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Albion-class landing platform dock

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HMS Bulwark, an Albion-class landing platform dock
Class overview
NameAlbion class
BuildersBAE Systems Marine
Operators Royal Navy
Preceded byFearless class
Succeeded byMulti Role Support Ship (planned)
Cost£225 million per unit
Built2
In commission2003-2025
Active2 (both in reserve, to be retired)
General characteristics
TypeLanding platform dock
Displacement19,560 t (19,250 long tons; 21,560 short tons)
Length176 m (577 ft)
Beam28.9 m (95 ft)
Draught7.1 m (23 ft)
Installed power
  • 2 × Wärtsilä Vasa 16V 32E diesel generators
  • 2 × Wärtsilä Vasa 4R 32E diesel generators
Propulsion
  • GE power conversion full electric propulsion system, 2 × motors and drives
  • Bow thruster
Speed18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h)
Range8,000 miles (7,000 nmi; 13,000 km)
Boats & landing
craft carried
  • 4 × LCU MK10
  • 4 × LCVP MK5
Capacity67 vehicles
Troops405 Royal Marines (710 overload)[1][2]
Complement325
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 2 × Type 1007/8 I-band radars
  • 1 × Type 996 E/F band radar
  • 1 × Type 997 E/F-band radar (from 2011)
Armament
Aviation facilitiesTwo landing spots for helicopters up-to the size of a Chinook.

The Albion-class landing platform dock is a class of amphibious warfare ship[5] in service with the Royal Navy. The class consists of two vessels, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, ordered in 1996 to replace the ageing Fearless class. Both ships were built by BAE Systems Marine at the former Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering yard in Barrow-in-Furness. Albion was commissioned in 2003 and Bulwark in 2005. Each of the ships has a crew of 325 and can accommodate up to 405 troops. Thirty-one large trucks and thirty-six smaller vehicles and main battle tanks can be carried inside the vehicle deck. To disembark troops and vehicles, the vessels are equipped with eight landing craft. As of 2024, both vessels were in reserve.[6] In November 2024, the newly elected Labour government indicated that the ships would be removed from service by March 2025.[7]

Development

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The value of the two Fearless-class landing platform docks was highlighted during the Falklands War. Not only did the ships transport troops and vehicles to the South Atlantic, the commanders of the landing operations at San Carlos were aboard HMS Fearless, and once they arrived their flight decks were used to support airborne operations by helicopters and Sea Harrier jets.[8]

As these ships were built in the 1960s, on 18 July 1996 the British Ministry of Defence awarded a £450 million contract for their replacements to Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd (VSEL) in Barrow-in-Furness.[9]

The ships' roles are "to act as the afloat command platform for the Royal Navy's Amphibious Task Force and Landing Force Commanders when embarked" and "to embark, transport, deploy and recover troops with their equipment and vehicles which form part of an amphibious assault force".[10] They are larger and more capable than the Fearless class, and formed part of a modernization programme of the British amphibious fleet, which included the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean (until 2018), the Bay-class landing ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the Point-class sealift ships.[11]

Extended readiness

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To cut the running costs of the Royal Navy, the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review concluded that one of its two Albion-class LPDs should be placed into extended readiness, or uncrewed reserve, while the other is held at high readiness for operations. The vessels were to alternate between extended readiness and high readiness throughout their service lives.[12]

It was confirmed that Albion would be the first of the two vessels to be placed at extended readiness, for a cost of £2.5 million, as Bulwark had recently finished a major refit. Running costs while in extended readiness are estimated to be £300,000 per annum to keep the vessel available for reactivation at short notice. HMS Albion re-entered high readiness when HMS Bulwark was put into extended readiness. In 2014 Albion entered a regeneration refit and rejoined the active fleet in 2016. The running costs of one of the Albion-class vessels at high readiness ranged from £17.7 million to £38.6 million per annum from 2007 to 2011. As of late 2018 Albion was in active service while Bulwark was held at extended readiness.[13]

In 2024, it was reported that, due to manning problems in the Royal Navy and despite the pending completion of a major refit of HMS Bulwark, both vessels were now expected to remain in reserve.[14][15][16] In May 2024, the Navy indicated that it intended to retain both ships until 2033/34 when they would be replaced by the future Multi Role Support Ships (MRSS).[17] However, in November 2024, the recently elected Labour government indicated that they would in fact be retired early in order to save money.[18]

