HMS Prince of Wales to resume duties after breaking down off Portsmouth last year

Britain’s biggest warship – HMS Prince of Wales – is ready to resume her duties at sea after breaking down 11 months ago off the Isle of Wight.

HMS Prince of Wales has been stricken since breaking down last August as she set sail from Portsmouth Naval Base for a deployment to the US.

According to Forces Net, the warship is ready to resume duties after completing nine months of repairs expected to cost about £25m.

The £3bn aircraft carrier has now been moved out of dry dock at Roysth shipyard and into the River Forth, and once at anchor in deeper water, she will fire up her systems, sail under the Forth bridges and head to Portsmouth.

HMS Prince of Wales’ Commanding Officer, Captain Richard Hewitt, says: “We are returning HMS Prince of Wales to operations as the most advanced warship ever built for the Royal Navy.

“This year we will be operating F-35s, V-22 Ospreys, drones and the RN Merlin helicopters – pushing the boundaries of naval aviation and UK Carrier Strike capability as we progress towards a global deployment in 2025.

“Our sailors are paramount to ensuring our return to operations. They have approached the task of getting us back to sea with the remarkable ethos that I have come to expect from them. They are a credit to the ship and the Royal Navy.”