• The £3 billion battleship broke down off the Isle of Wight in August.
• Damage to a propeller shaft will keep the 65,000-ton ship in Scotland until 2023.
• HMS Prince of Wales was travelling to the US for flight tests and official visits.

The Royal Navy has revealed that the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales won’t be fully repaired until the spring.

In August, the £3 billion battleship, which had left Portsmouth Naval Base for the US, broke down off the Isle of Wight.

The 65,000-ton ship is undergoing repairs in a dry dock in Rosyth, Scotland, after sustaining damage to a propeller shaft.

Once fixed, the carrier would return to Portsmouth, according to a Navy official.

The aircraft carrier was travelling to the US to participate in flight tests and official visits.

The 33-ton starboard propeller had malfunctioned, with a link keeping it in place having broken, according to inspections by divers and engineers.

The ship was sent to Scotland for maintenance in October after delays brought on by unrelated technical problems.

A naval spokesperson said: “Repairs to HMS Prince of Wales’ starboard shaft are expected to be completed by spring 2023. The ship will then return to Portsmouth for a pre-planned maintenance period.”

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