Helis, May 09, 2025 - Portugal has joined the UK’s Carrier Strike Group 25 (CSG25) as it begins an extended international deployment led by HMS Prince of Wales. The Portuguese Navy frigate Bartolomeu Dias, a modernized Karel Doorman-class ship, is now sailing alongside allied vessels in a show of growing European naval cooperation.
The mission, named Operation Highmast, brings together ships and aircraft from across the NATO alliance and beyond. It also reflects the spirit of the European Carrier Group Interoperability Initiative (ECGII), which aims to tighten collaboration between European-led strike groups. Through ECGII, countries like the UK, France, Italy, and Portugal are working to ensure their navies can operate side by side with shared protocols and coordinated command structures.
For Portugal, the deployment offers more than just visibility. It’s a chance to strengthen its role within NATO’s maritime posture and gain valuable experience in joint, long-range operations. Sailing with ships from Spain, Norway, Canada, and New Zealand, the Portuguese Navy is part of a diverse multinational force navigating today’s increasingly contested waters.
As the group transits global hotspots—from the Red Sea to the Indo-Pacific—HMS Prince of Wales serves as its centerpiece. Now fully equipped with up to 24 F-35B Lightning II jets, it carries the largest air wing ever embarked on a British carrier, adding a cutting-edge layer of airpower and deterrence to the mission.
Marinha Portuguesa - As part of the European Carrier Group Interoperability Initiative (ECGII), the NRP Bartolomeu Dias is currently integrated into the escort group of the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, which is on a mission in the Mediterranean Sea.
It is operating alongside other nations such as the United Kingdom, Spain, Norway, Canada, and the United States of America.
Since the beginning of the mission, the frigate Bartolomeu Dias has had the opportunity to conduct several exercises aimed at increasing interoperability and the level of training of the force.
These include air defense exercises, anti-submarine warfare, asymmetric threat drills, and replenishment at sea operations, as well as internal self-training exercises focused on maintaining operational readiness standards, such as exercises for firefighting, flooding, steering system failure, and man overboard recovery
The mission, named Operation Highmast, brings together ships and aircraft from across the NATO alliance and beyond. It also reflects the spirit of the European Carrier Group Interoperability Initiative (ECGII), which aims to tighten collaboration between European-led strike groups. Through ECGII, countries like the UK, France, Italy, and Portugal are working to ensure their navies can operate side by side with shared protocols and coordinated command structures.
For Portugal, the deployment offers more than just visibility. It’s a chance to strengthen its role within NATO’s maritime posture and gain valuable experience in joint, long-range operations. Sailing with ships from Spain, Norway, Canada, and New Zealand, the Portuguese Navy is part of a diverse multinational force navigating today’s increasingly contested waters.
As the group transits global hotspots—from the Red Sea to the Indo-Pacific—HMS Prince of Wales serves as its centerpiece. Now fully equipped with up to 24 F-35B Lightning II jets, it carries the largest air wing ever embarked on a British carrier, adding a cutting-edge layer of airpower and deterrence to the mission.
Frigate Bartolomeu Dias on mission in the Mediterranean Sea
Marinha Portuguesa - As part of the European Carrier Group Interoperability Initiative (ECGII), the NRP Bartolomeu Dias is currently integrated into the escort group of the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, which is on a mission in the Mediterranean Sea.
It is operating alongside other nations such as the United Kingdom, Spain, Norway, Canada, and the United States of America.
Since the beginning of the mission, the frigate Bartolomeu Dias has had the opportunity to conduct several exercises aimed at increasing interoperability and the level of training of the force.
These include air defense exercises, anti-submarine warfare, asymmetric threat drills, and replenishment at sea operations, as well as internal self-training exercises focused on maintaining operational readiness standards, such as exercises for firefighting, flooding, steering system failure, and man overboard recovery
CSG25 includes aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, an Astute-class submarine, Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless, Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond, RFA Tideforce and RFA Tidespring
West Mediterranean See also |
Lynx in
Marinha Portuguesa NRP Bartolomeu Dias ( F333, Karel Doorman class ) 
HMS Prince of Wales ( R09, Queen Elizabeth class ) 
