The Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has set sail for exercises off the US – a year after it broke down off the Isle of Wight ahead of a similar trip across the Atlantic.
The £3 billion warship suffered a broken propeller shaft not long after departing Portsmouth for a diplomatic mission to carry out exercises with the US Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy and the US Marine Corps in August 2022
It has since undergone repairs, which have taken nine months to complete.
During the three-month deployment, the carrier will carry out exercises with drones for delivering supplies without the use of helicopters, landing and launching F-35B Lightning stealth fighters and operating with Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft from the US Marine Corps.
The carrier and its 750-strong crew are set to return to the UK by Christmas.
Captain Richard Hewitt, commanding officer, said: “We are all excited for the longest deployment of HMS Prince of Wales.
“Being the first to operate with this level of drones will be a huge achievement and keep us on the front foot as we prepare for the next major Carrier Strike Group deployment in 2025.”
The carrier and its 750-strong crew are set to return to the UK by Christmas.
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