THE UK Royal Navy's newest aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, has made its first visit to Portsmouth, where the GBP3.1 billion (US$4.013 billion) warship was welcomed by a fly-past of two Hawk jets and a Wildcat helicopter under the gaze of thousands of spectators.
Shipping lanes were closed and an air exclusion zone was put in place to facilitate the aircraft carrier's visit. It is the sister ship of HMS Queen Elizabeth, which has been based in Portsmouth since August 2017.
They can be docked next to each other in Portsmouth naval base after GBP30 million work was completed, reported the BBC.
HMS Prince of Wales had been used in trials since September after setting sail from the Firth of Forth.
Commanding Officer Captain Darren Houston said: 'Our first entry to Portsmouth represents the successful culmination of the build and sea trials period in which my ship's company and industry partners have worked so closely together to bring HMS Prince of Wales into service with the fleet.'
The 65,000-tonne ship will be formally commissioned before year-end and will have a crew of 700. The HMS Prince of Wales can carry 36 jets and four helicopters with a 70-metre-wide and 280-metre-long flight deck - as big as three football pitches - and it holds 45 days' worth of food in stores.
WORLD SHIPPING
Shipping lanes were closed and an air exclusion zone was put in place to facilitate the aircraft carrier's visit. It is the sister ship of HMS Queen Elizabeth, which has been based in Portsmouth since August 2017.
They can be docked next to each other in Portsmouth naval base after GBP30 million work was completed, reported the BBC.
HMS Prince of Wales had been used in trials since September after setting sail from the Firth of Forth.
Commanding Officer Captain Darren Houston said: 'Our first entry to Portsmouth represents the successful culmination of the build and sea trials period in which my ship's company and industry partners have worked so closely together to bring HMS Prince of Wales into service with the fleet.'
The 65,000-tonne ship will be formally commissioned before year-end and will have a crew of 700. The HMS Prince of Wales can carry 36 jets and four helicopters with a 70-metre-wide and 280-metre-long flight deck - as big as three football pitches - and it holds 45 days' worth of food in stores.
WORLD SHIPPING