HMS Albion (L14)
HMS Albion pictured operating with Dutch Royal Marines. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS Albion |
| Ordered | 18 July 1996 |
| Builder | BAE Systems Marine |
| Laid down | 23 May 1998 Barrow-in-Furness, England |
| Launched | 9 March 2001 |
| Sponsored by | The Princess Royal |
| Commissioned | 19 June 2003 |
| Decommissioned | March 2025 |
| Refit | Major 2014–2017 |
| Homeport | HMNB Devonport, Plymouth |
| Identification |
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| Motto |
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| Status | In reserve, planned to be transferred to Brazil |
| Badge | |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Albion-class amphibious transport dock |
| Displacement | 19,560 t (19,250 long tons; 21,560 short tons) |
| Length | 176 m (577 ft 5 in) |
| Beam | 28.9 m (94 ft 10 in) |
| Draught | 7.1 m (23 ft 4 in) |
| Propulsion |
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| 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) |
| Crew | 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. |
HMS Albion is a landing platform dock originally built for the Royal Navy, the first of the two-ship Albion class. Built by BAE Systems Marine in Barrow-in-Furness, Albion was launched in March 2001 by the Princess Royal. Her sister ship, Bulwark, was launched in November 2001, also from Barrow. Affiliated to the city of Chester and based in Plymouth, she is the ninth ship to carry the name Albion (after Albion, an ancient name of Great Britain), stretching back to the 74-gun 1763 warship, and last carried by an aircraft carrier decommissioned in 1973 after 19 years service. Designed as an amphibious warfare ship, Albion carries troops, normally Royal Marines, and vehicles up to the size of the Challenger 2 main battle tank. She can deploy these forces using four Landing Craft Utility (LCUs) and four Landing Craft Vehicle and Personnel (LCVPs). A flight deck supports helicopter operations.
Albion's future came under review as part of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review. She was the fleet flagship from December 2010 until October 2011, and then again from March 2018 until January 2021. On 20 November 2024 Defence Secretary John Healey announced that both Albion and her sister Bulwark would be withdrawn from service by March 2025.
On April 2025, at the LAAD 2025 expo in Rio de Janeiro, the navies of Brazil and the United Kingdom signed a letter of intent for the transfer of HMS Albion (L14) and HMS Bulwark (L15).