PHOTO: One of UK’s largest warships back at sea following ‘technical issue’

June 8, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

The UK Carrier Strike Group has released new images confirming that one of the Royal Navy’s largest warships, the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, is back at sea, marking its return to operational activity following recent naval movements in the North Atlantic and High North.

The UK Carrier Strike Group has shared the imagery showing the 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier back underway, following announcement from the Ministry of Defense that the warship experienced a “minor technical issue” during a port visit to Stavanger, Norway.

According to the MoD, the issue was identified while the aircraft carrier was docked as part of its deployment across the North Atlantic and High North, where the UK Carrier Strike Group is conducting operations in coordination with NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force.

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The carrier had sailed earlier in June from Loch Long in Scotland, accompanied by Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan and Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker RFA Tidespring, as it moved into Nordic waters for security and presence operations across the Arctic and Atlantic approaches.

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HMS Prince of Wales had previously sailed from Portsmouth in April to begin preparations for its next mission, including embarked aviation elements such as F-35B Lightning II jets, Merlin helicopters, Wildcat helicopters, and uncrewed aerial systems.

According to Royal Navy, the deployment marks the beginning of a new readiness cycle for the flagship carrier following its departure from homeport for operational tasking. The ship and its strike group are expected to continue a series of multinational exercises and patrol activities across the Euro-Atlantic and High North regions.

Earlier on, the vessel completed an eight-month mission to the western Indo-Pacific region, leading the Royal Navy’s premier deployment of 2025: Operation Highmast.