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Bulwark to be sold to Brasil
The United Kingdom plans to sell the HMS 'Bulwark' to the Brasilian Navy. The vessel, which served in the Royal Navy for more than two decades, belongs to the Albion class and was commissioned in 2005. It carried out missions in amphibious operations, humanitarian missions and multinational exercises with allies and partners. From 2011 to 2015, the vessel served as the flagship of the Royal Navy. It also supported the evacuation of civilians from Lebanon in 2006 and provided maritime security during the sailing regatta at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Its sister ship, HMS 'Albion', was at Devonport naval base and awaited a further decision on decommissioning. The transfer of HMS 'Bulwark' follows the confirmation in July 2026 of a British-Dutch maritime partnership worth £2.4 billion. The programme was providing for the construction of a new fleet of amphibious transport ships intended to replace the capabilities of the Albion-class vessels.
Ageing assault ships to be decommissioned
The HMS 'Albion' and HMS 'Bulwark' will be decommisioned,, alongside the HMS 'Northumberland', as well as several other capabilities, the Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed in Parliament on Nov 20, 2024, as part of a broader push to modernise the UK Armed Forces. The decision comes as part of a series of measures to retire what the Government called outdated military equipment, saving £150 million over the next two years and up to £500 million over five years. The HMS 'Albion' and HMS 'Bulwark' had already been in extended readiness under previous governments, incurring significant maintenance costs without being actively deployed. Both ships were effectively retired by previous ministers but superficially kept on the books at a cost of £9 million a year. The HMS 'Northumberland' has been deemed uneconomical to repair due to structural damage. The decommissioning decisions were made in close consultation with service chiefs and align with the ongoing Strategic Defence Review (SDR).
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