MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th August, 2022) The British HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier, the United Kingdom's largest warship, broke down soon after leaving the Portsmouth port in southern England, The Guardian reports.
The Royal Navy is now carrying out "investigations into an emerging mechanical issue," a spokesperson said as quoted by the newspaper on Sunday.
The $3.5-billion, 65,000-tonne warship was on its way for a four-month deployment to the United States when it broke down and now remains in the south coast exercise area near the Isle of Wight, The Guardian said.
According to the Navy Lookout online publication, damage was reported to one of the propeller shafts of HMS Prince of Wales, and divers have been inspecting the aircraft carrier.
This is not the first incident with the aircraft carrier: in 2020, HMS Prince of Wales, Nato's flagship carrier, was out of order for six months due to flooding of its engine room. Then the planned departure of the ship to the United States had to be canceled and it was stranded in Portsmouth.
According to The Guardian, during its first two years in service, HMS Prince of Wales reportedly spent fewer than 90 days at sea.
