostile states.
Against a backdrop of increased Russian activity near Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom, as well as heightened risks to critical undersea cables and pipelines, the deployment is intended to signal London’s readiness to protect its waters and infrastructure and to act alongside allies.
The operation follows the completion of the U.K. carrier strike group’s mission in the Indo-Pacific in 2025.
During that deployment, more than 1,000 F-35 fighter sorties were flown and joint operations were conducted with more than 30 countries. The group was subsequently declared fully operational and ready for NATO missions.
At that time, the British carrier strike group, together with regional partners, including India, conducted joint maneuvers intended to signal readiness to China.
