While high-profile Carrier Strike Group (CSG) deployments capture attention as symbols of British military power, the use of forward-deployed Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) on five-year long missions is a less-visible but equally important element of the United Kingdom’s Indo-Pacific “tilt.” Whereas shorter-duration CSG missions amplify deterrence effects, longer-term OPV deployments offer the UK a cost-effective and flexible way to deliver persistent maritime presence, strengthen partnerships, and uphold international maritime norms.
This analysis begins with a brief overview of the UK’s Indo-Pacific strategy outlined in the 2021 Integrated Review and 2023 Refresh document. It will then examine how OPVs have been deployed in various military roles, and how these innovations demonstrate the evolution of naval strategy, particularly in resource-constrained environments. The paper then explores the diplomatic, humanitarian, and multilateral roles OPVs play, which enhance maritime security and defence engagement, reinforcing the UK’s influence as a committed Indo-Pacific partner.
The paper concludes by framing the OPV deployments not as mere naval tasks, but as part of a broader defence and security strategy. They help advance progress toward the Integrated Review’s central ambition that Britain “will be the European partner with the broadest and most integrated presence in the Indo-Pacific — committed for the long term, with closer and deeper partnerships, bilaterally and multilaterally”. In an age of geopolitical competition, persistent presence, enabled by modest naval assets, delivers effects including trust-building, commitment, and visibility that complement high-end deterrence.
Naval deployments and the “tilt”
Recognising the region’s centrality in global economic growth and security, the British government’s “Indo-Pacific tilt’ unveiled in 2021 set an ambition to be “the European partner with the broadest and most integrated presence in the Indo-Pacific — committed for the long term, with closer and deeper partnerships, bilaterally and multilaterally.”[1] Nine focus areas were identified, from trade pacts to supply chain resilience, defence cooperation, tackling climate change, and the “force for good” agenda including girls education and humanitarian response.
The Integrated Review Refresh of 2023 subsequently touted both the CSG21 deployment, led by flagship aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2021, and forward-deployed OPVs (HMS Tamar and HMS Spey), as evidence of delivering on the tilt. However, the two deployments deliver rather different effects. With cutting-edge capabilities including F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter aircraft, the CSG21 is the “cornerstone of the UK’s conventional military deterrent,” and provides a “credible deterrence to those who seek to undermine global security.”[2] Given the level of attention it was drawing, there were certainly “high stakes involved in the deployment.”[3]In 2025, the follow-up deployment of the CSG25, led by flagship HMS Prince of Wales, similarly projected “a strong deterrence message,” said then-Defence Secretary Grant Shapps.[4]
Meanwhile, the Deputy British High Commissioner to India said that the deployment of HMS Tamar “is the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt in action.”[5] OPVs, like the CSG deployments, are both meant to demonstrate Britain’s presence and renewed commitment to the Indo-Pacific as part of its “tilt” policy. However, the lightly armed OPVs have raised eyebrows over what they might contribute.[6] This paper contends that the longer-term but lower-visibility OPV deployment delivers effects that are different from shorter-duration high-profile CSG deterrence signals. As HMS Tamar’s executive officer explained, the crucial difference lies in terms of size and effect: “The 90m-long patrol vessel has a pivotal role in tackling shared security challenges and developing relationships. We’re not a carrier, we’re not a massive warship or an intimidating force, we’re here as a force for good and a force for peace.”[7] Addressing concerns that the OPVs could not deter China, then-Minister of State for Defence Baroness Goldie replied :“it would be quite wrong to diminish the effect that [HMS Tamar and HMS Spey] have had in the region… They have actually been, in their own way, doing some very heavy lifting.[8] Fixating on deterrence alone misses the point of the OPV deployment.
Operational Innovation
Tamar and Spey both conducted surveillance patrols supporting United Nations sanctions on North Korea. While Bentham contended that the the “primary focus [of the OPVs] will be one of naval diplomacy, aiming to demonstrate commitment through presence and fulfilling limited maritime security tasks,”[9] they also exercised with allies in warfighting scenarios.
In 2022, HMS Spey’s participation in the U.S.-Japan Exercise Keen Sword, which has run since 1985, marked the first time the Royal Navy had taken part. During the full-scale amphibious assault phase, HMS Spey was tasked with protecting larger units against small, highly manoeuvrable fast-attack craft. “In particular, it has shown that these Offshore Patrol Vessels can integrate into a joint American/Japanese amphibious task group and operate close to shore, patrolling the flanks of larger operations to police shipping and help maintain assault lanes” Spey’s operations officer said.[10] Working within larger allied task forces has been a consistent focus; HMS Tamar was attached to the Jeanne d’Arc task group during the French-led multinational exercise La Perouse in 2023. Alongside French and Japanese vessels, Tamar practised gunnery, close approaches, choreographed movements and air defence. In 2024 the OPV berthed alongside submarine tender USS Emory S. Land in Cairns, Queensland, utilising the latter’s fuel, water, and power supply, the first time it had performed this. Such U.S. Navy support could enhance the scope of OPV operations in the region. For its efforts, HMS Tamar won the 2023 Jersey Cup in the annual Royal Navy Surflot Excellence Awards as the best Batch 2 patrol vessel. The Royal Navy’s award citation praised Tamar for, “setting a benchmark” – not just for the Royal Navy – but for how Navies across the region deploy similar ships.[11]
Strategic Contribution to Security and Diplomacy
The OPV deployment is not just about firepower or deterrence, but about influence. As Baroness Goldie emphasised, “We have to do it with allies and partners. Part of this is not just what fire you can bring to the game, part of it is how you strengthen relationships and how you seek to influence.”[12] The OPVs conducted a wide range of tasks as part of the Integrated Review’s “force for good” agenda. HMS Spey delivered COVID vaccines and dental treatment to the Pitcairn Islands as well as disaster-relief supplies to earthquake-hit Tonga. Visiting the Solomon Islands, Spey also supported the regional Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) Operation Island Chief byworking with long-range maritime patrol aircraft from Australia and New Zealand to detect illegal fishing. This was the first time a Royal Navy ship had participated in such patrols. Spey’s port call to Sihanoukville, Cambodia in February 2023 was the first by a Royal Navy ship in nearly 65 years; there were also culinary training lessons for a local charity in the OPV’s galleys. On an earlier visit to Vietnam, Spey’s female doctor and weapons engineer organised gender and inclusion events marking International Day of Women and Girls in Science. In Fiji, a female officer presented to the Women Entrepreneurs Business Council.
