British warships head to the Arctic and Middle East

The Royal Navy, already thinly stretched, is now sending HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Duncan to the High North, while HMS Dragon heads in the other direction to loiter for a possible mission in the Strait of Hormuz. Both high profile deployments come with some big questions. Is an aircraft carrier the best way to deter Russian submarines? And if Dragon is waiting for an end to fighting between the US and Iran, what job for it to do there? Retired Commodore Steve Prest explains the likely tasks for each vessel and their crews, while Professor Michael Clarke assess how the Royal Navy will manage the workload just as it’s at the toughest point of a long term transformation.