HMS Queen Elizabeth: The Royal Navy’s newest aircraft carrier has sprung a leak
The UK’s newest aircraft carrier has sprung a leak just weeks after being commissioned by the Queen.
The HMS Queen Elizabeth is taking on water because of a faulty seal on one of its propeller shafts. The ship has been taking on up to 200 litres of sea water per hour as a result, the Sun reported.
The problem was identified during sea trials of the 65,000 tonne ship, which cost £3.1bn and is the Royal Navy’s largest ever warship.
“This is scheduled for repair while she is alongside at Portsmouth,” a Royal Navy spokesman said. “It does not prevent her from sailing again and her sea trials programme will not be affected.”
Chris Parry, a former senior Royal Navy officer, told Sky News: “Every ship takes on water. That’s why you have pumps.
“When you get a brand new car not everything’s perfect, you have to send it back to the garage to get a few things tweaked. This is exactly in that bracket.”