Britain's new £3b aircraft carrier springs a leak

London

BRITAIN'S biggest ever warship, the new £3.1 billion (S$5.6 billion) aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, has a leak and needs repairs, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Tuesday.

The 65,000-tonne ship, hailed as Britain's most advanced military vessel and which was only officially commissioned by the queen two weeks ago, has an issue with a shaft seal that was identified during sea trials, the MoD said.