The ship, which is still undergoing trials, is scheduled for repair at PortsmouthOur new aircraft carrier could sink the defence budget without firing a shot | Richard Norton-Taylor Read moreAfter less than a month in service, the UK’s new £3.1bn aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is leaking as a result of a problem with a shaft seal. At 280 metres (920ft) long and with an estimated 50-year working life, the carrier is the biggest and most powerful built by the UK. A Royal Navy spokesman said: “An issue with a shaft seal has been identified during HMS Queen Elizabeth’s sea trials. “It does not prevent her from sailing again and her sea trials programme will not be affected.”The aircraft carrier weighs 65,000 tonnes and has a top speed in excess of 25 knots. About 10,000 people worked on construction at the yards before the sections were transported to Rosyth, Fife, where the ship was assembled.

Source: The Guardian December 19, 2017 00:21 UTC