On Its Way To US, UK’s Biggest Aircraft Carrier Breaks Down

HMS Prince of Wales, the UK’s biggest aircraft carrier, broke down off the south coast of England. It had set sail from Portsmouth Naval Base for the US on what the Royal Navy called a “landmark” aviation trial mission.

“Emerging mechanical problem” was said to be happening on the warship, and the problem is being looked into. The GBP 3 billion carrier, which became fully operational last year, is reportedly anchored southeast of the Isle of Wight while the investigation is done.

A Royal Navy spokesperson said, “HMS Prince of Wales is still in the South Coast Exercise Area while we look into a new mechanical problem.”

The problem was first reported by the online news site UK Defence Journal, which focuses on defence issues. It said that there were unconfirmed reports that the starboard propeller shaft had been damaged.

On Saturday, the Royal Navy said that the warship was going to the US to “shape the future of stealth jet and drone operations” off the coast of North America and in the Caribbean.

“Taking the HMS Prince of Wales task group across the Atlantic for the rest 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,” said Commanding Officer Captain Richard Hewitt.

“None of this would be possible without the hard work of the amazing sailors on board, many of whom are on their first deployment with the Royal Navy,” he said. “They run the F35 Lightnings and drones and host the Atlantic Future Forum.”

The 65,000-ton warship was going to deploy with the frigate HMS Richmond, the tanker RFA Tideforce, and a group of helicopters and drones. The F-35B stealth fighters will join the deployment when the ship arrives in North America for the Westlant 22 deployment.

The Royal Navy said that the HMS Prince of Wales would stay in a high-readiness state during its mission to America. This is because she is the North Atlantic Organisation’s (NATO) command ship, which means that she is in charge of the naval part of the alliance’s response force, which can be sent anywhere in the world quickly to deal with crises.

The deployment is said to be a continuation of how well the US Navy, Marine Corps, and Royal Navy work together. This has been seen in past Westlant deployments and in last year’s first deployment of the HMS Queen Elizabeth carrier strike group, which also went on a tour of India.

The Atlantic Future Forum will be held on the HMS Prince of Wales while it is in New York. This is a conference that brings together “the brightest minds and most influential thinkers from defence and beyond” to strengthen ties between the UK and the US. The Royal Navy said that they will talk about how international security is always changing and how the technologies of the next 10 years and beyond will shape the world.