The Ministry of Defence has recently confirmed that both HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark will remain in service, but questions linger about whether these vessels will see active deployment again.
This topic came to the forefront following written questions by John Healey, the Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, directed to the Secretary of State for Defence.
Healey asked, “Whether he plans to take (a) HMS Albion and (b) HMS Bulwark out of extended readiness,” and “when will (a) HMS Albion and (b) HMS Bulwark return to active service?”
James Cartlidge, the Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence, referred to a previous response given on April 17, 2024, regarding the ships’ statuses. Cartlidge stated, “For reasons of operational security, we do not disclose timetables of future readiness levels for Royal Navy (RN) vessels. However, I can confirm that, as has been the case since 2010, one Landing Platform Dock (LPD) ship will be held in extended readiness so that she will be capable of being regenerated if we have strategic notice that she will be needed.”
Cartlidge further elaborated, “As such, HMS Albion will take HMS Bulwark’s place in extended readiness and HMS Bulwark will be regenerated from extended readiness and maintained so that she can be ready to deliver defence outputs if required.”
Despite the government’s confirmation that both vessels will remain in service, this arrangement casts doubt on whether they will actually return to active sailing. HMS Bulwark, initially set to return to the fleet after completing maintenance and upgrades, will now be maintained in a state of readiness, ready to be deployed only if necessary.
Both HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark have previously faced potential decommissioning, but public and defence community outcry led to their retention. Now, their future remains a topic of debate, with extended readiness serving as a stopgap rather than a full return to operational status.
Blah, Blah. 😎
The hollowing out of this country’s armed forces continues scoop by scoop. So much for the talk by our political class of the increasingly dangerous world!!
If the do build more ( which they should without a doubt) the Fesrless concept has IMHO a lot of merit.
A fast cruiser sized heavily armed ship . That can operate independently, can get in, drop off the marines and get out FAST!!
A modified commercial hull will not cut it. Whether their lordships see it that way or the treasury, remains to be seen.
And IMHO that isn’t going to happen as the recent split away from the joint project with Netherlands confirms due to very divergent requirements.
NL want to combine fast raider style Amphibious with a replacement for their large OPV ships
The RN 1SL has clearly stated we need something bigger that can operate Aircraft and UAV as well as well as conventional Amphibious Operations.
Odd thing is Fearless would be an excellent choice of design for the Netherlands requirement and a larger 15/16K tonne version of regular DAMEN MPSS 9000 would suit ours. It’s just really a Bay with a flight deck to port and superstructure to starboard hangers built into its lower level.
The other reason to not go with a heavily armed Fearless is precisely its looks, it do sexy Frigate like.
Given the short sighted stupidity of most British Politicians when it comes to Defence they’d take one look at the Sexy Frigate looking Fearless and decide the RN can cut some future similar looking Frigates as not needed.
The latter is a risk I wouldn’t take ! Would you ?🤔
I cannot disagree about politicians which is why I want Defence to be taken out of one parties hands.
What I found on the Netherlands equivalent of Navy Lookout here: marineschepen.nl/nieuws/Meer-details-Amfibische-Transportschepen-090424
was almost exactly the opposite. The Netherlands doctrine is for a lightly armed ship that either works as an OPV with drones and helicopters or is escorted in combat/amphibious ops by a frigate.
We seem to have indicated to the Dutch that we want a more heavily armed conventional LPD that can operate in areas with the risk of attack without needing to spare a frigate to help.
The HNLMS Karel Doorman is scheduled to have RAM missiles and a 76 MM gun installed in the next year or so.
To equip it as the ‘littoral strike’ ship to lead a LRG, I think Argus received ‘LPD like’ command and control capabilities, in preference to one of the Bays. The ‘Bay with a flight deck to port and superstructure to the right’ you describe – 15/16k tonne version of MPSS 9000 – sounds essentially like an LHD. I would agree that if we only get 3 MRSS then this would be the way to go, replacing the LPDs and Argus- perhaps a bit bigger, say 20k tons with self defence. I would retain 3 x Bay LSDs in addition.
Listening to Steller’s own representative describe the concept on Naval News, it differs quite a bit from your summary.
It sounds like they want the ship to be able to complete all stages of the operation, starting with acting as a surface combatant and firing missiles to push back A2/AD bubbles, then launching raids with fast boats on defences ashore and finally using the lane metres and rear ramp to unload a permanent force ashore.
It makes a lot of sense and is much how I had imagined the Marines working in future but all capabilities are rolled into the one vessel rather than RFS plus escort.
Apologies for not giving a more complete summary. I gave the just . She can function independently in high threat environments. Given they are concerned about the anti ship threat to the carrier and the current doctrine is for it to hide in the ocean.
It makes sense that a vessel that delivers the Marines, is fast, heavily armed and can also do other duties .
We don’t need them😂 the RM are good swimmers🏊…. As for the equipment it won’t need taking anywhere because we won’t have any…. Please note this is total sarcasm…..
RMs need assault ships as much as the Para’s need Planes
Like everyone in an ideal world I’d prefer Bulwark to return to Active Service, but it may be a sensible choice.
I would guess it’s all down to the never ending Trilemma of balancing Risk, Costs and Resources.
Risk.Is there any immediate need for the U.K. to be able to carry out an Amphibious Landing at very short notice ? Nope but if Bulwark is kept in a maintained condition of readiness (power plant and HV system is vital), then she can be used if we really need to by generating crew from reservists.
