The UK's HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier has been placed on advanced readiness to sail from Portsmouth, according to the BBC.
The crew has been told to be ready to leave in five days, defence sources said. This development may raise speculation about a potential deployment to the Mediterranean to defend British interests threatened in the Middle East conflict.
Defence sources confirmed that the ship's 'notice to sail' was previously 14 days. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) also confirmed the change in status for the carrier.
Timeline of Events
More US B-1 Lancer bombers have arrived at RAF Fairford. The government has been accused of not acting fast enough to protect Cyprus from enemy drones and missiles.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer denied the UK was not prepared for the conflict, stating that Britain had begun pre-deploying assets to the region earlier this year, particularly to Qatar and Cyprus, alongside the US and other allies.
Defence Preparations
Defence sources said 400 additional UK personnel had been sent over the past weeks to support air defence activities across the UK's bases in Cyprus. A Type 45 destroyer, HMS Dragon, has been deployed to the region but will not be ready to leave Portsmouth until next week.
HMS Prince of Wales is in Portsmouth receiving routine maintenance ahead of a planned deployment to the North Atlantic and Arctic later this year. The carrier strike group was due to take part in Operation Firecrest alongside US, Canadian, and European allies to deter Russian aggression in the High North.
Official Statements
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: '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.'
The MoD also confirmed the US had started using British bases 'for specific defensive operations'. The first B-1 arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday evening, followed by three more of the jets and a C-5 airlifter on Saturday.
