The Royal Navy's 3 Billion Sterling Pound Lemon

 

 

This is another embarrassing episode for the Royal Navy. Their brand new 65,000 ton aircraft carrier suffered a broken propeller shaft within 24 hours of leaving port, while on its way for a naval exercise in the United States.

The British Royal Navy  has only 22  surface combat ships (2 aircraft carriers, 6 guided missile destroyers, 12 frigates and 2 amphibious transport docks) and 10 nuclear-powered submarines.

The two aircraft carriers are the identical 65,000 ton HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth. These two aircraft carriers were built at a cost of three billion pounds each (RM15.7 Billion each).  They do not have catapults to launch aircraft or arrester cables (for aircraft landing).  Both carriers can only operate helicopters and VTOL (Vertical Take Off Landing) aircraft like the F35.

Construction of the Prince of Wales  started in 2011 and the carrier was commissioned in the Royal Navy ten years later in 2021. (In comparison China can go from keel to commissioning its aircraft carriers in under four years). The carrier HMS Prince of Wales is named after the famous 47,000 ton battleship HMS Prince of Wales which was sunk by the Japanese on December 10, 1941 off the coast of Pahang in the opening days of the Second World War in the Pacific.

In May 2020, the brand new carrier HMS Prince of Wales experienced flooding. There was more significant flooding in October 2020 which caused severe damage to the carrier's electrical cabling. The repair cost was "only" 3.3 million Pounds Sterling but the carrier was out of service for SIX months !!

Another embarrassment befell the Royal Navy's other carrier the HMS Queen Elizabeth when one of Britain's 6 destroyers that was assigned to escort the Queen Elizabeth (in the South China Sea in 2021) broke down dead in the water. The carrier had to be escorted by American ships which prompted a sarcastic remark by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that the Royal Navy should perhaps stay closer to home.

Britannia does not rule the waves anymore.  But the Royal Navy does have 39 Admirals, Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals to look after these 22 ships and 10 submarines. 

 

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.