The £3 billion aircraft carrier remained moored near the Isle of Wight on Sunday after experiencing an “emerging mechanical problem”. The 900ft NATO flagship forms part of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group along with her sister ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth. It comes after a series of technical problems for the Prince of Wales, which spent just 87 days at sea in its first two years of service. Divers are inspecting the 65,000-ton transport ship below the waterline after damage to the starboard propeller shaft was reported, according to the Navy Lookout news website. The ship grounded in Portsmouth in December 2020 after water poured into its engine room and damaged the electrical. The vessel, which has a crew of 1,600, was banned from sailing until £3.3 million worth of repairs were carried out.
“Conducting Investigations”
A Royal Navy spokesman said on Sunday: “HMS Prince of Wales remains in the South Coast exercise area while conducting investigations into an emerging mechanical issue.” HMS Prince of Wales was given a colorful send-off as it cruised past thousands of music lovers at the Victorious music festival on Southsea Common in Portsmouth after setting sail on Saturday afternoon.
