UK carrier deploys to Arctic as NATO confronts Russian incursions

Russian Tu-142 drops sonobuoys near British flagship before F-35 intercept

HMS Prince of Wales, the U.K. Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, deployed to the Arctic in a mission to deter Russian incursions into strategic northern waterways, according to the Wall Street Journal, which embedded a correspondent on board the vessel.

During the deployment, in early July, a Russian Tupolev Tu-142 maritime patrol aircraft flew close to the carrier and dropped a large number of sonar trackers — known as sonobuoys — in the ship’s path. The sonobuoys are used to detect submarines. In response, British F-35 Lightning stealth fighters launched directly from HMS Prince of Wales to intercept the Russian plane and escort it away from the carrier strike group, according to the Journal and the Royal Air Force.

The Royal Air Force described the mission as the first time F-35s have launched directly from the carrier to carry out defensive patrols and stand ready to scramble to defend the High North.

The deployment comes as NATO allies work to strengthen deterrence against Russia’s Northern Fleet amid what the Wall Street Journal describes as growing Russian threats in the Arctic region. MSI previously reported that a bipartisan group of U.S. senators traveled to Arctic nations in May to meet with government officials and observe military operations as part of diplomatic outreach.

U.K. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis visited British forces on board HMS Prince of Wales during the deployment and spoke to Channel 4 News about the operation.

“We should be clear-eyed about the fact that the threat from Russia exists in every domain, under the water, on the water, on the land, in the sky, in space and in cyberspace as well,” Jarvis said.

The encounter with the Tu-142 marks the latest in a series of interactions between NATO and Russian aircraft in the Arctic as both sides increase military activity in the region. The HMS Prince of Wales is part of a broader pattern of NATO naval deployments in northern waters, including exercises with the USS Gerald R. Ford in the North Sea, according to the Barents Observer, which reported from aboard the U.S. carrier.