Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales and Italian carrier ITS Cavour have been working together under NATO command in the Mediterranean Sea during Exercise Neptune Strike.
Jet fighters from both carriers have been flying sorties day and night during the fourth leg of the exercise, which started on November 19 and concluded yesterday (Wednesday).
Italian F-35Bs have been on board HMS Prince of Wales for the enhanced vigilance activity, on the last leg of the U.K. Carrier Strike Group’s wider eight-month Operation Highmast deployment to the Indo-Pacific.
As per a Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) press statement, Exercise Neptune Strike involved a total of ten NATO nations, two Carrier Strike Groups, six surface vessels, plus submarines, aircraft, and fighter jets.
During the drills aerial missions were staged across Europe, stretching from the Baltic Sea region in the north to the Black Sea in the south, as well as along NATO’s South-Eastern flank. Simulated long-range strike missions were carried out on training ranges in Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.
The exercise has also involved Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) from the NATO Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force (NISRF) based at Sigonella, Italy.
The NISRF’s RQ-4D Phoenix UAS provided the combined strike group with additional long-range, high-altitude surveillance capabilities. For the first time, the UAS supported multiple Find-Fix-Track events simultaneously for two different Joint Force Commands.
Commander of the NISRF Brigadier General John B. Creel commented: “Neptune Strike 25-4 once again demonstrated how essential strategic ISR is to NATO’s multi-domain readiness.
Our team delivered exceptional performance throughout the exercise — their professionalism, precision, and dedication were key to enabling commanders to operate effectively in a highly dynamic environment.
“By integrating the RQ-4D Phoenix into one of NATO’s most demanding maritime exercises, we reinforced the Alliance’s ability to act decisively and cohesively when it matters most.”
- You can read more details on the STRIKFORNATO website