UK’s newest aircraft carrier has fewer sailors and fighter jets than US supercarriers, but is built to operate lean

A smaller crew and air wing

HMS Prince of Wales can accommodate up to 72 aircraft, including 36 F-35Bs and helicopters such as the Merlin Mk2. It can also carry as many as 1,600 sailors and Royal Marines.

Capt. Ben Power said the ship typically operates with about 1,200 sailors. By comparison, USS Gerald R. Ford has nearly 5,000 sailors and can carry more than 75 aircraft, including dozens of fighter jets.

Only a handful of F-35s were aboard when the carrier was visited off Norway. Power described its air wing as modest but efficient.

Operating in northern waters

The Prince of Wales is leading the UK carrier strike group during the second phase of Operation Firecrest. The mission is focused on deterrence in the Arctic and North Atlantic. The ship is sailing alongside NATO warships and taking part in Neptune Strike, a recurring alliance exercise.

Automation supports flight operations

Power credited the carrier’s sortie rate to its trained crew and advanced technology. The $4 billion ship was commissioned in 2019. He highlighted an automated weapons-handling system that moves bombs and missiles from storage areas deep inside the ship to the flight deck. Power said the computer-run process reduces the manpower needed to arm jets and return them to the air. Fighter numbers vary with the mission and potential threats, officers said, adding that fewer aircraft do not necessarily make the carrier less effective.

Demonstrated launch capability

A flight deck officer, speaking anonymously, said the carrier demonstrated it could launch eight jets at 30-second intervals when it reached full operational capability last year. Hewitt called the mission “hugely successful” and said the carrier could have a greater role in similar operations in the future.