Sister ship likely to replace hobbled aircraft carrier on US trip
HMS Prince of Wales ran into mechanical problems off the Isle of Wight at the weekend
Royal Navy flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth is likely to stand in for its sister ship during diplomatic visits and military exercises off the US coast after the HMS Prince of Wales broke down off the Isle of Wight.
The £3 billion warship left from Portsmouth Naval Base on Saturday before an "emerging mechanical issue" occurred while off the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight.
The departure of the Nato flagship had already been delayed from Friday because of a technical problem, but a decision was taken to sail anyway.
Shortly after the 65,000-tonne ship sailed on Saturday, a mechanical fault was discovered with the starboard shaft.
The carrier limped back to Stokes Bay at Gosport, Hampshire, on Monday travelling at a rate of four knots, accompanied by tugs for the return journey to calmer waters.
Navy divers have been inspecting the ship and found that a coupling on the propeller shaft had failed.
The shaft is a combination of steel poles joined together with a shaft coupling, one of which has failed.
It is understood this was caused by a mechanical failure, not because of a failure to keep the coupling greased.
HMS Prince of Wales is expected to return to berth at Portsmouth Naval Base to unload crew and equipment before heading to dry dock for repairs, probably at Rosyth in Scotland where it was built.
The arrival in Portsmouth will be dependent on the tides and weather forecast, particularly as the carrier will be operating only on a single propeller with the assistance of a tug.
The Nato flagship had been sailing to undertake training exercises with the US Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy and the US Marine Corps.
The programme was expected to include exercises with the F-35B Lightning jets.
It is understood that the crew of sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth have been warned they may be sailing to the USA, altering its current plans for deployments to the Baltic and Mediterranean, although a decision has not yet been made.
Navy chiefs and the Government are believed to be assessing which of the US commitments including the Atlantic Future Forum in New York at the end of September are essential for a carrier and which can be carried out by other ships from the fleet.
The navy had said prior to the departure of HMS Prince of Wales that notable port stops during the three-month deployment would be in New York, Halifax in Canada and the Caribbean.
A Royal Navy spokesman said: "Diving inspections on HMS Prince of Wales' starboard shaft have shown that a shaft coupling has failed.
"We are looking at the best way to carry out what will be a complex repair and assessing options for the delivery of Royal Navy outputs against current priorities and future commitments and will update in due course."