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HMS Prince of Wales sets sail year after aborted Atlantic trip

PA Media People waving union flags on the shore with HMS Prince of Wales warship sailing away in the distancePA Media
The carrier and its 750-strong crew are set to return to the UK by Christmas

Families and friends have waved off Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales as it set sail for exercises off the US.

The ship's departure comes a year after it broke down a few miles into a similar trip across the Atlantic.

The £3bn warship suffered a broken propeller shaft after leaving Portsmouth Naval Base in August 2022.

The carrier came to a halt off the Isle of Wight and was brought under tow back into harbour.

PA Media Personnel lining the deck of HMS Prince of WalesPA Media
The ship's departure comes a year after it broke down a few miles into a similar trip across the Atlantic

After nine months of repairs at Babcock shipyard in Rosyth, Fife, it returned to Portsmouth Naval Base on 4 August.

During the three-month deployment, the carrier will carry out exercises with drones for delivering supplies without the use of helicopters, landing and launching F-35B Lightning stealth fighters and operating with Osprey tilt rotor aircraft from the US Marine Corps.

Commanding officer Captain Richard Hewitt said: "We are all excited for the longest deployment of HMS Prince of Wales."

The carrier and its 750-strong crew set off on Friday and are set to return to the UK by Christmas.

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