The UK Royal Navy operates 2 Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. Both have been plagued by problems. HMS Prince of Wales has spent only 21.3% of her time at sea and 33% in repairs. In February 2024, HMS Queen Elizabeth could not deploy due to a propeller shaft coupling issue. In November 2021 a UK F-35B fell off HMS Queen Elizabeth into the Mediterranean because the crew left the engine air intake cover on before takeoff. The UK ordered 138 F-35Bs but only a handful are operational. Recent reports indicate the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers have been sunk in multiple exercises by enemy missiles.
The Queen Elizabeth-Class Problems Won’t Go Away
Queen Elizabeth-Class. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth pictured at sea for the first time. Image Credit: Royal Navy.
The UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) declared Full Operating Capability (FOC) for the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) on November 17, 2025. The announcement came during a major NATO exercise in the Mediterranean Sea.
The announcement stated that the UKCSG now has “all its component parts are ready to operate on front-line duties wherever required” and is “mission ready for NATO.”
But the “mission-ready” statement is somewhat misleading. The carrier strike groups have capability issues that need fixing.
The Royal Navy operates two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, and both have been disappointing, beset by many difficulties. The big ships (the largest that Britain has ever built) are rarely at sea and have been forced to withdraw from exercises due to breakdowns.
The Royal Navy wanted a pair of carriers for power projection. Still, constant mechanical failures, deployment delays, and a shortage of F-35 aircraft have left the carriers a shell of what they were intended to be.
The Queen Elizabeth-Class of Carriers Have a History of Problems
Issues have beset the Queen Elizabeth class since her commissioning. The Prince of Wales has only spent 21.3 percent of her time at sea, according to a report by the UK Parliament in May 2023. The carrier had spent 33 percent of its time undergoing repairs.
In 2020, a burst water main in the engine room caused significant flooding, significantly damaging the electrical switchboards.
The HMS Queen Elizabeth couldn’t deploy after the Royal Navy posted on its “X” social media platform on February 3, 2024, that “routine pre-sailing checks” undertaken on February 2nd had identified “an issue with a coupling on [HMS Queen Elizabeth] starboard propellor shaft”.
Queen Elizabeth-Class Aircraft Carrier. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
F-35 test pilot Marine Maj. Paul Gucwa from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Three (VX-23), Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), flies an F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft to the U.K. HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier in the Western Atlantic Oct. 11, 2023. Gucwa will embark with a detachment from the Patuxent River F-35 Integrated Test Force (ITF) to conduct developmental test phase 3 (DT-3) sea trials with the specially instrumented, short takeoff vertical landing variant of the stealth jet aboard Britain’s largest warship.
The U.K. Queen Elizabeth-class (QEC) aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09)’s participation in WESTLANT 23 encompasses a range of U.K. and U.S. naval aircraft trials in the Western Atlantic throughout the autumn of 2023.The HMS Prince of Wales continues to push the boundaries of naval aviation capabilities and operations from QEC aircraft carriers, including increasing the range and lethality of F-35 operations. The U.K. is the only Tier I partner in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program. U.K. and U.S. interactions during this deployment are characterized by cooperation and reinforce international relationships, as well as enhance interoperability between the U.S. Navy and Royal Navy.
The F-35 Joint Program Office is the U.S. Department of Defense’s focal point for the 5th-generation strike aircraft for the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and our allies. The F-35 is the premier multi-mission, 5th-generation weapon system. Its ability to collect, analyze and share data is a force multiplier that enhances all assets in the battle space: with stealth technology, advanced sensors, weapons capacity, and range. The F-35 has been operational since July 2015 and is the most lethal, survivable, and interoperable fighter aircraft ever built.
(US Navy photo by Dane Wiedmann)
As such, the vessel “will not sail on Sunday” to join Exercise Steadfast Defender. This was the largest demonstration of NATO seapower since the Cold War. Its sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, only recently returned to sea following its own propeller shaft issues and is due to take its place “as soon as possible.”
So are these mechanical issues simply teething issues experienced by a class of relatively new warships, or something more complicated?
The Queen Elizabeth lost a UK-operated F-35B fighter in the Mediterranean in November 2021, thus sparking a recovery effort to ensure that technology did not fall into Russian hands, which operates several vessels in the region.
After an investigation, it was discovered that the UK F-35B had sucked in a cover that protects the engine air intake when the aircraft is inactive, which had not been removed before take-off.
Carrier Strike Groups Lack Surface Warships
There remain serious questions about whether the carrier strike groups provide adequate power projection. Several factors influence this.
Aircraft availability is a persistent issue. The UK has built its carrier designs around the F-35B, focusing on its air superiority and strike capability. However, procurement delays, maintenance issues, and rising costs have affected the numbers. Of the 138 F-35Bs ordered, only a handful are fully operational.
A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II assigned to the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 242, Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 12, Marine Corps Air Station, Iwakuni, conducts an aerial demonstration during the Singapore Airshow 2022 at Changi Exhibition Center, Republic of Singapore, Feb. 16, 2021. Through participation in regional events like the Singapore Airshow, the U.S. demonstrates its commitment to the security of the Indo-Pacific, promotes interoperability, displays the flexible combat capabilities of the U.S. Military, creates lasting relationships with international audiences, and strengthens partnerships throughout the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger).
