>The Navy has denied rumours that HMS Prince of Wales will be sold at a knockdown price to raise cash for defence spending.
>The denial came after senior naval sources alleged that Britain’s second aircraft carrier was at risk of mothballing after it was revealed that next week’s Budget will not include an increase in military funding.
>Sources reportedly told MailOnline that the vessel could be sold to an allied nation as soon as 2028 amid attempts to retain the fleet’s flagship, HMS Queen Elizabeth.
>But a Royal Navy spokesman said: “These claims are categorically incorrect. We are fully committed to operating both HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.”
>The warships were both approved for construction in 2007, costing a combined £7 billion. But in recent years concerns have grown over the UK’s ability to man the 65,000-tonne carriers, with each requiring 700 crew and a solid support ship to operate.
>The service currently only has one such ship in its fleet, RFA Fort Victoria, which is set to be retired in 2028.
>Naval sources also said “changes in Government and budgets” had placed the “rarely-used equipment” at risk of sale to Australia or the US at a reduced price.
>Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary, told MailOnline that the Government must adequately fund the Armed Forces or risk Britain becoming “a follower not a leader on the world stage”. He added that the UK had not been contributing to Nato as promised for the past 20 years.
>Penny Mordaunt, the MP for Portsmouth North, the location of the country’s largest naval base, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Met with the Chancellor to reiterate what Portsmouth’s families and businesses need to hear in the Budget.
>“I discussed the work I’m doing with UK civil reserve and others to deliver a greater return for our defence and contingency budgets and increase capability. Our first duty is to protect our nation and its interests.”
>With an expected service life of up to 50 years, the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth make up the Royal Navy’s two-part Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier fleet.
>Their role in active conflict involves enabling ready to deliver carrier strike missions, enforcing no-fly zones and deploying Royal Marine Commandos.
Let’s just pray that it doesn’t translate into tory government to sell it to russia for £1
I’ll give you £1 for it…..as long as you fix it first and it comes with a full tank of fuel.
Can’t even give the rusted piece of shit away, lol.
Just sink it with the next planned detonation of old WW2 munitions we occasionally do.
Why the hell is this even a thing that needs to be said in the current geopolitical climate? PoW just proved its necessity by standing in for QE at very short notice.
Jesus Christ, with Russia being aggressive as they are and we aren’t funding our military properly. Now there are rumours about mothballing an aircraft carrier that was just built for more funding.
The Tories hate us, corrupt assholes.
It would have been one of the smoothest brain things to even be put forward. But I think at this point nothing would surprise me. Having 2 carriers in invaluable 3 would be the sweet spot but 1 leaves you far too vulnerable.
I hope so. Been on it twice and it’s a magnificent piece of kit.
Looking forward to rishys podium
Boats fill potholes
Don’t trust the Tories, they flogged off HMS Invincible mere months before the Falklands and had to run to get it back.
John Nott, the gutter of the navy…
> Britain’s second aircraft carrier was at risk of mothballing after it was revealed that next week’s Budget will not include an increase in military funding.
The Tories are far more interested in trying to bribe the electorate with a tax cut (so they can cling on to power just a little longer) than in defending the nation.
>Worst case, if it totally breaks down, we’ll stuff it full of migrants – Sunak
12 comments
>The Navy has denied rumours that HMS Prince of Wales will be sold at a knockdown price to raise cash for defence spending.
>The denial came after senior naval sources alleged that Britain’s second aircraft carrier was at risk of mothballing after it was revealed that next week’s Budget will not include an increase in military funding.
>Sources reportedly told MailOnline that the vessel could be sold to an allied nation as soon as 2028 amid attempts to retain the fleet’s flagship, HMS Queen Elizabeth.
>But a Royal Navy spokesman said: “These claims are categorically incorrect. We are fully committed to operating both HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.”
>The warships were both approved for construction in 2007, costing a combined £7 billion. But in recent years concerns have grown over the UK’s ability to man the 65,000-tonne carriers, with each requiring 700 crew and a solid support ship to operate.
>The service currently only has one such ship in its fleet, RFA Fort Victoria, which is set to be retired in 2028.
>Naval sources also said “changes in Government and budgets” had placed the “rarely-used equipment” at risk of sale to Australia or the US at a reduced price.
>Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary, told MailOnline that the Government must adequately fund the Armed Forces or risk Britain becoming “a follower not a leader on the world stage”. He added that the UK had not been contributing to Nato as promised for the past 20 years.
>Penny Mordaunt, the MP for Portsmouth North, the location of the country’s largest naval base, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Met with the Chancellor to reiterate what Portsmouth’s families and businesses need to hear in the Budget.
>“I discussed the work I’m doing with UK civil reserve and others to deliver a greater return for our defence and contingency budgets and increase capability. Our first duty is to protect our nation and its interests.”
>With an expected service life of up to 50 years, the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth make up the Royal Navy’s two-part Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier fleet.
>Their role in active conflict involves enabling ready to deliver carrier strike missions, enforcing no-fly zones and deploying Royal Marine Commandos.
Let’s just pray that it doesn’t translate into tory government to sell it to russia for £1
I’ll give you £1 for it…..as long as you fix it first and it comes with a full tank of fuel.
Can’t even give the rusted piece of shit away, lol.
Just sink it with the next planned detonation of old WW2 munitions we occasionally do.
Why the hell is this even a thing that needs to be said in the current geopolitical climate? PoW just proved its necessity by standing in for QE at very short notice.
Jesus Christ, with Russia being aggressive as they are and we aren’t funding our military properly. Now there are rumours about mothballing an aircraft carrier that was just built for more funding.
The Tories hate us, corrupt assholes.
It would have been one of the smoothest brain things to even be put forward. But I think at this point nothing would surprise me. Having 2 carriers in invaluable 3 would be the sweet spot but 1 leaves you far too vulnerable.
I hope so. Been on it twice and it’s a magnificent piece of kit.
Looking forward to rishys podium
Boats fill potholes
Don’t trust the Tories, they flogged off HMS Invincible mere months before the Falklands and had to run to get it back.
John Nott, the gutter of the navy…
> Britain’s second aircraft carrier was at risk of mothballing after it was revealed that next week’s Budget will not include an increase in military funding.
The Tories are far more interested in trying to bribe the electorate with a tax cut (so they can cling on to power just a little longer) than in defending the nation.
>Worst case, if it totally breaks down, we’ll stuff it full of migrants – Sunak