Britain’s biggest warship broke down soon after leaving port for naval exercises in the U.S. where crews were set to practice operating F-35B jets and drone operations off the coast of North America.
The Royal Navy’s $3.5 billion dollar aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales left the Portsmouth Naval Base on Saturday but quickly had to drop anchor off the nearby Isle of Wight so maintenance crews could address a mechanical problem.
According to the U.K. Defense Journal, Royal Navy divers noticed possible problems with the starboard propeller shaft. But it wasn’t immediately clear if that was the issue that caused the breakdown.