British aircraft carrier arrives in Norway for joint military exercise

The British Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has docked in Stavanger ahead of a joint NATO exercise off the coast of Bergen, Norway’s Armed Forces confirmed in a statement on Thursday.

Accompanied by two additional vessels, the carrier will participate in Exercise Tamber Shield, a large-scale allied training operation in Norwegian waters. Vice Admiral Rune Andersen, head of Norway’s Joint Headquarters, emphasised the strategic significance of the deployment.

“The presence of an aircraft carrier like HMS Prince of Wales training in our waters underscores how vital the High North is to our allies,” Andersen said. “The UK and Royal Navy are among our closest defence partners.”

The 280-metre-long carrier, capable of hosting around 50 aircraft, is one of the Royal Navy’s two Queen Elizabeth-class vessels and among the largest warships ever built for the UK.

Norwegian and British forces have increasingly conducted joint exercises in recent years, with a focus on Arctic and North Atlantic security operations.