The British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, five years old and worth £3 billion, breaks down off the south coast of England after sustaining “damage to its propeller shaft.”
According to reports, the 65,000-ton cruiser is currently stationed near the Isle of Wight.
The Royal Navy, according to a spokeswoman, is experiencing a “developing mechanical difficulty.”
Friday’s flight from Portsmouth was already delayed owing to a technical glitch.
If the voyage occurs, the NATO flagship will conduct training drills.
The largest British warship sank today off the south coast of England owing to “damage to its propeller shaft” after setting sail for an important mission in the United States.
According to a Royal Navy spokesperson, the five-year-old HMS Prince of Wales, the second of the Royal Navy’s two aircraft carriers, has had a “emerging technical issue” near the Isle of Wight.
This comes after the £3 billion carrier delayed its departure from Portsmouth Naval Base, Hampshire, by one day on Friday due to a technical issue.
According to reports, the 65,000-ton battleship is currently anchored south-east of the Isle of Wight as an inquiry into the issue is conducted.
The Navy Lookout reported that the wake visible in the photograph above, taken as the ship sailed yesterday, appears to indicate only the port shaft turning.
A spokeswoman for the Royal Navy informed Sky News, “HMS Prince of Wales remains in the South Coast Exercise Area as we investigate a growing mechanical issue.”
In the meantime, the UK Defence Journal, the first online news source to mention the incident, asserted that it was caused by damage to the starboard propeller shaft.
Divers were dispatched to check what was wrong when problems were detected onboard, and when they returned, they had worries about the starboard propeller shaft, according to a source.
“I’ve been informed that the shaft itself appears to be damaged, but I don’t believe it’s acceptable at this time to comment on the degree of any potential damage because the specifics of any damage cannot be validated.”
Navy Lookout, a specialized news website, said that the carrier had had a “major technical issue.”
Divers have started checking the ship below the waterline, according to unsubstantiated reports of damage to the ship’s starboard propeller shaft.
HMS Prince of Wales, which is five years old, is the second of the Royal Navy’s two aircraft carriers.
The flagship of NATO will conduct training exercises with the United States Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, and United States Marine Corps. The program is anticipated to involve F-35B Lightning jet exercises.
According to the Royal Navy, if the voyage still occurs, it will “define the future of stealth jet and drone operations off the coast of North America and the Caribbean.”
The flagship of NATO will conduct training exercises with the United States Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, and United States Marine Corps. The program is anticipated to involve F-35B Lightning jet exercises.
On Saturday, as the battleship sailed past thousands of music fans at the Victorious music festival on Southsea Common in Portsmouth, it was given a colorful send-off.
On Saturday, the ship was given a colorful send-off as it sailed by thousands of music fans attending the Victorious music festival on Southsea Common in Portsmouth (dancer Sally Turner of Hoop Shaker is pictured)
On Saturday, family and friends waved to sailors aboard HMS Prince of Wales as it set off.
The carrier’s departure was delayed by one day, but a Royal Navy spokesperson would to comment on the cause of the delay.
The ship’s departure was delayed by one day, but a spokesperson for the Royal Navy declined to comment on the cause of the delay. They stated, “The departure of HMS Prince of Wales has been delayed.” This will not affect her future plans.
However, the ship is presently allegedly at anchor. The UK Defence Journal was told by the Ministry of Defence: ‘Having sailed from Portsmouth, HMS PRINCE OF WALES remains in the South Coast Exercise Area.’
The official line, according to Navy Lookout, is that the mission will still occur, with a Royal Navy representative telling the site, “We expect her to continue her WESTLANT 22 deployment as planned in the coming days.”
A diagram illustrates how the Queen Elizabeth class of carriers, which consists of the HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, can manufacture 500 tonnes of fresh water per day from salt water.
Queen Elizabeth class ships HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales are pictured.
Prior to the mechanical issue and to commemorate the ship’s departure, Commanding Officer Captain Richard Hewitt had issued the following statement: ‘Taking the HMS Prince of Wales task group across the Atlantic for the remainder of this year will not only push the limits of UK carrier operations, but it will also strengthen our close working relationship with our closest ally.
From operating F35 Lightnings and drones to hosting the Atlantic Future Forum, none of this would be possible without the extraordinary efforts of the sailors on board, many of whom are on their first deployment with the Royal Navy.
MailOnline has reached out to the Department of Defense for comment.
The technical specifications of the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales
Cost: £3.3 billion. Initially estimated at £3 billion, the price ballooned due to multiple defects and repairs.
Weight: 65,000
When fully operational, there are 1,600 crew members.
More than 900 feet in length and 230 feet in width, with four-acre decks roughly the size of three football fields.
Maximum speed of 28 mph. Capable of 500 miles per day of travel.
Capacity for 36 F35-B Lightning II combat aircraft. The jets can be raised from the hangar below deck to the deck in less than one minute.
Weapons: a device that can fire 3,000 rounds per minute.
Long-range radars can track up to one thousand aircraft targets at a distance of up to 250 nautical miles.
Medium-range Type 997 Artisan 3D radars can monitor a ball-sized target from a distance of 12 miles.