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Royal Navy declares UK Carrier Strike Group fully operational under NATO command

The Royal Navy declared Full Operating Capability for the HMS Prince of Wales led Carrier Strike Group, embarking a record 24 F-35B jets, then placed it under NATO command off Naples on 17 November.

Reported Editor-read European Security & Defence, 18 November 2025

What it does not test. This does not establish any change to the F-35B jets' US supply dependency or a new defence spending commitment.

How this item counts. This item is dated before the index starts on 1 January 2026, so it does not count in the European Sovereignty Index.

How this item was made. Drafted by an AI system (Claude (Anthropic)) from the source cited above; read and approved by the editor on 2026-10-11. How the record is made

What the tags mean: VerifiedReportedAI-draftedAI-drafted, editor-readHuman-writtenWhat the tags mean

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