Costs. By not operating Bulwark does that free up money for more urgent and immediate needs, such as Maxing out the capabilities of T45, T23 and QE ships.
Resources. Simple fact is a Bulwark needs a large crew equal in numbers to a T45 and most of a T23, we are short of crews at present. And what makes it worse is that right now we seem to have both Carriers crewed up. In addition we are operating a T45 in the Gulf and starting to insert a crew for HMS Glasgow.
So I may not like it, but it’s probably the least bad alternative.
As for the future of Amphibious warfare, the MRSS just must have a much smaller crew than these 2 ships. It’s one of the reasons I think a lean manned large ship with a Flood down Dock, hanger space and through flight deck is the way to go.
Basically a Bay with a flight deck to Port and superstructure to Starboard with hanger space for 3/4 helicopters, would do nicely. And much as I hate to say it “fitted for but not with” a self defence capability.
Emm, does Mr Healey mean will the ships be fully manned and deployed in the next 6 weeks???
After that, it’s a question of looking in the mirror and asking himself some searching questions I would think….
So, just to clarify Rodney, you’re saying we should be looking at a ship that has about a 20,000t displacement, a through flight deck with plenty of helicopter landing spaces, a crew of about 160, a well deck, a large hangar and vehicle park?
Sounds positively French!
If we cannot find enough crew for one of the LPDs when we only have 15 escorts whilst the stated requirement is for 19 and ultimately 24 it tells you something about the manning crisis we have.
Only last year we had an LPD, 2 carriers and 17 escorts. The same goes for the RFA with Tide class vessels now laid up.
There is a real problem and it is about paying people realistic money and looking after them as a good employer.
I am hopeful about Bulwark coming back into service when QE goes in for her 2025 refit.
Long term with this current trend even with new ships entering service with smaller crews then only one of the carriers will be active only and the other laid up. Ultimately one will be sold before the end of the decade unless something changes.
It is depressing.
QE 2025 refit? she is for ever in dock any way, what will they do in the refit? any ideas? polish the clean engines?
It’s going to be interesting over the rest of the decade crew wise. If they want to go up to 24 Escorts they will have to increase the numbers of personnel.
We will know if they are serious if the 1st 5 new Frigates enter service without a matching T23 exiting ! But one thing is for sure HMG will either have to order extra follow on Frigates or throw Rosyth under a bus.
As for the Carriers having both in active service at the same time is pointless without 2 Air wings. To do that you would need to either buy yet another F35B to take the force up to about 100 or dedicate them all to the FAA and buy some F35A for the RAF. So keeping one in high readiness reserve makes sense and releases nearly 700 bods which is about 6 T31 crews.
Bottom line is they need to recruit and pay for more Sailors !
LPDs require bespoke courses and maintainers to crew them. You cannot put people on them with zero systems experience.
Doing that gets people killed or seriously injured. Good example is the various unique lift systems (It happened…someone was seriously injured and that was Post Haddon Cave!)
My Pre-Joining Courses as the Warrant Officer Weapon Engineer was over 3 months long and that was on top of all the other courses I had done and was qualified for as a WO on T23s.
Unique propulsion systems.
Unique electrical system
Unique Ballast and docking down system
Unique LCVP davits
Vehicle deck ramps and services Unique
2 spot chinook deck unique
When I was on them we had Goalkeeper which at the time was again unique (Now Phalanx so not so bad)
The Command System… Unique
Comms System internal and external Unique
Embarked forces Command Systems …Unique…
Magazines for Bulk ammunition…Unique
Weapon Lifts …Unique…
LPDS are luckily classed as warships. Other vessels of that type which are under SOLAS rules (Bays) are classed as Passenger vessels under UKMCA / Lloyds rules. After the 15 year point in their life the need for dockings and hull inspections changes. It goes from one docking and one in water hull survey every 5 years to annual.
A good friend of mine is a WO1 who has served on Sandowns, Hunts, T23’s, T22’s, in Basra and is now I believe on Glasgow. He stressed that the problems of a lack of trained personnel was across the board and the deterioration had been accelerating for several years and some branches had not recovered from the redundancies of 2020. From memory Marine Engineering was one of those branches, which is pretty fundamental to getting a ship away from the quayside. What is your take on it ?
Two big under armed targets, the new concept of ship looks a wiser choice. If it ever gets past the wish list stag. A lot of things going on with the Navy, any thing grey is way beyond my grasp.
As always lets wait and see as words are easy but hard contracts are not.
Yeah well the battle lines are drawn for the election. Tories are supporting an increase in spending (modest though it is at the moment) whilst Labour think they are assured of victory so they simply talk in vague terms committing to nothing.
Frankly until government decides that China is on the war path, Iran is already at war with the west, north Korea is a major arms supplier to the rest and that Russia has not only sparked a major war in Europe but is comprehensively out manoeuvring us, out producing us, out thinking us and WILL invade more – after all it has apparently already decided to alter the Baltic sea to its liking, we are doomed to see the tiny i significant navy, army and air force reduced still further. Context here, we don’t have enough of any of them to put together the Falklands battle group if we put absolutely everything we have out there, we couldn’t match Russia’s losses this year, probably not even this month.
I would think one of the biggest problems is finding enough sailers to crew them
Qualified to crew them. Lot of bespoke courses to join an LPD. You cannot cross from a T23/T45 /River to an LPD without doing them.
Good point, and once trained you want to keep hold of them. I expected all that is factored into the cost of running an LPD as well