Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
It’s the latest in a series of embarrassing technical and mechanical setbacks for the UK Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier after suffering at least two prior significant water leaks.
“A flood on board the Royal Navy’s newest aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has delayed the program,” a military analysis site reports based on Royal Navy statements. “The navy has said it will not have a long-term effect on the regeneration of the UK’s Carrier Strike capability.”
A Royal Navy spokesman told British media that the “HMS Prince of Wales is alongside at HMNB Portsmouth conducting repairs following a flood in an engine room.”
The £3.1billion state-of-the-art ship was due to sail to the United States where it was to conduct joint exercises with the US military. The Daily Mail and other outlets are reporting that the extensive repairs could keep it docked for six months and it’s currently being called a major embarrassment to UK naval capabilities.
It’s being widely reported that the flood reached a sensitive area that contained electrical cabinets, now submerged underwater.
Here’s what a source told The Sun:
‘It’s embarrassing. The America trip took years of planning and we’ve had to say we can’t come.
‘It will take months to repair the damage. Costs will run to millions.’
Meanwhile The Telegraph has published the following leaked video purporting to show flooding in one of the carrier’s common area living compartments:
Specifically the military joint exercises planning which reportedly “took years” to prepare for involved testing F-35 stealth jets on the HMS Prince of Wales carrier.
The carrier is concerned among the few NATO-ready craft which is capable of launching the advanced F-35 jets; however, it appears the crucial “ready” part of this is now in doubt.
It really wants to be a submarine. Failed ship with duff jets
Funnily enough the 1st new carrier, Queen Elizabeth, had a similar flood via the engine room a few years ago. Water was leaking into the ship due to faulty propeller shaft seals.
I expect a statement along the lines of ‘ The Ministry of Defence is working hard to learn from it’s mistakes in order to make sure that this can never happen again’.
Its all part of the clown show :)
No worry mates. It was just a damage control exercise. Had ya fooled, ay? This looks like something planned by the late, great Benny Hill and his cronies. Now back to our top story on BBC America: “Scotland Yard has thwarted a most despicable Russian plan to exterminate the entire royal family!” (Our friends and protectors in the states will surely believe this 100%, organically grown, Kosher certified BS).
Enjoy the Beatles rendition on Youtube of their famous song ‘A yellow submarine’.
https://uk.video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-trp-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=trp&p=yellow+submarine+youtube#id=2&vid=2ca1ade5a06bbaf9f40209db2336dd27&action=click
So much trouble to bully small weak countries which is the only thing those ships will be able to do.
Exactly.
But when China builds them, it’s good.
I assure you we’ll say the same thing about China’s tubs when they used them to attack and invade Vanuatu. Sorry, couldn’t find anything else comparable to embarrassment of Grenada
I stopped wasting my time and blocked him a long time ago.
Ship of shame.
A poorly conceived and poorly built warship, designed more to fight a war in the 1990s than the 2020s and beyond. Just a big expensive sitting duck for any peer or need-peer competitor to sink.
Frankly I think the age of the supercarrier has come and gone but they just don’t realise it yet. You’d be better off making a larger amount of small drone carriers to do the same thing. Sure, drones can’t take on a powerful foe either, but they can still bomb low threat enemies all the same, for a fraction of the cost.
If this is genuine video from aircraft carrier, it shows leakage from the ceiling in accommodation, which can’t be under the waterline. Thus, leakage is from ship’s pipeline system, which was manufactured non-watertight. Quite common problem in shipbuilding, so as it was propeller shaft sealing leakage on “QE2” several years ago. Whoever knows actual conditions in British shipbuilding industry is not surprised. Decades ago, aircraft carrier “Ark Royal”, they say, was made 15 centimeters wider at one side than other, which happened to much more professional shipbuilding community, but consequences to vessel’s operability were none.