Royal Navy: HMS Queen Elizabeth nears Rosyth for repairs after "issues" discovered before Portsmouth trip
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A Royal Navy aircraft carrier is on the final stretch of her journey north after mechanical “issues” were discovered.
HMS Queen Elizabeth sailed under the Forth Bridges in Scotland yesterday evening (July 24). She is currently heading for the Rosyth dry dock - where the 65,000 tonne warship was built - after leaving Portsmouth Naval Base on July 16.
A statement posted on the ship’s social media account said: “A beautiful evening to sail past our affiliated city of Edinburgh. Hundreds of our sailors came onto the flight deck to witness the transit under the iconic Forth Bridges.”
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The ship’s company have been completing various training drills during the voyage to Rosyth. Gunnery serials at sea were conducted with sailors shooting at large red targets in the ocean. Various exercises are set to be conducted on the £3.2bn carrier, from damage control drills to testing our the sailors can handle floods and fires. Fleet Operational Standards and Training (FOST) teams are assessing the personnel.
Upgrades and repairs
HMS Queen Elizabeth was always due to sail to Rosyth as part of the second half of her maintenance phase, but her journey drew more attention due to mechanical gremlins being discovered. A Royal Navy spokesperson previously confirmed to The News that complications were discovered before her departure.
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They said: “HMS Queen Elizabeth has sailed from Portsmouth and will transit to Scotland to complete her planned maintenance programme. Prior to transit she conducted routine machinery trials, which have identified some issues that will be rectified when she is in maintenance, and she is continuing with her programme as planned. We do not discuss the material state of our vessels.”
While alongside HMNB Portsmouth for nine months, engineers have been busy giving the carrier an overhaul. One of the most significant upgrades was to her propulsion system, which was heavily tested during the journey north.
Commanding Officer Captain Claire Thompson previously said: “Although HMS Queen Elizabeth is now due a seven-month docking period in Rosyth after a short period of sea trials, my focus remains generating a highly capable team that can take the ship from our docking period and work towards front-line duties.”