Image source: topwar.ru
The British Navy threw its main funds into the creation of two aircraft carriers. After their commissioning in 2017 and 2019, it turned out that it was too expensive to maintain both aircraft carriers, and therefore one of them, HMS Prince of Wales, actually turned into a "donor" of spare parts for the other, HMS Queen Elizabeth. They do not have naval forces and adequate capabilities to supply AUG.
- noted in the publication Navy Lookout.
The ship returned to Britain in mid-December 2021 after an expedition to the Pacific Ocean. After that, Fort Victoria underwent repairs. However, he did not eliminate significant defects, in particular, compressors that provide high-pressure air supply for various functions, including starting main and auxiliary engines, valve control and many other operations, do not work properly.
As indicated in the publication, the vessel was launched in 1990. Many spare parts for it are no longer produced. Therefore, it is necessary either to make them to order, which is very expensive, or to restore old parts. At the same time, after the repair, the vessel will be able to serve only a few years.
Against the background of the ship's downtime, there is a threat that its crew will be distributed to other ships, as the Navy is experiencing an acute shortage of personnel. Over the past year alone, the fleet has lost 5% of its personnel, which was already clearly insufficient.
At the same time, the government officially announced that the carrier strike group will be deployed in the Asia-Pacific region in 2025. How this will be possible due to the lack of a support vessel is unknown. The navy commented on the current situation, indicating that "RFA Fort Victoria should undergo scheduled repairs next year."
- the conclusion is made in the publication.
