HMS Prince of Wales departs Portsmouth in show of force to Russia: Well-wishers wave off Royal Navy.

Well-wishers have waved off Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales as it set sail today in a show of force to Russia for its first major mission to head Nato's rapid response task force.

The 65,000-tonne warship was appointed the command ship of Nato's Maritime High Readiness Force at a ceremony held onboard at Portsmouth Naval Base on Tuesday.

It sailed from the Hampshire port on Wednesday ahead of a series of major exercises with Nato to be held throughout the year, starting with a Norwegian-led exercise.The UK has taken over from France to run the task force, which was formed to deal with major global incidents.

The task force will be run for the next 12 months by Commander UK Strike Force - the most senior sea-going staff of the Royal Navy, headed by Rear Admiral Mike Utley.

It comes amid raised tensions between the West and Moscow after Russia deployed 100,000 troops and heavy weapons near Ukraine's border while demanding that Nato rules out admitting the former Soviet state or advancing into what it sees as its backyard.

HMS Prince of Wales' commanding officer, Captain Steve Higham, acknowledged the political stand-off, saying his crew 'absolutely recognised the challenge posed by Russia' and will be ready to respond if necessary.

Capt Higham told The News: 'We have got our orders loud and clear - we've got to be ready to respond and we will be.

'The great advantage for us is that we will be working with partners and allies from across the Nato alliance and that strength in depth is what gives us the real edge.'

Commenting more generally on the vessel's departure, he added: 'This year, as the Nato command ship, we will spend over 200 days at sea operating globally with our allies.'

Rear Admiral Utley said: 'Nato is the cornerstone of the UK defence and our commitment to the alliance is absolute, and it is a privilege to be the UK Maritime Component Commander moving into our vital role this yea