Timelines and estimated costs for the repairs to damaged aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales have yet to be established.
The aircraft carrier is currently in drydock at Rosyth in Scotland. The following information came to light via a written Parliamentary question.
Mark Francois, Member of Parliament for Rayleigh and Wickford, asked:
“To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his latest estimate is of (1) timings and (2) costs for the completion of the current repair work on the propulsion system of HMS Prince of Wales.
“Timelines and estimated costs for the repairs to HMS PRINCE OF WALES have not yet been determined as investigations to establish the extent of the work required are still ongoing.”
What happened?
We reported earlier this year that the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales suffered damage to her propellor shaft near the Isle of Wight. The UK Defence Journal was the first news website in the country to break this story.
Top brass remain optimistic
The ship sailed to Rosyth with a full complement of crew – 750 men and women – who will remain with the ship and continue training for renewed operations as well as supporting the maintenance package while in Rosyth.
“While alongside in Rosyth, they will continue to crew and train on the ships systems for their operational roles while also taking advantage of their temporary new home’s stunning Scottish landscape to undertake leadership and adventurous training activities during the autumn and winter months.”
The crew mans the rails as the ship is brought to life during commissioning ceremonies for the USS Gerald R. Ford on Saturday, July 22, 2017, at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. (Rob Ostermaier/Newport News Daily Press/TNS via Getty Images)
Captain Richard Hewitt was quoted as saying:
“While our plans to push the boundaries of the UK’s carrier innovation are temporarily on hold, I am immensely proud of the ship’s company who have risen to the challenge of preparing for repairs while facing the short-term disappointment of a postponed deployment. Now that the initial engineering challenges have been overcome to allow us to sail, we will transit to Rosyth where we will continue to work hard with our industry partners in the dockyard to ensure the shaft is repaired as quickly as possible and return HMS Prince of Wales to the front line to continue her operations.”
While under repair, her autumn programme that included operating with F-35B Lightnings, MV-22 Osprey tiltrotors and drones off the Eastern Seaboard of the USA is currently being rescheduled for 2023.
By:https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/time-and-cost-of-aircraft-carrier-repair-not-yet-known/