Day 94:Australia

With a warm welcome from passing tugboats, HMS Prince of Wales sailed into Australian waters, arriving at the Darwin Naval Base in the country’s Northern Territory. The visit marks the first trip to Australia by a Royal Navy aircraft carrier in almost 30 years.

Upon arrival, the ship’s company were greeted with a traditional “Welcome to Country” ceremony conducted by the indigenous Larrakia people, historic landowners and custodians of the Darwin region.

The visit was a welcome stop on the carrier’s Australian adventure, as the Group spent several weeks in the continent’s northern waters as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025. Close to 35,000 personnel from 19 different nations took part in the extensive military training, including Canada, Norway, and the United States.

From Darwin to Papua New Guinea, the multinational fleets engaged in a series of exercises designed to enhance multi-domain war-fighting and international cooperation. HMS Prince of Wales led the UK’s naval input, often working alongside USS George Washington, and welcomed the US Marine Corp’s MV-22 Osprey aboard its sprawling flight deck.

Australia’s largest-ever military exercise, Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 demonstrated the UK and its international partners’ commitment to the continued security of the Indo-Pacific region and the rules-based international system.