FILE IMAGE: royalnavy.mod.uk
The Royal Navy’s brand new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, has been taking on up to 200 liters of seawater every hour due to a problem with one of its propeller shafts, according to media reports.
The leak developed by the future flagship of the Royal Navy about two weeks after it was officially commissioned by the Queen. According to The Telegraph, the problem is so serious that the aircraft carrier may need to go back into dry dock and cost millions to repair.
“An issue with a shaft seal has been identified during HMS Queen Elizabeth’s sea trials; this is scheduled for repair while she is alongside at Portsmouth,” a Navy spokesman said adding that the fault does not prevent it from sailing again early next year.
The £3.1 billion ($4.1 billion) carrier is 280-meter-long. It weighs 65,000 tons and has a top speed of 25 knots. This is the biggest ship in the Royal Navy.
