HMS Prince of Wales is lying at anchor in the Forth this morning, while the crew test machinery and other systems before sailing to Portsmouth.
The ship has been in dry dock in Rosyth for nine months while a serious defect with a propeller shaft has been repaired.
The cost of the repair is reported to be £25 million, while some other work was conducted by BAE Systems. This was going to be done in Portsmouth but the Royal Navy decided it should be done in dry dock while the propeller repair was being carried out.
The Ship’s Company have been training on simulators ashore and have also taken part in events such as the Remembrance Parade in Edinburgh.
The ship will probably get underway to sail to Portsmouth on Monday and is due to sail to the US in the autumn for flying trials with F35s, S-22 Ospreys, Merlin helicopters and some remotely controlled unmanned aircraft. IN 2024 when HMS Queen Elizabeth is due for a refit the HMS Prince of Wales will become the Royal Navy flagship.
PHOTO courtesy of Chris Ashurst
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
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