Albion-class landing platform dock

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]

  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.