HMS Prince of Wales (R09)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Prince of Wales.

HMS Prince of Wales, October 2023
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Prince of Wales
NamesakeHRH Prince of Wales[1]
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered20 May 2008
BuilderAircraft Carrier Alliance
Launched21 December 2017
Sponsored byQueen Camilla
Christened8 September 2017
Commissioned10 December 2019[3]
HomeportHMNB Portsmouth
Identification
MottoIch Dien ("I Serve")
Honours and
awards
StatusIn active service[3]
General characteristics
Class and typeQueen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier
Displacement65,000 tonnes (64,000 long tons; 72,000 short tons)[5]
Length284 m (932 ft)[6]
Beam
  • 39 m (128 ft)(waterline)
  • 73 m (240 ft) overall
Draught11 metres[7]
Decks
  • 9 decks below the flight deck
  • 16,000 square metres
Speed25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph), tested to 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)[8]
Range10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km)
Boats & landing
craft carried
Capacity1,600
Troops250
Complement679
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament
Aircraft carried
Aviation facilities
  • Hangar below deck
  • Two aircraft lifts
  • Refuelling and rearming facilities
  • Ski jump

HMS Prince of Wales (R09) is the second Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. Unlike most large aircraft carriers, Prince of Wales is not fitted with catapults and arrestor wires, and is instead designed to operate STOVL aircraft; the ship is currently planned to carry up to 48 F-35B Lightning II stealth multirole fighters and Merlin helicopters for airborne early warning and anti-submarine warfare, although in surge conditions the class is capable of supporting 70+ F-35B.[17] The design emphasises flexibility, with accommodation for 250 Royal Marines and the ability to support them with attack helicopters and troop transports up to and larger than Chinook size.[19]

The completed Prince of Wales began sea trials in September 2019 and first arrived at her new home base of HMNB Portsmouth in November 2019.[20] The ship was formally commissioned into the Royal Navy at a ceremony in Portsmouth on 10 December 2019.[3] The ship's commissioning date marked the 78th anniversary of the sinking of her predecessor, a World War II era battleship which was lost in action along with HMS Repulse in 1941. She is the eighth Royal Navy ship to have the name HMS Prince of Wales. Construction of the ship began in 2011 at Rosyth Dockyard and ended with launch on 21 December 2017. She was handed over to the Royal Navy in 2019.[21]

When on operations, Prince of Wales will form a central part of a UK Carrier Strike Group, comprising escorts and support ships, with the aim to facilitate carrier-enabled power projection.[22]

  1. ^ Mohan-Hickson, Matthew (2 September 2020). "How did HMS Prince of Wales get her name? Cost, captain, crew size and where Royal Navy aircraft carrier was built". The News.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference NN cut was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c "Commissioning day for HMS Prince of Wales". Royal Navy. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  4. ^ Thomas, David A. (1998). Battles and Honours of the Royal Navy (Kindle ed.). Barnsley, S. Yorkshire: Leo Cooper. ISBN 978-1-78383-294-1.
  5. ^ "Aircraft carriers: Queen Elizabeth class". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Future ships: Queen Elizabeth class". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 10 August 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  7. ^ "Future Aircraft Carrier (CVF)". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008. Retrieved 21 May 2008.
  8. ^ "HMS Queen Elizabeth exceeds stated maximum speed on trials". ukdefencejournal.org.uk. 24 July 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  9. ^ "ATLAS ELEKTRONIK UK SEA Class – Delivering an Innovative, Flexible, Cost-effective Solution to the UK MOD". thyssenkrupp-marinesystems.com. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  10. ^ "In focus: the versatile new workboats being built for the Royal Navy". Navy Lookout. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  11. ^ "Close-in defence for the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers". NavyLookout.com. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  12. ^ "Queen Elizabeth class: facts and figures". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  13. ^ "In focus: the Fleet Solid Support ship design". Navy Lookout. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  14. ^ @NavyLookout (17 September 2023). "@NavyLookout .50 cal Heavy Machine Gun replacing Mk44 Mini Gun in RN service" (Tweet). Retrieved 17 September 2023 – via Twitter.
  15. ^ Royal Navy: A Global Force 2012/13 (PDF). Ministry of Defence. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-906940-75-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 January 2014.
  16. ^ "What will the Queen Elizabeth class carriers carry?". UK Defence Journal. 6 December 2016. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  17. ^ a b Hankins, Andrew (19 March 2017). "Replacing the Invincibles: Inside the Royal Navy's controversial £6.2 billion warships". Wired UK. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  18. ^ "Fleet Air Arm: future aircraft". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 2 September 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  19. ^ "Portsmouth Naval Base facts". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 24 February 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  20. ^ "HMS Prince of Wales makes Portsmouth debut". Royal Navy. 16 November 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  21. ^ "Iconic structure is installed on HMS Prince of Wales". Royal Navy. 13 January 2016. Archived from the original on 2 July 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  22. ^ "Fleet Solid Support Ships: Procurement". Hansard. 9 July 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2020.


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