UK’s biggest warship suffers propeller shaft damage off south coast after setting sail for US.
.The £3bn Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has broken down just one day after departing from Portsmouth to begin a four-month deployment to the US.
The 65,000-tonne warship remained in the south coast exercise area near the Isle of Wight as the Royal Navy conducts “investigations into an emerging mechanical issue,” a spokesperson said on Sunday. They declined to comment further.
Divers have been inspecting the 930-foot carrier after damage was reported to a propeller shaft, according to the Navy Lookout news site.
The vessel – Britain’s largest warship and Nato’s flagship carrier – has had a history of problems, getting stranded in Portsmouth at the end of 2020 after flooding in its engine room damaged the electrics. During its first two years in service, the carrier reportedly spent fewer than 90 days at sea after springing leaks twice in five months.
It was due to cross the Atlantic with its crew of 1,600, stopping in Halifax, Canada as well as in New York and the Caribbean. The crew is scheduled to train alongside the US military and the Royal Canadian Navy in a programme with F-35B jets and uncrewed systems
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