The UK’s flagship aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales took command of multinational operations during Exercise Bersama Lima 25, held off the coast of Malaysia. Conducted on September 30, 2025, the drill brought together the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) nations: the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.
Hosted by the Royal Malaysian Air Force, the exercise integrated air, sea, and land forces in a series of coordinated missions. Key participants included the UK’s F-35B jets, A400M and Voyager aircraft, Australia’s F-35As and C-27Js, Malaysia’s A400M and C-130Hs, and New Zealand’s state-of-the-art replenishment ship HMNZS Aotearoa. Together, they carried out joint operations covering anti-submarine warfare, cyber defence, humanitarian relief, and disaster response.
The involvement of HMS Prince of Wales marks the first time a fully operational British aircraft carrier has participated in an FPDA drill, representing a significant step forward in collective training. More than five decades after its creation in 1971, the FPDA continues to evolve as a credible framework for regional defence, proving its adaptability to modern challenges such as cyber threats and great power rivalry in the Indo-Pacific.
