HMS Queen Elizabeth: Set to Sail Monday or Grounded Again?
The saga of HMS Queen Elizabeth’s departure drags on as serious technical glitches continue to dog Britain’s flagship carrier. Official details from the Queen’s Harbour Master, Steve Hopper, suggest she’s due to leave Portsmouth on Monday at 12:45pm, flanked by six tugboats. But can we believe it this time?
Dockyard Drama Puts Departure in Doubt
After planned sailings on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday mysteriously failed to launch, doubts swirl over Monday’s departure. Defence Minister Harriett Baldwin insists the carrier is ready to begin its second phase of trials this week, weather permitting. Yet insiders at Portsmouth Dockyard reveal the real culprit is not the forecast, but unresolved technical faults.
“She should never have left Rosyth,” an anonymous dockyard source said. “They knew she had major issues but Ministers pushed for an early move to Portsmouth. BAE engineers are tearing their hair out, while MoD officials keep pressure on.”
“If she sails Monday, it’ll be a miracle. I’d be amazed!”
Mixed Messages from Defence Chiefs
Despite the drama, Ms Baldwin claims HMS Queen Elizabeth is still on track to join the Royal Navy this year, even though it hasn’t been officially commissioned yet. Meanwhile, former First Sea Lord Admiral Lord West warned it would be “stupid” to head to sea if the weather is questionable.
“If you have to sail in a crisis and scrape something on the way out, that’s just the way it goes,” he said.
Official Sources Clash with Media Skeptics
The Portsmouth Evening News’ Defence Correspondent questioned the Queen’s Harbour Master’s published sailing schedule as “speculation”—despite it coming directly from Commodore Jerry Kyd, HMS Queen Elizabeth’s captain, and the Royal Navy itself. Both Commodore Kyd and Harbour Master Hopper are decorated, experienced former naval officers, far more qualified than most journalists covering the story.
So, will HMS Queen Elizabeth finally sail on Monday? The countdown continues…
