Albion-class landing platform dock
HMS Bulwark, an Albion-class landing platform dock | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Albion class |
| Builders | BAE Systems Marine |
| Operators |
|
| Preceded by | Fearless class |
| Succeeded by | Multi Role Support Ship (planned) |
| Cost | £225 million per unit |
| Built | 2 |
| In commission | 2003–2025 (with RN) |
| Active | 2 (both in reserve, planned to be transferred to Brazil) |
| 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 |
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| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h) |
| Range | 8,000 miles (7,000 nmi; 13,000 km) |
| Boats & landing craft carried |
|
| Capacity | 67 vehicles |
| Troops | 405 Royal Marines (710 overload) |
| Complement | 325 |
| Sensors & processing systems |
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| 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 originally built for 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. In November 2024, the newly elected Labour government indicated that the ships would be removed from service by March 2025. In April 2025 it was indicated that both ships would be sold to the Brazilian Navy.