Characteristics

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The Albion-class LPDs have a length of 176 metres (577 ft), a breadth of 28.9 metres (94 ft 10 in), and a draught of 7.1 metres (23 ft 4 in). They have a normal displacement of 14,000 tonnes (14,000 long tons; 15,000 short tons), 19,560 tonnes (19,250 long tons; 21,560 short tons) at full load and 21,000 tonnes (21,000 long tons; 23,000 short tons) when the dock is flooded.[11][19] The ships have a crew of 325 and can accommodate up to 405 troops, including their vehicles and combat supplies, in overload conditions.[20] The GE Electric Propulsion System is powered by two Wärtsilä Vasa 16V 32E diesel generators generating at 6.6kV which drive two electric motors, two shafts, and a bow thruster as well as providing all the services power on the vessel.[19] The first diesel electric propulsion system to be used in a Royal Navy surface ship was in the 1960s built Hecla-class ocean survey ships. This is the first in a major surface combatant vessel. It reduces the engine room crew by about 66 per cent compared with the preceding Fearless class of ships.[11] The diesel electric system can propel the ships to a maximum speed of 18 knots and have a range of 8,000 miles (13,000 km).[19]

The aft flight deck has two landing spots for aircraft the size of a Chinook, although it has no hangar or aircraft storage facility. Below the flight deck are the dock and vehicle deck.[19] The latter has the capacity to hold thirty-one large trucks and thirty-six smaller vehicles[10] or six Challenger 2 tanks and thirty armoured personnel carriers.[11] The dock can hold four Landing Craft Utility MK10, each large enough to carry vehicles up to main battle tank size, which are then launched by flooding of the dock area. Four smaller LCVP MK5 that can carry thirty-five men or two light trucks are carried on davits, two each side of the ship's superstructure.[19] Each ship also carries a fifty-two ton tracked beach recovery vehicle for assisting with landing craft recovery, as well as two tractors: one that can lay a track-way across a landing beach, and the second fitted with an excavating bucket and forks.[21]

Weapons and sensors

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For defence against missile attack, the Albion-class LPDs were fitted with two 30 mm Goalkeeper CIWSs mounted fore and aft on the superstructure and two 20 mm cannon located on the forward superstructure. Defensive countermeasures include the Outfit DLJ decoys, eight Seagnat radar reflection / infra-red emitting decoy launchers and a BAE Systems DLH off-board decoy.[19] In 2017, Albion had her Goalkeeper mounts removed and replaced by a pair of 20mm Phalanx mounts as part of her refit prior to returning to active service; Bulwark will have her Goalkeeper mounts removed upon her entry into Extended Readiness.

When commissioned, the ships were fitted with two Kelvin Hughes Type 1007/8 I-band radars, for navigation and aircraft control. For air and surface search, a Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems Radar Type 996 E/F band radar was fitted. From 2013 on, RT996 will be gradually replaced by the BAE Systems Maritime Services Artisan 3D E/F-band (designated RT997). HMS Iron Duke was the first Royal Navy ship so fitted; RT997 will be fitted to Albion and Bulwark by 2015.[19] There is also an ADAWS 2000 combat data system and a UAT/1-4 Electronic support measures (ESM) system.[11]

Ships of the class

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Albion conducting an exercise with the Netherlands Marine Corps, 2008
Name Pennant no. Builder Ordered Laid down Launched Commissioned Status
Albion L14 BAE Systems Marine, Barrow-in-Furness 18 July 1996 23 May 1998 9 March 2001 19 June 2003 In extended readiness (uncrewed reserve)[22][23][24]
Bulwark L15 27 January 2000 15 November 2001 10 December 2004 Extended readiness/refit HMNB Devonport; available for reactivation if required.[25]

HMS Albion

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Main article: HMS Albion (L14)

HMS Albion was launched at Barrow-in-Furness on 9 March 2001.[10] After completing sea trials, Albion was commissioned in June 2003 and became fully operational in April 2004. Her home port is HMNB Devonport on the south coast of England.[9]

In December 2010, it was announced that Albion would be the next Royal Navy flagship after HMS Ark Royal.[26] She was deployed with the Response Force Task Group to the Gulf of Sidra off Libya to assist the ongoing NATO-led operation, and then moved into the Indian Ocean in June 2011 to assist with anti-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa. In 2011 she entered a state of "extended readiness".[27] In July 2017, she re-entered active service after a long re-fit.[28] While remaining temporarily deployable if required, in July 2023 she entered reduced readiness (skeleton crew aboard for ship maintenance).[23][24] By early 2024, she was reported to have transitioned to "extended readiness" (uncrewed reserve).[29]

HMS Bulwark

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Main article: HMS Bulwark (L15)

HMS Bulwark, the second in the class, was launched at Barrow-in-Furness in November 2001, and was commissioned in December 2004.[9]

