Rosyth Dockyard Repairs Royal Navy's Flagship Carrier Ahead of Schedule

Repairs on the damaged carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth have been completed early, and the vessel will return to home base in Portsmouth, the Royal Navy announced Monday.

In February, just days before departing port for a high-profile NATO exercise, HMS Queen Elizabeth had to stand down because of problems with a shaft coupling. After the previous shaft damage incident aboard HMS Prince of Wales in August 2022, the Royal Navy decided to carry out a heightened inspection schedule, and a pre-sailing check revealed problems with one shaft coupling on the starboard side. It was decided to cancel her sailing and head for Rosyth Dockyard for repairs. 

The ship also sustained a minor fire on March 8, while she was alongside at an ammunition jetty at HMNB Clyde. The crew extinguished the fire on their own, and it was out within three hours. 

The carrier entered an unscheduled shipyard period at Rosyth Dockyard later that month, and the yard completed the work faster than had been expected. Last week, Queen Elizabeth headed out to sea once more; after seven days of trials to "test her systems to the maximum," including maneuvering "as aggressively as possible," the Royal Navy was satisfied with the repairs. 

The service's flagship will now return to Portsmouth to prepare for her next deployment, which is expected this fall. 

“Whilst no warship wants to find itself spending unscheduled time out of the water, I am enormously proud of the work that has gone on in Rosyth," said Commanding Officer Capt. Will King. "Everybody on board is looking forward to getting back to sea, where we belong."