Albion class landing platform dock
Encyclopedia
The Albion class is a class
of landing platform dock, and are the newest amphibious assault vessels
in the Royal Navy
fleet. The class consists of two vessels, and and they were ordered in 1996 under a programme known as LPD(R) (Landing Platform Dock (Replacement)) to replace the aging Fearless class
. Both ships were built by BAE Systems Marine
at the former VSEL
yard in Barrow-in-Furness
. Albion commissioned on June 19, 2003 and Bulwark on July 12, 2004.
The class gives the Royal Navy the ability to land heavy forces as the ships operate the Landing Craft Utility
Mark 10, capable of taking a Challenger 2 tank
or all other heavy armoured vehicles that the United Kingdom
operates. The well deck can operate four such LCUs. The ships carry 305 military personnel on board in normal conditions and another 650 for short emergency periods. The vehicle decks are capable of carrying up to six Challenger 2 tanks, six L118 105 mm Light Guns
and up to sixty-seven various support vehicles and trailers. They do not have hangars but have a 64-metre flight deck and landing spots capable of accepting a Chinook
helicopter or two aircraft up to the size of the Merlin HC3
or Sea King HC4
. Each ship operates a Hippo BARV (Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle) to assist in landing operations. The Hippo is a conversion by ALVIS Moelv of a Leopard 1A5 tank into a military crawler tractor. The Hippo has a tractive effort
of 250 kN (56,000 lbf), a fording depth of 2.95 m (9.7 ft) and can pull vehicles up to 50 tonnes weight or push off from the beach a 240 tonne displacement
landing craft
.
The class offers numerous improvements over their Fearless class predecessors and 60% of their equipment was new to naval service when introduced. The state-of-the-art Combined Operations Room which is an electronically advanced "amphibious battle-staff co-ordination cell" that has 72 workstations for the naval task group and amphibious landing forces. The class also features—the Royal Navy's first—integrated full electric propulsion system, reducing engine-room personnel by around two-thirds, allowing for a total reduction in personnel of 40%. The new Mark 10 LCU allows for roll-on/roll-off operations, assisting vehicle loading operations in the well deck.
, the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review
concluded that one of the Royal Navy's two Albion class landing platform docks, Albion and Bulwark, should be placed into extended readiness while the other is held at high readiness for operations. Both vessels will alternate between extended readiness and high readiness throughout their service lives.
It was confirmed that Albion would be the first of the two vessels placed at extended readiness, for a cost of £2.5 million as Bulwark had recently finished a major refit. Running costs while in extended readiness are estimated to be £300,000 per annum in order to keep the vessel available for reactivation at short notice if needed. HMS Albion will re-enter high readiness at the time HMS Bulwark is put into extended readiness, expected sometime around 2014.
The running costs of one of the Albion class vessels at high readiness ranged from £17.7 million - £38.6 million per annum from 2007 - 2011.
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....
of landing platform dock, and are the newest amphibious assault vessels
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
fleet. The class consists of two vessels, and and they were ordered in 1996 under a programme known as LPD(R) (Landing Platform Dock (Replacement)) to replace the aging Fearless class
Fearless class landing platform dock
The Fearless class amphibious assault ships were the first purpose built amphibious warfare vessels in the Royal Navy. The class comprised only two ships: and ....
. Both ships were built by BAE Systems Marine
BAE Systems Marine
BAE Systems Marine Ltd. was the shipbuilding subsidiary of BAE Systems, formed in 1999, which manufactured the full range of naval ships; nuclear submarines, frigates, destroyers, amphibious ships....
at the former VSEL
Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd
In 1994 VSEL was subject to two takeover proposals, one from GEC and another from British Aerospace . VSEL was willing to participate in a merger with a larger company to reduce its exposure to cycles in warship production, particularly following the "Options for Change" defence review after the...
yard in Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
. Albion commissioned on June 19, 2003 and Bulwark on July 12, 2004.
The class gives the Royal Navy the ability to land heavy forces as the ships operate the Landing Craft Utility
Landing Craft Utility
The Landing Craft Utility is a type of boat used by amphibious forces to transport equipment and troops to the shore. They are capable of transporting tracked or wheeled vehicles and troops from amphibious assault ships to beachheads or piers....
