Military planners fear that HMS Prince of Wales could be attacked by Houthi rebels when it passes through the Red Sea this year adding to concerns in Whitehall that Britain’s large aircraft carriers have become “obsolete” in an era of missile and drone strikes.
The 280m warship will sail through the Bab al-Mandab strait, a chokepoint where there have been Houthi attacks on British and US vessels, on its journey to the Far East. The carrier will lead a fleet to the area to conduct drills with Australia and Japan — a deployment that is likely to meet angry condemnation from China.
The carrier suffered an embarrassing setback when its starboard propeller stopped working one day into its inaugural voyage to the US in 2022. After undergoing an estimated £25 million worth of repairs, it is expected to leave Portsmouth this spring.
There is nervousness in the Ministry of Defence, however, that before it reaches its destination the £3.5 billion flagship could be attacked with Iranian anti-ship ballistic missiles and kamikaze drone boats by Houthi rebels, particularly if the ceasefire in Gaza collapses, The Times has been told.
The Houthis, an Iranian-backed rebel group in Yemen, announced this week that they would resume their attacks on Israeli ships because of Tel Aviv’s suspension of aid deliveries to Gaza. The Shia militia has previously targeted Royal Navy ships and accuses Britain of “sponsoring the ongoing crime against civilians in Gaza”.
Last year, HMS Diamond, one of six Type 45 destroyers, was deployed to the Red Sea to protect merchant vessels passing through on their way to and from the Suez Canal. The air defence system can launch eight £1 million missiles in under ten seconds.
As it passes through the Bab al-Mandab strait, the Prince of Wales will be accompanied by a Type 45 destroyer, a Norwegian frigate and Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ships. The carrier will also be armed with F-35B Lightning warplanes and is expected to host aircraft from allied countries at various points in its deployment. “We will plug and play,” a naval source said.
HMS Prince of Wales has already taken part in Royal Navy trials to fly drones, which can be wider than the F-35 jets the ship was designed to carry
ANDREW MATTHEWS/PA
There is concern in Whitehall about the vulnerability of Britain’s large warships. “The carriers are becoming obsolete,” one senior defence figure said. “There is no way we would build them now. But there is no market to sell them so we’re stuck with them.”
The Russian war in Ukraine has shown that large vessels can be sunk by relatively inexpensive drones and missiles. President Putin’s warships have been largely confined to port ever since the Moskva, the flagship of the Black Sea fleet, was sunk by a Ukrainian anti-ship missile in 2022.
HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales were commissioned as part of the strategic defence review launched by Sir Tony Blair in 1997. The review concluded that the carriers were necessary because “the ability to deploy offensive air power will be central to future force projection operations”.
Last year Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, defence secretary under Blair, was appointed by Sir Keir Starmer to lead a new strategic defence review, which is expected to be published in the coming weeks. There is a debate in government over whether to make its findings public, however.
One option under consideration is to adapt the carriers to fly more drones. The Royal Navy launched trials in 2023 to fly “Project Mojave” drones, costing £1.5 million, from HMS Prince of Wales. With a wingspan of 17 metres, the drones are considerably wider than F-35s, the American fighter jets the carriers were designed to transport.
Britain has only 34 F-35s, with 48 due to enter service by the end of this year, meaning the carriers often sail with only a handful of jets.
An MoD spokesman said: “Carrier strike group 25 will provide reassurance and security with allies and partners, deterring those who seek to undermine global security — making us secure at home and strong abroad.
“The deployment will include advanced air and missile defence protection for the carrier, ensuring that it can counter any threats.”