amilies, mates and well-wishers have welcomed the Royal Navy plane service HMS Prince of Wales because it returned to its dwelling port nearly a 12 months after breaking down only a few miles right into a journey to the United States.

The £3 billion warship suffered a damaged propeller shaft after it sailed from Portsmouth Naval Base in August 2022 for a diplomatic mission to hold out workouts with the US Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy and the US Marine Corps.

The service got here to a halt off the Isle of Wight and was introduced underneath tow again into harbour for the issue to be recognized.

It was then taken to the Babcock shipyard the place it was in-built Rosyth, Scotland, to bear the repairs to a propeller shaft which have taken 9 months to finish.

Fears had been raised that the 65,000 tonne vessel was being “cannibalised” for components for use on sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth however Defence Secretary Ben Wallace stated this was “perfectly normal” and the ship would return to service by the autumn.

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The service moved out of dry dock at Rosyth and into the River Forth on July 21 earlier than beginning its journey again to Portsmouth Naval Base the place it returned to the waving and cheering well-wishers who had lined the harbour partitions.

A navy spokesman stated: “The carrier will then build on her previous successes including acting as Nato’s command ship and leading the Maritime High Readiness Force in the Arctic, before she takes over from HMS Queen Elizabeth as the nation’s flagship towards the end of 2024.”

The ship’s commanding officer, Captain Richard Hewitt, stated: “We are returning HMS Prince of Wales to operations as the most advanced warship ever built for the Royal Navy.

“This year, we will be operating F-35s, V-22 Ospreys, drones and the RN Merlin helicopters – pushing the boundaries of naval aviation and UK Carrier Strike capability as we progress towards a global deployment in 2025.

“Our sailors are paramount to ensuring our return to operations. They have approached the task of getting us back to sea with the remarkable ethos that I have come to expect from them. They are a credit to the ship and the Royal Navy.”

The navy spokesman stated that the ship’s engineering departments had labored with civilian engineers from Babcock to repair the propeller shafts together with BAE Systems which has additionally been finishing up previously-planned improve works.

He added that the 750-strong crew have undergone coaching and supported recruitment drives in addition to collaborating in civic occasions through the interval of the repairs.

The spokesman stated the service had undergone quite a lot of workouts whereas crusing from Scotland to check its programs, together with with F-35B Lightning jets.

He stated: “HMS Prince of Wales has spent the last ten days ramping up for an autumn deployment, which will see the ship operate a multitude of aircraft and drones off the east coast of the United States, pushing the boundaries of carrier operations.

“The 65,000-tonne behemoth made ‘calm seas rage’ on a series of trials, putting her upgrades through their paces and ensuring all her state-of-the-art systems were ready for full action

“It was then on to the carrier’s main line of work as the flight deck reopened for business, with Chinook and Merlin helicopters appearing on board during a busy schedule of day and night flying.

“HMS Prince of Wales also worked with F-35B Lightning aircraft – the fifth-generation stealth jet the ship was designed around – and Typhoon fighters on air defence training.

“It means both the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers are now ready for deployments this autumn.”

Capt Hewitt added: “My sailors have worked hard to get us back to sea and ready to deploy this autumn. Now back in Portsmouth we will take some leave with families and friends and then we go.”