Albion-class landing platform dock
HMS Bulwark, an Albion-class landing platform dock
| |
Class overview | |
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Name | Albion class |
Builders | BAE Systems Marine |
Operators | Royal Navy |
Preceded by | Fearless class |
Cost | £225 million per unit |
Built | 2 |
Active | 2 (both in reserve) |
General characteristics | |
Type | Landing platform dock |
Displacement | 19,560 t (19,250 long tons; 21,560 short tons) |
Length | 176 m (577 ft) |
Beam | 28.9 m (95 ft) |
Draught | 7.1 m (23 ft) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h) |
Range | 8,000 miles (7,000 nmi; 13,000 km) |
Boats & landing craft carried |
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Capacity | 67 vehicles |
Troops | 405 Royal Marines (710 overload)[1][2] |
Complement | 325 |
Sensors and processing systems |
|
Armament |
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Aviation facilities | Two 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 2004. 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]
Development
The value of the two
As these ships were built in the 1960s, on 18 July 1996 the British
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".[9] 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.[10]
Extended readiness
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.[11]
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.[12]
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.[13][14][15]
Characteristics
The Albion-class LPDs have a length of 176 metres (577 ft), a breadth of 28.9 metres (94 ft 10 in), and a
The aft flight deck has two landing spots for aircraft the size of a
Weapons and sensors
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.[16] 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
Ships of the class
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)[19][20][21] |
Bulwark | L15 | 27 January 2000 | 15 November 2001 | 10 December 2004 | Extended readiness/refit HMNB Devonport; available for reactivation if required.[22] |
HMS Albion
HMS Albion was launched at Barrow-in-Furness on 9 March 2001.[9] 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.[8]
In December 2010, it was announced that Albion would be the next Royal Navy flagship after
HMS Bulwark
HMS Bulwark, the second in the class, was launched at Barrow-in-Furness in November 2001, and was commissioned in December 2004.[8]
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.[8] In October 2011, Bulwark, having just completed an eight-month refit, became the flagship of the fleet.[8][27] 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.[8] She was expected to complete a lengthy refit in 2024 but remain in uncrewed reserve[28] though with an ability to deploy, if required.[29]
See also
References
- ^ "Albion class landing platform dock". Military-Today.com. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- ^ Beedall, Richard (19 December 2004). "Albion class". Navy Matters. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- ^ "Last ditch defence – the Phalanx close-in weapon system in focus". Navy Lookout. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ^ "The all-rounder – the 30mm Automated Small Calibre Gun in focus". Navy Lookout. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ^ "HMS Albion (L14)". Royal Navy. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- ^ Allison, George (19 March 2024). "HMS Bulwark unlikely to return to sea 'unless needed'". Navy Lookout.
- ^ "Falklands command ship to be recycled". Defence News. 2 October 2007. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ a b c "HMS Albion". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Bishop & Chant (2004), p. 225.
- ^ 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.
- ISBN 978-0-10179-482-4. Archived from the original(PDF) on 22 December 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ Allison, George (19 March 2024). "HMS Bulwark unlikely to return to sea 'unless needed'". Navy Lookout.
- ^ "Royal Navy workhorse HMS Albion comes home to Plymouth for possibly the final time". Forces Net. 28 July 2023.
- ^ "Royal Navy LPD capability gapped as HMS Albion bows out before HMS Bulwark is available". Navy Lookout. 2 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Maritime Naval Ships". BAE Systems. Archived from the original on 5 March 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ "HMS Bulwark (L15)". Royal Navy. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
- ^ "HMS Bulwark: Main Equipment". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ West, Lisa (27 February 2024). "MOD confirm assault ships not to be 'scrapped or mothballed'". UK Defence Journal.
- ^ a b "Royal Navy workhorse HMS Albion comes home to Plymouth for possibly the final time". Forces Net. 28 July 2023.
- ^ West, Lisa (27 February 2024). "MOD confirm assault ships not to be 'scrapped or mothballed'". UK Defence Journal.
- ^ "Plymouth-based HMS Albion becomes Royal Navy flagship". BBC News. 3 December 2010. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- ^ Glover, Julian (18 July 2011). "Mothballing ships makes little sense". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- ^ "Albion sails through trials after £90m revamp". Royal Navy. 18 July 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- ^ West, Lisa (27 February 2024). "MOD confirm assault ships not to be 'scrapped or mothballed'". UK Defence Journal.
- ^ Ministry of Defence (18 October 2011). "Bulwark takes over as UK flagship". Gov.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- ^ Allison, George (19 March 2024). "HMS Bulwark unlikely to return to sea 'unless needed'". Navy Lookout.
- ^ West, Lisa (27 February 2024). "MOD confirm assault ships not to be 'scrapped or mothballed'". UK Defence Journal.
Bibliography
- Bishop, Chris; Chant, Christopher (2004). Aircraft Carriers: The World's Greatest Naval Vessels and Their Aircraft. Motorbooks International. ISBN 978-0-7603-2005-1.
External links
- "Landing Platform Dock". Royal Navy.