Throughout this operation, the carrier has been escorted by just one British air defence destroyer, HMS Dauntless, and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary supply vessel RFA Tideforce.
Allies from other Nato nations, including Norway and France, make up the rest of the strike group.
But the commanding officer of HMS Prince of Wales, Captain Ben Power, does not believe this is a sign of weakness on Britain’s part.
He said: “The UK defence policy is Nato-First. We are the embodiment of that commitment to Nato. So, it’s right and proper that, as part of that, we’re committing a flagship, an incredibly capable fifth-generation aircraft carrier with a fifth-generation air wing.
“Our Nato partners are supplying some support to that, but we also have the sovereign capability where and when we need to.”
However, that Nato-first doctrine is also one of necessity.
With the number of Royal Navy frigates down to half a dozen, and likely to fall further before the new generation of frigates enter service, allied cooperation has never been more important, as Britain and Nato look to bolster their presence here in the High North.
