London August 30, : The United Kingdom’s Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales is getting closer to shore after a breakdown on the Isle of Wight shortly after having set out for exercise off the US coast.The warship of 65,000 tons left Portsmouth Naval Base on August 27 prior to an “emerging mechanical issue” was discovered, as reported by the DPA news agency.
The departure of the 3 billion pound ship was delayed on August 26 due to of an issue with the ship’s technology but it isn’t yet known if the delays are connected.
The specialist website Navy Lookout said the issue was caused by damage to the propeller shaft, but the Ministry of Defence has not made any comment on the issue.
The website reported that a picture of the vessel departing Portsmouth has a wake that is only at the port end, which suggests the issue is with the propeller shaft on the other side.
The report also stated that unless the issue can be solved at sea, the warship may require a dry docks at Rosyth, Scotland, months ahead of an inspection scheduled in 2023.
The vessel moved slowly from the south east of the Isle of Wight towards Stokes Bay, Gosport, on Monday afternoon.It is believed that the area of shelter will allow divers to assess the damage.
A Royal Navy spokeswoman said: “HMS Prince of Wales is in the South Coast Exercise Area while conducting investigations into a new mechanical problem.”
The bus had a vibrant departure on August 27 , afternoon, and passed through thousands of fans of music attending the Victorious Festival on Southsea Common in Portsmouth.
The NATO flagship is currently sailing to take part in drills with the US Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy and the US Marine Corps.
The program is expected comprise drills with the F-35B Lightning jets.
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