Operation Hightower – What You Need to Know

Royal Air Force conducts long-range operations in Indo-Pacific during Operation Hightower

The RAF is collaborating closely with the Republic of Korea and Japan to enhance defence ties and improve interoperability with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF). These joint activities reflect the UK’s continued commitment to regional security in the Indo-Pacific.     The RAF’s Voyager, part of the Air Mobility Force, is central to the operation, delivering both air-to-air refuelling and airlif…

Operation Hightower – What you need to know

The Royal Air Force has begun long-range operations in the Indo-Pacific under Operation Hightower, deploying F-35B Lightning jets to conduct joint activities with Japanese and South Korean forces. The mission, they say, underscores the UK’s commitment to Indo-Pacific security and highlights the RAF’s ability to deliver strategic air power far from home. “Operation Hightower demonstrates the Royal Air Force’s ability to project air power globally…

High Mast, Low Draft: The UK’s Indo-Pacific Deployment

Towering above Singapore’s Marina Bay Cruise Centre, the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy’s largest surface warship, is on an eight-month deployment in the Indo-Pacific beginning in April 2025. At a time of geopolitical flux and intensifying Sino-US rivalry, the deployment is welcome but pressing domestic priorities in the UK and the need for greater clarity in its Indo-Pacific approach suggest that a rethink is in order. In …