How HMS Prince of Wales Is Built to Operate Lean

HMS Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy’s flagship, is described as operating with fewer sailors and fighter jets than US supercarriers while still aiming to sustain high-tempo flight operations. The carrier can accommodate up to 72 aircraft, including 36 F-35B short take-off and vertical landing jets, plus helicopters such as the Merlin Mk2. Capt. Ben Power said the ship typically operates with about 1,200 sailors, compared with nearly 5,000 aboard USS Gerald R. Ford, which can carry more than 75 aircraft.

Business Insider visited the carrier while it was operating off Norway in the Norwegian Sea. The Prince of Wales is leading the UK carrier strike group during the second phase of Operation Firecrest, described as a deterrence mission in the Arctic and North Atlantic. It is sailing with NATO warships and participating in the alliance’s recurring Neptune Strike exercise.

Power credited the carrier’s sortie rate to its crew and modern systems aboard the vessel, which Business Insider identifies as a $4 billion ship commissioned in 2019. A key example is the Highly Mechanised Weapon Handling System, used on both Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, which moves bombs and missiles from magazines to the flight deck. Power said the process is effectively automated, reducing the manpower needed to arm aircraft and return them to operations.

The number of fighters aboard varies by mission and threat, officers told Business Insider. The carrier previously demonstrated operations with 24 F-35s, which the UK said was the largest number of fifth-generation jets assembled on either of its Queen Elizabeth-class carriers. Commodore Richard Hewitt said the Prince of Wales can sustain flight operations 24 hours a day, and a flight deck officer said it demonstrated the ability to launch eight jets at 30-second intervals after reaching full operational capability.

During the first phase of Operation Firecrest in early July, F-35s launched from Prince of Wales for NATO air policing, which Business Insider reports was the first time the alliance launched such missions from a European aircraft carrier. Hewitt called the mission “hugely successful” and said the carrier could play a larger role in similar operations. Power said the carrier was positioned and ready for further policing operations if required.