United Kingdom Has Confirmed Sale of Assault Ship HMS Bulwark to Brazil

The British Ministry of Defence has officially confirmed that the amphibious assault ship HMS Bulwark will be sold to the Brazilian Navy.

The British Ministry of Defence announced this on August 18.

The Ministry attributes the transfer to the transition to a new fleet of amphibious transport ships that the UK is developing jointly with the Netherlands.

“HMS Bulwark served this country and our allies with distinction for over two decades, and I’m pleased that she will continue her story in Brazilian service, with a nation that has long stood alongside us as a defense partner,” Defence Minister Lord Coaker shared.

HMS Bulwark

HMS Bulwark is an Albion-class amphibious transport dock designed to transport Marines, armored vehicles, automobiles, and other military equipment for subsequent landing on an unprepared coastline. Thanks to their advanced communications and command-and-control capabilities, Albion-class ships were also used as floating command posts for directing amphibious operations and Marine Corps task forces.

The primary means of troop landing is a floodable well deck in the stern, which allows for the use of large LCU Mk10 landing craft capable of transporting even main battle tanks. The ship can carry up to 405 Marines, 31 trucks, and 36 light vehicles, or up to six Challenger 2 tanks and 30 armored personnel carriers.

HMS Bulwark was commissioned in 2005 and was based at the Devonport Naval Base. In 2006, it participated in the evacuation of civilians from Lebanon, and from 2011 to 2015, the ship served as the fleet’s flagship.

HMS Bulwark, along with its sister ship HMS Albion, was decommissioned at the end of 2024 due to a shortage of crew members capable of maintaining them and technical issues. In particular, HMS Bulwark underwent extensive repairs for over three years prior to its decommissioning.

Key Technical Specifications of HMS Bulwark:

• Displacement: 19,560 metric tons
• Length: 176 meters
• Width: 28.9 meters
• Draft: 7.1 meters
• Maximum speed: 18 knots (about 33 km/h)
• Cruising range: about 8,000 nautical miles (14,800 km)
• Crew: approximately 325 personnel
• Troop capacity: up to 405 military personnel
• Landing craft: 4 LCU Mk10 and LCVP Mk5 landing craft
• Aviation capabilities: two landing pads for heavy Chinook-class helicopters.

In addition to the amphibious ships, the frigate HMS Northumberland, as well as two Royal Fleet Auxiliary tankers — the RFA Wave Ruler and the RFA Wave Knight — were decommissioned.

The Defence Ministry reported that decommissioning the ships to save budget funds is a rational step given the limited military budget, which has left some areas underfunded.

The United Kingdom considered selling both ships; however, HMS Albion is in significantly poorer technical condition than its sister ship, so Brazil expressed no interest in purchasing it. This ship will likely be scrapped.