LONDON (Dispatches) -- The £3 billion 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 U.S.
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. 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 U.S. military and the Royal Canadian Navy in a program with F-35B jets and uncrewed systems.
The vessel received a lively sendoff, sailing past the Victorious music festival on Southsea Common in Portsmouth in the middle of a Sugababes performance.
The HMS Prince of Wales is part of the UK’s carrier strike group alongside its sister ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, which is to deploy to the Baltic and Mediterranean this autumn.
The problem was first reported by UK Defense Journal, an online news site focused on defense issues, which cited unconfirmed reports about damage to the starboard propeller shaft.
A second specialist news site, Navy Lookout, said the 65,000-tonne warship had suffered a “significant technical fault”.
“Should the issue prove to be serious it goes without saying that this is extremely unfortunate and not a good look for the RN [Royal Navy],” it reported.
The warship had departed from nearby Portsmouth on Saturday on what was described by the Royal Navy as a mission to “shape the future of stealth jet and drone operations off the coast of North America and in the Caribbean”.
The trip - provided it goes ahead - is set to see the carrier visit New York, Halifax in Canada and the Caribbean, operating fifth generation F-35 fast jets off the deck as well as drones.
Commanding Officer, Captain Richard Hewitt, said in a statement to mark the departure - and prior to the mechanical glitch: “Taking the HMS Prince of Wales task group across the Atlantic for the rest of this year will not only push the boundaries of UK carrier operations, but will reinforce our close working relationship with our closest ally.
“From operating the F35 Lightnings and drones to hosting the Atlantic Future Forum, none of this would be possible without the efforts of the amazing sailors on board, many of which are on their first deployment with the Royal Navy.”
HMS Prince of Wales, which heads a carrier task group, deployed with a frigate, tanker and an air group of helicopters and drones.
The F-35 warplanes are set to