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SNS: Asia Letter: Q2 2025 FROM THE ROYAL NAVY TO ORBITAL LASERS By Scott Foster The Royal Navy Sets Sail for Japan King Charles III visited the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales on March 5 as the Royal Navy prepared for deployment to the Indo-Pacific this spring. He flew to the flagship in the Channel during the closing stages of her intensive training before she sets sail for Japan. It was the first time in nearly 40 years that a reigning British monarch had joined a Royal Navy warship at sea. As reported by the Royal Navy News, chief physical training instructor (PTI) Adrian Barker said, "It was nice to speak to him about deck hockey and tug of war, he obviously has fond memories of working with PTIs in the past." The Toronto Star noted on the day of the visit that King Charles "sported Canadian military honours" after meeting with [then] Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Sandringham royal residence two days earlier. "It's quite significant to see King Charles III wearing these decorations in a British context right after meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau," said Carolyn Harris, royal commentator and instructor of history at the University of Toronto. In January, UK Defence Secretary John Healey met Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani in London to discuss the Royal Navy's UK Carrier Strike Group's port visit and joint exercises with Japan's Self-Defense Forces. As stated in a Japanese Ministry of Defense press release dated January 15, Nakatani told Healey that Japan is "considering the deployment of ASDF [Air Self-Defense Force] fighter aircraft to the UK in the future."
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