The British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, leading the UK Carrier Strike Group (CSG), took part in Exercise Bersama Lima 2025 off the coast of Malaysia as part of Operation Highmast, while resuming its journey back to the United Kingdom.
The exercise, conducted in September under the direction of the Joint Headquarters of the Malaysian Armed Forces, is the largest of the annual combined joint forces and command post trainings organized by the member countries of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA): Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
An aerial image released by the Royal Navy showed HMS Prince of Wales at the center of the multinational formation during a flyover of aircraft from the FPDA nations. The carrier was accompanied by the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigate HMAS Ballarat, the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond, the Royal Malaysian Navy ships KD Lekir and KD Sri Indera Sakti, as well as RSS Formidable and a Victory-class missile corvette of the Republic of Singapore Navy.
The Royal Navy described the UK Carrier Strike Group as “a powerful, world-class international naval formation led by one of the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, currently HMS Prince of Wales for CSG25, equipped with F-35B fighter jets. It includes warships, submarines, and aircraft and is deployed for power projection, maritime security, and joint exercises with allies worldwide”.
Bersama Lima 2025 built on the results of the Bersama Shield exercise held in March, aiming to incorporate lessons learned and prepare the ground for future activities in 2026. According to the Royal Navy, “Bersama Lima 2025 is a key activity within Operation Highmast, and the participation of the UK Carrier Strike Group marks a significant and novel contribution to the exercise.”
As part of Bersama Lima, four F-35A Lightning II fighters from the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) 75 Squadron landed in Kuantan, Malaysia, marking their second consecutive year of participation. The Australian contingent worked closely with the Malaysian Air Force, the Singapore Air Force, and the British CSG naval assets deployed in the South China Sea.
75 Squadron’s Executive Officer, Squadron Leader Anthony, stated: “We’re looking forward to working closely with the Malaysians based here in Kuantan, especially flying alongside their SU-30 Flankers and F-18 Hornets.” He added they would be conducting “familiarisation flights, basic fighter manoeuvres, self-escort strikes and missions down to Singapore.”
The transfer of the Australian aircraft required several aerial refueling operations. They departed from RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory, refueling with a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker in Darwin. The route included stopovers in Bali and Singapore before arriving in Malaysia.
Squadron Leader Anthony, a veteran of FPDA exercises in 2009 and 2010, emphasized the importance of RAAF unit rotations: “The Air Combat Group has a rich history of cooperation in this region, so it’s great to be back and see firsthand the professionalism of the Royal Malaysian Air Force. I’m particularly excited to observe the SU-30 Flanker up close.”
Bersama Lima remains a key venue for enhancing interoperability and strengthening defense ties among the five FPDA nations.
Images sourced from the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom.
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