HMS Prince of Wales, a £3 billion aircraft carrier, departed Portsmouth naval base on Saturday and suffered an “emerging mechanical problem” off the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The NATO flagship’s departure had already been delayed since Friday due to a technical problem, although it is not known if the incidents are related. Shortly after the 65,000-ton vessel set sail on Saturday, a mechanical fault was discovered on the starboard shaft. The 930-foot-long aircraft carrier was scheduled to conduct tests with F-35B Lightning aircraft in the U.S. during the four-month deployment. Rear Admiral Steve Moorhouse, director of Force Generation, which is responsible for ensuring the Royal Navy’s ships are ready to deploy, said in a video statement: “I was on board today to see for myself what the problem is and how we the Royal Navy can work together to ensure the ship can successfully return to its mission. “After initial assessment, it is likely that the fault will require repairs that may affect the ship’s schedule. The ship is now moving to a more protected berth for further inspection and we will then be able to comment further on the nature of the issue and the impact on its current schedule. “We reacted quickly to the emerging flaw and are working closely with industry partners to resolve it as soon as possible. Rest assured, the Royal Navy continues to deliver on its commitments to operate and keep the UK, our partners and allies safe.” The NATO flagship was sailing to conduct training exercises with the US Navy, Royal Canadian Navy and US Marine Corps. The “landmark” mission aimed to shape the future of stealth jet and drone operations off the coast of North America and in the Caribbean. Specialist website Navy Lookout said a photo of the carrier leaving Portsmouth showed a wake on the port side only, suggesting a problem with the other propeller shaft. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. He added that unless the problem can be resolved at sea, the warship may have to dock in Rosyth, Scotland, months earlier than a scheduled inspection in 2023. The carrier was given a colorful send-off as it departed on Saturday afternoon and passed thousands of music fans at the Victorious festival on Southsea Common in Portsmouth. HMS Prince of Wales, which was fully commissioned just last year, was commissioned at a ceremony in Portsmouth attended by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in 2019.
