The MoD said the preparedness of HMS Prince of Wales is being increased, reducing the time it would take for it be deployed

The MoD said the preparedness of HMS Prince of Wales is being increased, reducing the time it would take for it be deployed

The UK is preparing an aircraft carrier for possible deployment to the Middle East, reducing the time it would take to be readied.

This does not mean that Portsmouth-based HMS Prince of Wales, which is used to carry fighter jets and helicopters, will be sent into the Gulf as conflict escalates in the region, but the preparedness of the Royal Navy’s flagship is being increased, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

The Independent understands no decisions to deploy the Prince of Wales have been taken.

An MoD spokesperson told The Independent: “We have been bolstering our UK military presence in the Middle East since January, and we have already deployed capabilities to protect British people and our allies in the region, including Typhoons, F-35 jets, air defence systems and an extra 400 personnel into Cyprus.

      • FaceDeer@fedia.io
        0·
        2 months ago

        Not applicable here. NATO is a defensive pact, but America is the aggressor in this case. They can’t invoke Article 5 for this.

          • FaceDeer@fedia.io
            0·
            2 months ago

            This is not a NATO mission. This is not defense. The commitments of membership do not in any way require that NATO members have to lift a finger to help other NATO members prosecute unprovoked wars of aggression.

            • plyth@feddit.orgEnglish
              0·
              2 months ago

              Correct, but they can do it voluntarily.

              The wording of the admission requirements for the members after the end of the cold war suggests that Nato is not only a defence pact.

              • FaceDeer@fedia.io
                0·
                2 months ago

                Of course they could do it voluntarily. Anyone can decide to declare war on whomever. What would that have to do with being in NATO though?

                • plyth@feddit.orgEnglish
                  0·
                  2 months ago

                  If all the members participate would it matter whether they call it Nato or not?

                  • FaceDeer@fedia.io
                    0·
                    2 months ago

                    It’s already a bit of a fairy tale to assume that one other NATO member is going to join the United States in this train wreck of a war. Most I would expect is some defensive help for Turkey if it gets caught in the splash zone.