THE HMS Queen Elizabeth is heading to Scotland for repairs after being pulled from a Nato mission at the last minute.
The decision has been made for the aircraft carrier to be taken to Rosyth from Portsmouth for works.
HMS Queen Elizabeth – the largest and most powerful vessel ever constructed for the Navy - had been due to sail from Portsmouth to the North Sea on Nato’s largest mission since the Cold War but suffered a mechanical fault to her propeller shaft coupling, discovered during pre-sailing checks earlier this month.
The Royal Navy launched an investigation and said the fault was caused by "wear and tear".
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HMS Prince of Wales has taken her place on Exercise Steadfast Defender – aimed at highlighting Nato’s ability to deploy forces rapidly from North America and other parts of the alliance to reinforce defence of Europe.
It is set to involve more than 40 vessels off the coast of Norway.
Ministry of Defence minister Timothy Minto said: “The Royal Navy continues to meet its operational commitments, both at home and abroad.
“Having two aircraft carriers means that HMS Prince of Wales has quickly prepared to deploy in place of HMS Queen Elizabeth. She has sailed from Portsmouth this afternoon to join the NATO exercise Steadfast Defender.
“Following initial investigations, HMS Queen Elizabeth will be required to sail for Rosyth in Scotland to undergo repairs for an issue with her starboard propeller shaft coupling, which will be carried out in due course.
“Her issue is not the same as that experienced by HMS Prince of Wales back in 2022.”
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