The British aircraft carrier "Queen Elizabeth", which was originally scheduled to participate in NATO's "Steadfast Defender 2024" exercise, had to cancel its trip due to serious mechanical problems before departure, and the "Prince of Wales" aircraft carrier will carry out the exercise mission in its place. This is another embarrassing incident for the British Royal Navy after two ** ships collided in the Middle East in January. Chinese experts point out that the British Navy's ambitions outweigh capabilities, and its carrier strike group's combat capabilities are insufficient to support its global display of force or deterrence against other countries.
Malfunction and embarrassment of the British aircraft carrier.
The aircraft carrier "Queen Elizabeth" is the flagship of the British Royal Navy and an important symbol of the "double aircraft carrier" pattern of the British Navy. The aircraft carrier was commissioned in 2017 and made its first global cruise mission in 2021, visiting regions such as Europe, the Middle East and Asia, demonstrating the British Navy's global reach and strategic intentions. However, the aircraft carrier also suffered multiple failures and embarrassments during its mission, raising questions about its reliability and effectiveness.
In August 2021, the aircraft carrier encountered a storm in the Mediterranean Sea, which caused damage to some of the ship's equipment and systems, including the take-off and landing system of the carrier-based aircraft, the glass windows of the bridge, and the ship's electronic equipment. The aircraft carrier had to undergo emergency repairs in the Italian port of Naples, delaying the scheduled trip. In the same month, the aircraft carrier encountered an even larger storm in the waters of the Indian Ocean, which caused some cabins on the ship to be flooded, the power system inside the ship failed, and some people on board were injured. The aircraft carrier had to undergo another repair at Singapore's Changi Naval Base, delaying the scheduled trip.
In September 2021, the aircraft carrier was docked at the port of Yokosuka in Japan when a serious safety incident killed one female soldier on board and injured two others. At the time of the accident, some of the ship's soldiers were reportedly undergoing a training exercise called a "ship defense drill," which involved the use of a type of fire called a "mini-cannon," which fires a fireworks-like flare that simulates an enemy missile attack. However, during the training, the **accident**, caused the personnel**. The accident sparked a rethinking by the British Navy about the quality of its ship's safety management and training.
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In January 2022, while on a mission in the Middle East, the aircraft carrier collided with one of its accompanying frigates, the USS Somerset, resulting in damage to the hulls of two ships and the failure of some equipment and systems on board. At the time of the accident, the two ships were reportedly undergoing a training exercise called the "Ship Defense Exercise," which involved the use of a type of fire called a "mini-cannon," which fires a firework-like flare that is used to simulate an enemy missile attack. However, during the training, the two ships were too close together, which led to a collision. The accident raised questions about the British Navy's ability to operate and coordinate its ships.
In February 2024, the aircraft carrier was scheduled to participate in NATO's "Steadfast Defender 2024" exercise, but a serious mechanical failure was discovered before departure and the trip had to be canceled. According to reports, during a last-minute inspection, the carrier discovered a malfunction in the coupling on the starboard propeller shaft, which could have caused the failure of the carrier's power system. In order to avoid risks, the British Navy decided to keep the aircraft carrier in port and replace it with another aircraft carrier, the Prince of Wales, on the exercise mission. The failure of the aircraft carrier once again exposed the inadequacy of the technical and maintenance capabilities of the British Navy.