Royal Navy: HMS Queen Elizabeth "safely in dry dock" at Rosyth as repair project "set to begin" to fix carrier

HMS Queen Elizabeth, a Queen Elizabeth-class warship, has entered the Rosyth Dry Dock in Scotland. A social media statement confirmed that “planned work” is set to begin.

It said: “We are now safely in dry dock in Rosyth, Scotland, as we begin the planned work that will ensure HMS Queen Elizabeth is ready for decades of further service to the UK. In the meantime, make sure you follow HMS Prince of Wales as their CSG deployment continues.”

Mechanical problems were discovered aboard the £3.2bn warship while she was docked in Portsmouth. A Royal Navy spokesperson previously said: “HMS Queen Elizabeth has sailed from Portsmouth and will transit to Scotland to complete her planned maintenance programme.

Visit our newsletter page today and sign up for a great range of free emails featuring the city’s biggest news and sport headlines

“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.”

Phase one of HMS Queen Elizabeth’s overhaul was completed during the summer. Significant upgrades were made across the ship in a raft of changes, including to her propulsion system. Her sailing to Scotland was considered an ample opportunity to test these changes. Fleet Operational Standards and Training (FOST) teams were onboard assessing the ability of personnel to respond to different scenarios, from damage control drills to handling floods and fires.

HMS Queen Elizabeth’s Commanding Officer Captain Claire Thompson, the first female to take the helm of an aircraft carrier, previously said: “We have achieved an enormous amount in 2025, with a significant upgrade to our propulsion system being the most notable item amidst a wide range of engineering projects tackled alongside our partners from industry.”