Repairs to fix HMS Prince of Wales – which broke down off the coast of Ventnor back in August 2022 – could cost £20million.
The £3billion aircraft carrier was due to be undertaking training with the US Navy and Royal Canadian Navy but suffered a major breakdown back in August whilst a few miles off Ventnor – just hours after leaving Portsmouth.
It was assisted back to the sheltered waters of The Solent by tugs, where divers inspected the damage below the waterline. It was thought that the main issue with the warship was that the 33-tonne starboard propeller – the same weight as 30 Ford Fiesta cars – had malfunctioned.
Since then, she has been undergoing repairs, meaning the huge carrier has now spent more time in dry dock than at sea.
Now, just last week, it was been confirmed that costs to repair Britain’s largest warship have now spiralled to £20million and the carrier will be stuck in a dry dock longer than expected.
A spokesperson from Royal Navy has said that it is hoped that she will be ready to begin her operational programme in Autumn 2023.
Surely it is under warranty for those repairs
Like the floating bridge was????
Hush now. The less said about that the better. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.
Put it on Lake and Sandown’s council tax bill, likely wouldn’t even notice.
More bad driving on the jewel of the south
Really not good that something costing so much and should be almost indestructible breaks down after a few hundred miles and repairs cost £20 million. Some one in design and build maybe planned it this way. Maybe they also designed floaty mcfloty or whatever it’s called. Old carriers travelled hundreds of thousands of miles, survived decades and being in war zones under attack etc
No, Fred.
Warships are not designed to be “indestructible” any more. The days when battleships had 12″ of armour and pounded each other are long gone.
Aircraft carriers do not directly engage in battles and never have. Their “armour” are the air defence destroyers and anti-submarine frigates that surround them, along with their own aircraft. There will frequently be an allied submarine in attendance, too.
Actually, the two UK VSTOL carriers have an advantage over the US CATOBAR jobbies with regard to survivability. A hit on the traps or catapult of a CATOBAR carrier puts it out of action. A VSTOL carrier can operate with deck damage.
So much of that is going to go over their heads ( sic) on here it’s not even funny.
The lack of CATOBAR also vastly reduces cost,weight and reliability/ servicing costs not to mention the additional costs involved in making the deck significantly wider.
No worries we the British taxpayers will pay for this.
£20 million is loose change these days. As for warranty that will depend on what the MOD agreed too in order to reduce costs.
My old dad served on the old Prince of Wales during the war out in the Far East. Yes, he was one of the survivors or I wouldn’t be here 🙂
Anyone would think we were new at building warships ! ! !
The last generation of UK carriers was built in the early/mid 1970’s. Technology and Naval warfare have come along way since then . Both have become ever more complex.
The actual failure isn’t that unusual for new ships, particularly those of a new design. It was the external propeller coupling that had failed, not the propeller or shaft.
The failing was with the MOD insisting she was deployed to New York when there were already known vibration issues with the starboard shaft. If she had been dry docked at that point (before the catastrophic failure of the coupling which damaged the shaft, propeller and rudder) the repair would have been much simpler (likely replacing the coupling and rebalancing the prop and shaft).
As usual it was politicians thinking they know best that was the real issue.
Nothing to do with anyone failing to grease anything as was reported in the gutter press at the time.
A simple repair would have been to super glue and then use large Jubilee clips to affix a piece of lead to the prop coupling to ‘balance’ it when it rotates at high speed.
If the Jubilee clip was made of stainless steel and then coated with copper to prevent seaweed etc growing on it, could have all been fixed for around £50.
Too late now, the damage is done.
If that was meant to be a joke, don’t give up the day job.
If that was meant to be serious, get some therapy.
Or mayby bolting a gabion cage would be better? Would give somewhere for fish to live and is a quick and cheep fix?
Like me telling my boss the van has a flat tyre but tells me to drive and get delivery done 1st – get pulled by police, wheel destroyed – delivery not done and van off road 3days awaiting new wheel. Shame no one listens !.
Yes, pretty much exactly like that.
What a waste of money. Would have been better building a load of long range rockets, non-nuclear. You only need a massive navy ship like this if you’re going to invade. Aircraft carrier not needed for defence. We would be better keeping our nose out of other countries business only ‘helping’ when they ask for help, just as we are helping Ukraine (which I 100% support). But invading middle east countries because of fake weapons of mass destruction, you reap what you sow. Tony Blair is no better the Putin. Put them both up against a wall for the judgment of a gun.