A U.S. Marine Corps KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 152 refuels an F-35B Lightning II aircraft with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121, both assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, during exercise Red-Flag Alaska 25, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 21, 2025. VMGR-152 partnered with the U.S. Air Force during Red Flag Alaska to enhance aerial refueling and assault support capabilities. Training in Alaska’s harsh environment sharpened the squadron’s combat readiness and lethality. (U.S. Marine Corps photo Lance Cpl. Cecilia Campbell)
A joint team consisting of F-35 Patuxent River Integrated Test Force flight test members, U.S. Sailors and Marines, and the crew of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Izumo-class multi-functional destroyer JS Kaga (DDH-184) are executing developmental sea trials in the eastern Pacific Ocean to gather the necessary data to certify F-35B Lightning II short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft operations. While aboard the MSDF’s largest ship, the Pax ITF flight test team has been gathering compatibility data for analysis in order to make recommendations for future F-35B operational envelopes, further enhancing the Japanese navy’s capabilities. The results of the testing will contribute to improved interoperability between Japan and the United States, strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance and contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Japan is an F-35 Joint Program Office foreign military sales customer planning to purchase 42 F-35Bs. The F-35 Joint Program Office continues to develop, produce, and sustain the F-35 Air System to fulfill its mandate to deliver a capable, available, and affordable air system with fifth-generation capabilities.
Another big issue for the Royal Navy is the supply of support ships required to defend the carrier in the event of an enemy attack. Destroyers and frigates are needed but in short supply, which could impact the carrier’s survivability against a determined near-peer enemy.
In 1998, the UK had three small aircraft carriers and an escort fleet of 23 frigates, 12 destroyers, and 12 attack submarines.
Currently, the Royal Navy is down to just seven frigates, six destroyers, and half a dozen attack submarines, also known as hunter-killers.
And those numbers don’t reflect that many of those ships can’t be sailed quickly.
Anti-Aircraft Defenses Need To Be Upgraded
The carriers do not have any medium- to long-range air defense systems. The F-35B aircraft complement can be scrambled for an attack, but for aircraft or missile defense, the carriers carry only three Phalanx CIWS (Close-in Weapons System) systems.
The manufacturer hails it as “the last line of defense”; in other words, once missiles, drones, or aircraft pierce the outer security, this system will take over. The CIWS is highly effective. The US Army has used it in combat to take down artillery, mortars, and drones.
However, the maximum effective range is only about 1,500 meters. That is far too close. And with only three Phalanx weapons, a swarm of drones or missiles could be disastrous.
A recent report in November revealed to The London Times that in several exercises and in multiple scenarios, the two Queen Elizabeth class carriers were sunk due to enemy missiles. That doesn’t bode well for their survival in combat.
Other UK ships fire the excellent Sea-Viper anti-aircraft missile. They have successfully used it against Houthi drones and missiles during commercial shipping protection operations, and it needs to be added to the carriers as well.
In contrast, American carrier strike groups constantly upgrade air defenses to counter Chinese anti-ship missiles. The layered defenses are much thicker than those of our British cousins, yet questions remain about the survivability of the Ford-class.
The Royal Navy Was Forced To Pause One Carrier at a Time
The Royal Navy has struggled with budget issues, maintenance problems, and insufficient support ships. Many analysts believe that the UK, which has truly been no longer a dominant military power since the Suez Canal Crisis of 1956, should focus on more practical maritime capabilities, such as submarines and amphibious warships, to address regional threats, particularly from Russia.
These developments have also prompted talk of limiting the Royal Navy to deploying only one carrier strike group, transferring all air assets to that carrier to bring it up to a full complement.
This is expected to happen when the Prince of Wales carrier strike group (CSG) sails to the Indo-Pacific with the bulk of the available F-35Bs, leaving the HMS Queen Elizabeth vulnerable.
The concept of a significant two-ship class of Royal Navy warships alternating between mothballs is not without precedent. In the RN, the Albion-class amphibious assault ships (HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark) have been subject to this process since 2010.
This move would reduce the Royal Navy’s operating costs and free up the bulk of the crew for other naval assignments.
How Survivable Are The UK’s Carriers?
Last year, many experts sounded the alarm about the UK carriers’ ability to survive a shooting war with a modern enemy. “There is a dissonance between the UK’s military ambitions and its capabilities,” Richard Barrons, a former head of the UK’s armed forces, told the Financial Times.
“The risk is that we get drawn into a conflict and can’t sustain our presence, and this exposes a strategic weakness.”
The Queen Elizabeth class of aircraft carriers has had a poor availability record, and the Royal Navy doesn’t have the assets around them to protect all F-35B aircraft and the carriers themselves.
Could the Aircraft Carrier Be Retrofitted With An Angled Flight Deck?
A British Member of Parliament suggested retrofitting the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier to increase its capabilities. This would include adding catapults, an angled flight deck, and arresting wires.
Currently, both the HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales employ a ski-jump ramp. However, they were designed for short- or vertical-takeoff and landing (STOVL) aircraft, notably the Lockheed Martin F-35B variant.
With the UK’s budget issues already, while this sounds good on paper, the chances of it ever happening are slim to none.
The HMS Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier was built to allow for capability changes over the lifetime of these ships.
“The Royal Navy is committed to developing capabilities that will allow it to build combat mass, whilst remaining at the forefront of technology, and this includes a strong focus on uncrewed air systems,” explained James Cartlidge, Minister of State Defense, according to a report from UK Defence Journal, while he added that the two flattops were developed to evolve – and that could include changes to the launch and recovery systems.
With a decrease in their carrier strike group’s surface capability, the UK could seek to incorporate some of NATO’s other surface capabilities into a combined carrier strike group in the future.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