The versatility of the OPVs was highlighted when HMS Tamar diverted at short notice to assist in recovery operations from the sunken New Zealand survey ship, HMNZS Manawanui, off Samoa. HMS Tamar also participated in the multilateral U.S.-led Pacific Partnership exercise, delivering medical assistance and building community infrastructure for remote islands in the Philippines.
Conclusion
Naval deployments such as CSGs and OPVs deliver complementary effects advancing Britain’s tilt towards the Indo-Pacific. CSGs convey strong deterrence signals, albeit for a shorter duration, by demonstrating first-rate power projection capabilities and through its convening power by assembling a flotilla of allied escort vessels. Meanwhile, by being the first Royal Navy permanent presence in the Indo-Pacific in more than 25 years, the OPVs longer-term deployment and versatility generated different effects such as influence, diplomatic engagement and supporting the “force for good” agenda. This is critical for British ambitions to attain the widest and broadest integrated presence so valued by advocates of the tilt. By delving beyond great power competition into other security concerns, such as illegal fishing and climate change, that worry regional partners, “we are building understanding of some of the challenges facing the area,” explained HMS Spey’s commanding officer.[13] The versatile OPVs also pioneered pathbreaking operations such as resupplying from U.S. submarine tenders and integrating within allied amphibious task forces. Understanding how OPVs deliver effects that are different yet complementary to CSGs is key to deciphering naval strategy observable thus far in the tilt.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in the INSIGHTS publication series are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Rabdan Security & Defense Institute, its affiliated organizations, or any government entity. The content published is intended for informational purposes and reflects the personal perspectives of the authors on various security and defence-related topics.
[1] Cabinet Office. Global Britain in a Competitive Age: the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, 2 July, 2021, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/global-britain-in-a-competitive-age-the-integrated-review-of-security-defence-development-and-foreign-policy/global-britain-in-a-competitive-age-the-integrated-review-of-security-defence-development-and-foreign-policy
[2] British Embassy Tokyo. UK Carrier Strike Group flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth to arrive in Japan, 3 September, 2021, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-carrier-strike-group-flagship-hms-queen-elizabeth-to-arrive-in-japan
[3] Nick Childs and Matthieu Lebreton. UK Carrier Strike Group: meeting Indo-Pacific expectations? Military Balance Blog, 12 August, 2021, https://www.iiss.org/online-analysis/military-balance/2021/08/uk-carrier-strike-group-indopacific/
[4] John Hill. UK announces 2025 Carrier Strike Group deployment to Japan, Naval Technology, 14 December, 2023, https://www.naval-technology.com/news/uk-announces-2025-carrier-strike-group-deployment-to-japan/?cf-view
[5] Royal Navy. Indian adventure begins for HMS Tamar in Andaman Islands, 11 January, 2023, https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2023/january/11/20230111-royal-navy-patrol-ship-hms-tamar-visits-indian-andaman-islands
[6] Jonathan Bentham. The Royal Navy’s River class: keeping the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt afloat? Military Balance Blog, 6 April, 2022, https://www.iiss.org/ja-JP/online-analysis/military-balance/2022/04/the-royal-navys-river-class-keeping-the-uks-indo-pacific-tilt-afloat/
[7] Forces News. “HMS Tamar completes first deployment of Indo-Pacific”, 1 June, 2022 https://www.forcesnews.com/services/navy/hms-tamar-completes-first-deployment-indo-pacific
[8] House of Commons Defence Committee. “UK defence and the Indo-Pacific”, 21 March 2023, https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/12ac83ff-59fc-4137-940c-7c9776318a26
[9] Bentham. The Royal Navy’s River class: keeping the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt afloat?
[10] Royal Navy. Royal Navy joins one of the largest military exercises in Pacific for first time, 21 November 2022, https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2022/november/21/20221121-royal-navy-joins-one-of-the-largest-military-exercises-in-pacific-for-first-time
[11] Royal Navy. Fleet’s finest recognised in annual awards for best ships units and individuals, 29 November, 2023 https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news/2023/november/29/20231129-fleets-finest-recognised-in-annual-awards-for-best-ships-units-and-individuals
[12] House of Commons Defence Committee. UK defence and the Indo-Pacific, 21 March 2023, https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/12ac83ff-59fc-4137-940c-7c9776318a26
[13] UK Royal Navy’s offshore patrol vessel HMS Spey visits Honiara, 19 April 2023, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-royal-navys-offshore-patrol-vessel-hms-spey-visits-honiara
