Britain’s biggest and most expensive warship has been held up on its latest mission – by fog.
The captain of HMS Prince of Wales, a state-of-the-art £3.5billion aircraft carrier, refused to sail the 65,000-ton giant into a narrow fjord in Norway because he said it was too risky.
The 920ft warship, which has been beset with problems since it was brought into service nine years ago, was on its way to a major security conference in the capital, Oslo, set to be attended by naval top brass this week.
The decision to avoid sailing in the heavy fog delayed the carrier’s arrival by about 24 hours over the weekend, with the Norwegian armed forces’ operational HQ in Bodø confirming: ‘The captain thought there was too much fog.’
A defence source told the Daily Mail the setback was an example of ‘good seamanship’ and that there was no ‘operational imperative’ to risk the British flagship.
However, naval observers mocked the move, with one saying: ‘We will go anywhere, except if it is a little misty.’ Another added: ‘Bloody Russians with their fog machines.’
The warship, built specifically to carry the new F-35B stealth jet, was taking time out of her deployment to the Arctic and High North to attend the security event.
She was escorted into the port city by HMS Dauntless, a £1billion missile defence destroyer, and Norwegian coastguards and police.
The £3.5bn aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales in more clement weather this summer… heavy fog delayed its sailing to Oslo, Norway, over the weekend
The warship was sailing to the Norwegian capital to take part in a security event
A defence source told the Daily Mail the crew was ‘trained’ to steer through low visibility conditions and that the warship had enough kit to do so.
But they added: ‘Was there an operational imperative to go through a really narrow gap in really bad fog? No because they had time in hand to get to the event.
‘The commanding officer made a very sensible decision. Frankly, this is just good seamanship.’
HMS Prince of Wales, which is one of two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers operated by the Royal Navy, has previously been blighted by technical gremlins.
In May she needed repairs for a minor defect which delayed her departure to the United States to mark the country’s 250th anniversary.
But in August 2022 the warship suffered a catastrophic setback when a shaft coupling failed just two days after she left Portsmouth for a trip to America.
The damage cost an estimated £25million and left HMS Prince Wales out of action for almost a year while she was being fixed.
The British flagship set sail for her deployment to the Arctic and North Atlantic last month, supported by HMS Dauntless, Merlin and Wildcat helicopters and an air group of embarked F-35B stealth jets from 617 Squadron.
More than 1,200 personnel are taking part, joining Neptune Strike, a major Nato wargame involving 17 nations, 20 warships, 40 aircraft and three naval task groups.
In a rare show of force, HMS Prince of Wales’s F-35Bs joined Norwegian Air Force land-based variants, F-35As, to escort a US B-52 bomber.
HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Dauntless during their mission to the High North
F-35 stealth jets from the UK and Norway accompany an American B-52 bomber
Last week, the carrier also had to scramble its stealth jets to intercept a Russian Tu-195 Bear long-range bomber.
HMS Prince of Wales is in Oslo as part of the 1st Sea Lord’s International Sea Power Conference on Tuesday and the Atlantic Future Forum, a two-day event concluding on Thursday.
Her sister ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, arrived back in Portsmouth on Thursday after a brief stint at sea.
A Royal Navy spokesman said: ‘HMS Prince of Wales is one of the world’s most advanced warships, designed to operate in the most demanding conditions.
‘She is fully capable of operating in reduced visibility, and her crew are trained and equipped to do so.’
