The British aircraft carrier Prince of Wales broke down on the first day of its planned four-month voyage to the US, reports the Daily Express. Readers of the publication ironically comment on the unenviable abilities of the British designers and military.
The British Royal Navy has suffered a major setback as the aircraft carrier Prince of Wales broke down just a day after leaving Portsmouth on its way to the US.
The 65,000-ton ship was to make the four-month voyage to America, John Varga reports. The Prince of Wales and its crew were scheduled to take part in a joint drill with the US and Canadian navies using F-35B aircraft. However, according to a Royal Navy spokesman, the £3 billion vessel has encountered mechanical problems near the Isle of Wight.
The aircraft carrier is currently anchored southeast of the island and an investigation is underway.
A fleet spokesman told Sky News: “‘The Prince of Wales’ remains in an area of training on the south coast and a mechanical problem is being investigated.”
The Royal Navy has been silent on the cause of the breakdown of the five-year-old warship, the second in a matter of days.
Earlier, the malfunction delayed the sailing of the Prince of Wales from her base in Portsmouth, Hampshire.
The current problem is reportedly due to damage to the right propeller shaft.
According to The UK Defence Journal, which first published the news citing a source, “When malfunctions were discovered on board, divers went into the water to determine the nature of the problem, and on their return had concerns about the right propeller shaft.
” The shaft itself seems to be damaged, but I don’t think it is appropriate to comment on the extent of the damage at this stage, as it may not be confirmed,” the source remarked.
“The Prince of Wales” is Britain’s largest warship and NATO’s flagship aircraft carrier. It has been haunted by technical problems from the start, preventing it from fulfilling its missions.
At the end of 2020, the ship was stranded in Portsmouth after flooding the engine room damaged the wiring.
The aircraft carrier reportedly spent less than 90 days at sea in its first two years as leaks were discovered twice in five months.
The latest mishap has not passed by social media users, who didn’t miss an opportunity to sparkle with wit.
One of them wrote: “The British flagship is out of commission after only four miles. That says a lot: couldn’t Britain afford planes because of him? What a shame!”.
Others commented that the money spent on its construction could have been put to better use. One Steve Jones quipped: “The ship cost as much as three billion pounds. Just think what that money could have been spent on. NHS, social care and so on. Let’s hope it’s still under warranty.”
One person couldn’t resist a snip at the heir to the British throne, the Prince of Wales: “The first NATO warship named after Prince Charles broke down.”
“The Prince of Wales” is part of a British carrier strike group alongside the Queen Elizabeth, which is due to undertake a mission in the Baltic and the Mediterranean this autumn.
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