The UK Ministry of Defence is considering the sale of two large universal vessels of the Albion class, namely HMS Albion (L14) and the second and last ship of this project, HMS Bulwark (L15). These ships were launched in 2001 and entered service in 2003 and 2004.
Maria Eagle, the UK Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, confirmed this possibility in response to inquiries from parliamentarians regarding the fate of these two vessels, as reported by UK Defence Journal.
In a candid admission, the UK government acknowledged that despite discussions about their repair, modernization, and maintenance, there were no actual plans or actions in place. It turned out that the statements regarding future plans were merely words. Additionally, it is worth recalling that in 2021, the UK Ministry of Defence announced its intention to modernize and keep HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark in service until 2033-2034.
Since 2023, HMS Albion has remained in a "reduced readiness" state, while HMS Bulwark was placed in repair back in 2020. Nonetheless, both vessels annually cost the defense budget £9 million (approximately €10.7 million) for their maintenance. As a result, they have essentially been left to deteriorate until the time comes for disposal. Therefore, the option of selling them is indeed quite logical.
As for the potential price of the ships, it has not yet been disclosed. Regarding possible buyers, it seems that Brazil had shown interest in the slightly younger HMS Bulwark towards the end of last year. However, this information remains unofficial and has not been confirmed. Currently, this country possesses only a used French Bahia-class LPD, the former Siroco, which was launched in 1995 and purchased in 2015 for €80 million, plus an additional €7.5 million for repairs.
At the same time, there are currently no potential buyers for HMS Albion. Overall, it is a landing platform dock (LPD) with a displacement of 20,000 tons and a length of 176 meters. It can carry up to 67 vehicles (heavy load: 6 Challenger 2 tanks and 30 armored personnel carriers) and 405 troops (up to 710 for short distances). The helicopter deck allows for the landing of two Chinook-class helicopters. The dock can accommodate up to four Utility MK10 landing craft.