HMS Prince of Wales stranded in Portsmouth for six months
The UK’s newest aircraft carrier will be stranded in Portsmouth until mid-May as engineers battle to repair the vessel after a second flood, according to the Portsmouth News.
HMS Prince of Wales had been due to depart for the US to continue tests with the F-35 stealth jets at the end of the year.
But after a flood in October wrecked vital electrical systems, she’s not going anywhere, says the Portsmouth News.
It was the second flood to hit the vessel this year and saw thousands of gallons of water burst into an engine room. The leak was caused by a fault in the 65,000-tonne warship’s fire system and left much of the flooded compartment submerged for 24 hours. Mechanics are now checking over miles of electrical cabling.
In May, water was filmed pouring through a ceiling in the vessel’s living quarters. The navy described that incident as ‘minor’.
The Senior Service insisted that HMS Prince of Wales will still be operational by 2023 as it was scheduled.
