Prince Harry has been quoted as saying he is returning to serve in Afghanistan, after months of combat helicopter training in the United States.
The Sun newspaper reported on Wednesday that the 27-year-old, who is third in line to the British throne, confirmed he would be deployed.
"I can't wait to get out there," the newspaper quoted Harry as saying at a military awards ceremony on Monday night.
St James's Palace said the details of when or where Harry could serve was a matter for military commanders.
Harry served as a battlefield air controller in Afghanistan in 2008, though his secret deployment was cut short after 10 weeks when details were made public.
He returned to Britain in November after training in California and Arizona.
At the Naval Air Facility in El Centro, California, Harry flew Apache attack helicopters in the desert close to the Mexican border.
During training at the Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field in southern Arizona, the prince fired missiles and rockets.
During a brief break from manoeuvres, the young prince rented a Harley-Davidson motorcycle in Scottsdale and rode the six-hour trip to Las Vegas for a weekend visit.
Harry is currently completing his Apache helicopter training at British Royal Air Force base Wattisham Station, in eastern England.
The newspaper said the prince told awards ceremony guests he now hoped to utilise his months of training. "I'm looking forward to putting it into practice," it quoted him as saying.
In a speech to the ceremony, Harry told military colleagues of his admiration for them - and for the families left behind when they are deployed.
"It's often said of our armed forces that they are ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Well, I don't entirely buy that," Harry said. "Ordinary people don't put their lives on the line for distant folk, such as the Afghans, who need our help and are now turning their country around because of it."
