£3bn HMS Prince of Wales breaks down shortly after leaving Portsmouth

Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales broke down off the south coast on Saturday (28 August) after suffering a mechanical issue shortly after departing Portsmouth.

The HMS Prince of Wales left from Portsmouth Naval Base to great fanfare (see video below) on Saturday before an ‘emerging mechanical issue’ occurred. Royal Navy has since said there is a problem with a propeller shaft. The 65,000-tonne warship was headed for the east coast of the United States to conduct landmark F-35 flying trials and experimentation with uncrewed aircraft.

Royal Navy says HMS Prince of Wales is being moved for further inspections to examine fault – with local reports saying she will be inspected at Stokes Bay.

Rear Admiral Steve Moorhouse said: “It’s likely the fault will require repairs which may impact the ship’s programme.”

Yesterday (29 August) The Royal Navy said: ‘Right now our focus is on the ship and our people; everyone is working hard to understand the problem and what can be done next.’

The warship’s departure from Portsmouth had already been postponed once due to a technical issue – it is not known if the incidents were related.

HMS Prince of Wales was scheduled to cross the Atlantic with her task group, ready to push the boundaries of uncrewed technology. Along with notable port stops in New York, Halifax in Canada, and the Caribbean, the next three months were due to see the Prince of Wales task group work closely with US allies, operating F-35B jets and uncrewed systems which will define Royal Navy aviation of the future. The aircraft carrier may now miss the landmark mission.