Prince of Wales sails for initial sea trials

The Royal Navy’s second aircraft carrier, Prince of Wales, has sailed from Rosyth Dockyard for initial sea trials.

The carrier will conduct extensive sea trials off the coast of North East Scotland before arriving at her home port of Portsmouth later this year, where the vessel will be commissioned into the Royal Navy.

First in class, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is currently transiting the Atlantic, including visiting Canada. The deployment, known as WESTLANT19 is an operational trial to be conducted with UK F-35Bs off the East Coast of the US.

Prince of Wales Captain Darren Houston said: ‘I am immensely proud of the professionalism and determination that my ship’s company have shown in preparing themselves and their ship for this historic day.

‘Whether through working alongside our industrial partners to support the build and commissioning of key systems or training tirelessly to operate the ship and work as a team, the crew have demonstrated unfaltering dedication and resolve in the face of a multitude of challenges.’

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Queen Elizabeth Class