HMS Prince of Wales warship breaks down off south coast after setting out on ‘landmark mission’ to US

The 65,000 tonne carrier is anchored south east of the Isle of Wight, reports say

The HMS Prince of Wales has broken down shortly after its departure from Portsmouth in the first step of its “landmark mission” to the US.

The vessel, which is the UK’s biggest warship, experienced an “emerging mechanical issue” not long after it set sail on a four-month deployment on Saturday, a spokesperson said.

According to several reports, the 65,00-tonne carrier is anchored southeast of the Isle of Wight while an investigation into the problem is carried out.

A Royal Navy spokesperson said: “HMS Prince of Wales remains in the South Coast Exercise Area while conducting investigations into an emerging mechanical issue.”

Earlier on Sunday, UK Defence Journal shared unconfirmed reports regarding damage to the starboard propeller shaft, while Navy Lookout reported that it had suffered a “significant technical fault”.

The latter of the two outlets stated in its report: “Hopefully, the issue can be resolved quickly but should repair to a propeller shaft be needed, this would imply a requirement for dry docking.

“HMS Prince of Wales was due to go to Rosyth for a six-week dry-docking for her first Lloyds Naval Ship Rules inspection in 2023 – this could be brought forward and combined with the repair work.

“Inevitably this would disrupt or result in the cancellation of a long-planned deployment and an important flying trials programme.”

The £3bn ship set off on Saturday in an operation the Royal Navy said would “shape the future of stealth jet and drone operations off the coast of North America and in the Caribbean”.

The carrier, which shares its title with Prince Charles, is set to visit New York, Halifax in Canada and the Caribbean, should the trip go ahead.

In a statement marking its departure, commanding officer, Captain Richard Hewitt, said: “Taking the HMS Prince of Wales task group across the Atlantic for the rest of this year will not only push the boundaries of UK carrier operations, but will reinforce our close working relationship with our closest ally.

“From operating the F35 Lightnings and drones to hosting the Atlantic Future Forum, none of this would be possible without the efforts of the amazing sailors on board, many of which are on their first deployment with the Royal Navy.”