The UK Government has formally confirmed for the first time that it has signed a Statement of Intent with Brazil regarding the potential sale of HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, the Royal Navy’s two amphibious assault ships, according to a written parliamentary response issued on 30 April 2025.
In response to questions from Ben Obese-Jecty MP (Conservative – Huntingdon), Minister of State for Defence Maria Eagle stated: “On a recent visit to Brazil, at the Latin American Aerospace and Defence Expo, I witnessed the signing of a Statement of Intent (SOI) between the Federative Republic of Brazil and the UK Ministry of Defence.”
This marks the first official UK confirmation of the agreement, which concerns “cooperation and assistance in relation to the acquisition of HMS ALBION and HMS BULWARK.” Eagle added that the move represents “a significant step in strengthening bilateral defence cooperation with Brazil and enables discussions regarding the possible sale of the vessels to the Brazilian Navy.”
The potential transfer of the two Landing Platform Docks (LPDs) follows long-standing speculation and reporting around Brazil’s interest in acquiring major amphibious capability from the UK. Both vessels have played a central role in Royal Navy operations for decades and are currently scheduled for decommissioning as part of future fleet restructuring.
Asked how the sale price for the ships was calculated, Eagle replied that she was “unable to provide further information due to commercial sensitivities.”
The Statement of Intent was signed during the UK’s participation in the Latin American Aerospace and Defence Expo (LAAD) in Brazil earlier this year.
What capabilities do the Albions provide versus the Bays? Can we live without this capability?
Wikipedia provides basic info on two classes …
So….you don’t know then? ..oh OK…thanks for the clarification.
Albions are MILSPEC.
Bays are upped civilian spec.
The Albions were supposed to go in first and land the point if the spear and the Bays to follow up.
The other thing is the massive C2 capabilities that Albions had. They are very sophisticated and well built ships.
I have to say that I’m incredulous we are getting rid of them as it means we have zero capability in that area and that it is signposted to hostiles.
Ahh…continuing the long and illustrious MoD tradition of gapping capabilities (until MRSS IOC). Unfortunately, the game of geostrategic musical chairs could end abruptly. ,🤔😱
Bay – 1 LCU or 1 LCVP, plus some Mexefloats.
LPD – 4 LCU and 4 LCVP.
That’s just for starters.
Plus the details of SB above.
Any MoD/HMG claim that there is no impact on amphibious capability is downright LIES.
These are ships that HMG a few months ago, when news of their cut was announced, said they would “not put to sea again”
So why are Brazil buying them then?
One had almost finished a refit.
can you see a time when our royal marines will be storming beaches again? I think it’s been blown out of proposition. not replacing ocean to me was far more serious. but if they have to go then the money should be reinvested in ships
Will Brazil be storming beaches?
Depends on their volleyball teams I suppose.
“Asked how the sale price for the ships was calculated, Eagle replied that she was “unable to provide further information due to commercial sensitivities.”
Which means they will be sold for peanuts and HMG is too embarassed to tell us….
Can the Minister also confirm how the money from the sale will be spent within the RN?
It won’t will it the money will go to the treasury and disappear😡
sounds like the ocean saga will be repeated
The sale of these two ships reflects this government’s true intentions regarding defence beyond the constant rhetoric of increased capabilities. Britain is the only major country scrapping its armed forces tamid rising threats and the evident risk of war in both Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The worst part is that the Conservative Party has done the same. I only expect more scrapping and savings in the upcoming strategic defence cuts (review)
They lied, saying it would cost millions to upgrade them, and now it’s clear that’s not true, and Brazil is going to acquire them at bargain prices. Depriving the country of this vital amphibious warfare capability shows they’re capable of anything and don’t mind leaving the country unarmed.
I don’t say this lightly but IMHO this is just plain simple Treason.
Oxford dictionary definition is “the crime of doing something that could cause danger to your country”.
Agreed . Treason is required to be taken seriously again as there is too much going on at the moment from basic decision making in government and gross dubious decisions in domestic industry and foreign policy which all go against the basic philosophy of defence of the Realm . Would also like to see some parliamentary votes making it law and ring fenced for certain defence decisions such as defense spending and minimum requirements for defence such as ships planes , rifles etc as at the moment any primeminister and govt can just cancel stuff on a whim. And what is Brasil going to use assault ships for i wonder ?
They will no doubt refit them. (Whilst we are told it’s uneconomical to do so) Put them into service as premiere assault ships in the Southern Hemisphere and no doubt keep them in service for 30 more years.
It’s a huge mistake and a tragedy.
I agree. Treason is a term I would use.
Ministers need to be accountable. They make these decisions and it costs service personnel lives and or we suffer military defeat because of the lack of this key capability then the police should be knocking on their doors and arresting the lot of them.
This is a mistake.
Rushing through with a defence capability gap without recourse to logical debate or considering the alternative which is to keep both ships.
This capability will cost billions to try to regenerate. Two assault ships that have had fairly relaxed service lives on account of one being in refit or extended readiness reserve since the 2010 defence cuts under Osbourne and Cameron.
Both ships havebt had much hard sailing.
For the cost of a refit and the personnel running costs we will remove a key capability. Albion and Bulwark represented the very best amphibious capability Europe had, whilst also providing excellent disaster relief and contingency reserve. If you need to evacuated large numbers of civilians from a war torn country send Albion or Bulwark. If we need to reinforce northern Norway with the RMs or other units. Send Albion and Bulwark.
Now what are our armed forces supposed to do?
No LPHD, NO LPH, NO LPDS we’ve cut too far and forgotten our countries glorious history.
I would mind if a replacement superior capability was coming online but it isn’t. All we have is talk of new MRSS sometime on the late 2030s. That’s over ten years away.
Just madness
Oh No! Another defence ‘dumb down’ – they are as ‘Tory’ as the others! When will they learn that we NEED these assets. Mothball them at least….
If the RN can’t crew them and that’s not going to change is there any point keeping them?
The RN could crew them in an emergency by calling up reservists. However, spending £9m a year to keep then in mothballs is too rich for the Treasury, who still seem to be following the infamous 10 year rule, despite the Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary pointing out on the world stage that we are in a pre-war phase.
Surelt that’s the wrong way round.
If Kim Jong un ever decided to retire, then maybe we should offer him a job at the M.O.D..only he seems to be doing a great job with a bankruptcy country..