One of Bulwark's first missions was Operation Highbrow in the Mediterranean in July 2006. Docking in Beirut, the ship evacuated around 1,300 United Kingdom nationals. In May 2010, she entered dry-dock at HMNB Devonport for a £30 million refit.[9] In October 2011, Bulwark, having just completed an eight-month refit, became the flagship of the fleet.[9][30] The refit improved her machinery and magazines, converted her to full night-vision tactical ability for landing craft and aircraft, and gave her the ability to operate two Chinook helicopters from the flight deck at the same time.[9] She returned to reserve in 2016 and was expected to complete a lengthy refit in 2024 but nevertheless remain in uncrewed reserve,[31] though with an ability to deploy "if required".[32] Despite this recent refit, in November 2024 it was indicated that HMS Bulwark, along with her sister ship, would in fact be taken out of service completely.[33]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Albion class landing platform dock". Military-Today.com. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  2. ^ Beedall, Richard (19 December 2004). "Albion class". Navy Matters. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Last ditch defence – the Phalanx close-in weapon system in focus". Navy Lookout. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  4. ^ "The all-rounder – the 30mm Automated Small Calibre Gun in focus". Navy Lookout. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  5. ^ "HMS Albion (L14)". Royal Navy. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  6. ^ Allison, George (19 March 2024). "HMS Bulwark unlikely to return to sea 'unless needed'". Navy Lookout.
  7. ^ Vock, Ido (20 November 2024). "UK to decommission ships, drones and helicopters to save £500m". BBC.
  8. ^ "Falklands command ship to be recycled". Defence News. 2 October 2007. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "LPD (R) Albion Class Landing Platform Dock, United Kingdom". Naval Technology. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  10. ^ a b c "HMS Albion". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  11. ^ a b c d e Bishop & Chant (2004), p. 225.
  12. ^ Nick Harvey, Minister of State for the Armed Forces (11 May 2011). "Written Answers to Questions: HMS Albion". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. col. 1207W.
  13. ^ HM Government (October 2010). Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty: The Strategic Defence and Security Review (PDF). The Stationery Office. ISBN 978-0-10179-482-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  14. ^ Allison, George (19 March 2024). "HMS Bulwark unlikely to return to sea 'unless needed'". Navy Lookout.
  15. ^ "Royal Navy workhorse HMS Albion comes home to Plymouth for possibly the final time". Forces Net. 28 July 2023.
  16. ^ "Royal Navy LPD capability gapped as HMS Albion bows out before HMS Bulwark is available". Navy Lookout. 2 August 2023.
  17. ^ "Six new amphibious warships to be built for Royal Marines operations". Royal Navy. 14 May 2024.
  18. ^ Vock, Ido (20 November 2024). "UK to decommission ships, drones and helicopters to save £500m". BBC.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g "Maritime Naval Ships". BAE Systems. Archived from the original on 5 March 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  20. ^ "HMS Bulwark (L15)". Royal Navy. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  21. ^ "HMS Bulwark: Main Equipment". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  22. ^ West, Lisa (27 February 2024). "MOD confirm assault ships not to be 'scrapped or mothballed'". UK Defence Journal.
  23. ^ a b "Royal Navy workhorse HMS Albion comes home to Plymouth for possibly the final time". Forces Net. 28 July 2023.
  24. ^ a b "Royal Navy LPD capability gapped as HMS Albion bows out before HMS Bulwark is available". Navy Lookout. 2 August 2023.
  25. ^ West, Lisa (27 February 2024). "MOD confirm assault ships not to be 'scrapped or mothballed'". UK Defence Journal.
  26. ^ "Plymouth-based HMS Albion becomes Royal Navy flagship". BBC News. 3 December 2010. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  27. ^ Glover, Julian (18 July 2011). "Mothballing ships makes little sense". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  28. ^ "Albion sails through trials after £90m revamp". Royal Navy. 18 July 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  29. ^ West, Lisa (27 February 2024). "MOD confirm assault ships not to be 'scrapped or mothballed'". UK Defence Journal.
  30. ^ Ministry of Defence (18 October 2011). "Bulwark takes over as UK flagship". Gov.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  31. ^ Allison, George (19 March 2024). "HMS Bulwark unlikely to return to sea 'unless needed'". Navy Lookout.
  32. ^ West, Lisa (27 February 2024). "MOD confirm assault ships not to be 'scrapped or mothballed'". UK Defence Journal.
  33. ^ Vock, Ido (20 November 2024). "UK to decommission ships, drones and helicopters to save £500m". BBC.

Bibliography

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  • Bishop, Chris; Chant, Christopher (2004). Aircraft Carriers: The World's Greatest Naval Vessels and Their Aircraft. Motorbooks International. ISBN 978-0-7603-2005-1.
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