Mark 10, capable of taking a Challenger 2 tank
Challenger 2 tank
FV4034 Challenger 2 is a British main battle tank currently in service with the armies of the United Kingdom and Oman. It was designed and built by the British company Vickers Defence Systems . The manufacturer advertises it as the world's most reliable main battle tank...
or all other heavy armoured vehicles that the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
operates. The well deck can operate four such LCUs. The ships carry 305 military personnel on board in normal conditions and another 650 for short emergency periods. The vehicle decks are capable of carrying up to six Challenger 2 tanks, six L118 105 mm Light Guns
L118 Light Gun
The L118 Light Gun is a 105 mm towed howitzer, originally produced for the British Army in the 1970s and widely exported since, including to the United States, where a modified version is known as the M119A1...
and up to sixty-seven various support vehicles and trailers. They do not have hangars but have a 64-metre flight deck and landing spots capable of accepting a Chinook
CH-47 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s...
helicopter or two aircraft up to the size of the Merlin HC3
AgustaWestland EH101
The AgustaWestland AW101 is a medium-lift helicopter for military applications but also marketed for civil use. The helicopter was developed as a joint venture between Westland Helicopters in the UK and Agusta in Italy...
or Sea King HC4
Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines , British made anti-submarine warfare systems and a...
. Each ship operates a Hippo BARV (Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle) to assist in landing operations. The Hippo is a conversion by ALVIS Moelv of a Leopard 1A5 tank into a military crawler tractor. The Hippo has a tractive effort
Tractive effort
As used in mechanical engineering, the term tractive force is the pulling or pushing force exerted by a vehicle on another vehicle or object. The term tractive effort is synonymous with tractive force, and is often used in railway engineering to describe the pulling or pushing capability of a...
of 250 kN (56,000 lbf), a fording depth of 2.95 m (9.7 ft) and can pull vehicles up to 50 tonnes weight or push off from the beach a 240 tonne displacement
Displacement (fluid)
In fluid mechanics, displacement occurs when an object is immersed in a fluid, pushing it out of the way and taking its place. The volume of the fluid displaced can then be measured, as in the illustration, and from this the volume of the immersed object can be deduced .An object that sinks...
landing craft
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
.
The class offers numerous improvements over their Fearless class predecessors and 60% of their equipment was new to naval service when introduced. The state-of-the-art Combined Operations Room which is an electronically advanced "amphibious battle-staff co-ordination cell" that has 72 workstations for the naval task group and amphibious landing forces. The class also features—the Royal Navy's first—integrated full electric propulsion system, reducing engine-room personnel by around two-thirds, allowing for a total reduction in personnel of 40%. The new Mark 10 LCU allows for roll-on/roll-off operations, assisting vehicle loading operations in the well deck.
Extended readiness
In order to cut the running costs of the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review
Strategic Defence and Security Review
The Strategic Defence and Security Review was announced by the newly formed Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government of the United Kingdom in May 2010, and published on 19 October 2010...
concluded that one of the Royal Navy's two Albion class landing platform docks, Albion and Bulwark, should be placed into extended readiness while the other is held at high readiness for operations. Both vessels will alternate between extended readiness and high readiness throughout their service lives.
It was confirmed that Albion would be the first of the two vessels placed at extended readiness, for a cost of £2.5 million as Bulwark had recently finished a major refit. Running costs while in extended readiness are estimated to be £300,000 per annum in order to keep the vessel available for reactivation at short notice if needed. HMS Albion will re-enter high readiness at the time HMS Bulwark is put into extended readiness, expected sometime around 2014.
The running costs of one of the Albion class vessels at high readiness ranged from £17.7 million - £38.6 million per annum from 2007 - 2011.
See also
- Future of the Royal Navy
- List of amphibious warfare ships of the Royal Navy
- Foudre class landing platform dockFoudre class landing platform dockThe Foudre type vessels are landing platforms of the French Navy.They carry large stowage areas which can be used to ferry battle tanks and vehicles, a 52-ton elevating platform, a lateral ramp and a flight deck able to simultaneously operate several helicopters.Three rotations of such ships can...
— French equivalent - Galicia class landing platform dockGalicia class landing platform dockThe Galicia class is a class of two 13,900 t landing platform dock ships, belonging to the Spanish Navy. Built in Ferrol, their mission is to carry amphibious warfare by transporting the bulk of the Infantería de Marina....
/Rotterdam class amphibious transport dock - Spanish/Dutch equivalent - Bay class landing ship dock
- HMS OceanHMS Ocean (L12)HMS Ocean of the Royal Navy is an amphibious assault ship , the sole member of her class. She is designed to support amphibious landing operations and to support the staff of Commander UK Amphibious Force and Commander UK Landing Force...
- San Antonio class amphibious transport dockSan Antonio class amphibious transport dockThe San Antonio class is the United States Navy's new primary class of amphibious transport dock in the beginning of the 21st century...