Royal Navy aircraft carrier sets sail

The Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has set sail after undergoing routine maintenance.

The 65,000 -tonne warship has spent the last six weeks in dry dock at Rosyth, Scotland, where it was originally built, to undergo a hull inspection and routine maintenance.

The completion of the checkup comes as it was revealed the ship’s commanding officer, Commodore Nick Cooke - Priest, was being reassigned after he had used a Royal Naval car for personal journeys.

A navy spokesman said: “The 65,000-tonne future fleet flagship has spent the last six weeks back in the cavernous dock in Rosyth where she was first pieced together as engineers inspected her hull and conducted routine mainte - nance. During her time out of the water, 284 hull valves were changed, both rudder blades were removed and cleaned, her sea inlet pipes were inspected, all sacrificial anodes were replaced, and a renewed coat of anti-foul paint was applied to the ship’s bottom.

“The huge port and starboard anchor sand cables were also laid out along the length of dock to allow them to be inspected.