According to journalists at The Telegraph, the Royal Navy aircraft carrier Prince of Wales has been placed on a heightened state of combat readiness. The paper reports that the command has ordered the crew to be prepared to put to sea within five days.

At the same time, The Telegraph stresses that the carrier strike group’s capabilities are seriously constrained. Some of the escort ships are not fit to sail, while others remain in shipyards undergoing repairs. In this situation, the authors suggest that, if Prince of Wales is deployed, much of its protection at sea will likely have to be provided by the navies of allied countries, including the United States, France and other European states.

The paper notes that out of six Royal Navy destroyers only one, Dragon, is currently in service and at full readiness. It is expected to be sent to the waters off Cyprus to help secure the British bases Akrotiri and Dekelia. Of seven British frigates, only two are able to take up tasks, and just one of six attack submarines is reported to be prepared for operations.

Journalists conclude that, if a final decision is made to send Prince of Wales to sea, the carrier will be moved to the eastern Mediterranean. Its mission, they write, would be to strengthen the security of Cyprus and the British facilities located there in the event of strikes against them.