Problems with the warship's functioning began as early as 2020. First, the carrier suffered a leak in the engine room, then the collapse of an accommodation block. The ship has been languishing lately in a Scottish dockyard after breaking down off the Isle of Wight due to a propeller shaft problem in August, the report read.
The carrier has spent 267 days at sea, while Christmas Eve was its 268th day in repairs, media said, citing a UK Defense Department analysis. The aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has replaced the Prince of Wales on overseas missions, despite the fact that the ships were to alternate every eight months, the report read.
"Repairs to HMS Prince of Wales’s starboard shaft are expected to be completed by spring. The ship will then return to Portsmouth for a pre-planned maintenance period," a Royal navy spokesman said, as quoted by the newspaper.
The £3.2 billion ($3.9 billion) Prince of Wales is one of the UK’s two aircraft carriers.