List of amphibious warfare ships of the Royal Navy

Last updated

This is a list of amphibious warfare ships of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.

Contents

Active ships

Decommissioned

Ocean class

Landing platform helicopter ship

Fearless class

Landing platform dock ships

Centaur class

Commando carrier ships

Colossus class

Commando carrier ships

Landing Ships, Tank (LST)

Casa Grande class

Landing platform dock ships

Related Research Articles

HMS <i>Ocean</i> (L12) 1998 unique amphibious assault ship of the Royal Navy

HMS Ocean was a Landing Platform Helicopter, formerly the UK's helicopter carrier and the fleet flagship of the Royal Navy. She was designed to support amphibious landing operations and to support the staff of Commander UK Amphibious Force and Commander UK Landing Force. She was constructed in the mid-1990s by Kvaerner Govan on the River Clyde and fitted out by VSEL at Barrow-in-Furness prior to trials and subsequent acceptance in service. Ocean was commissioned in September 1998 at her home port HMNB Devonport, Plymouth.

Nine ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Albion after Albion, an archaic name for Great Britain:

HMS <i>Albion</i> (R07)

HMS Albion (R07), nicknamed "The Old Grey Ghost of the Borneo Coast", was a 22,000-ton Centaur-class light fleet carrier of the Royal Navy.

HMS <i>Albion</i> (L14) Amphibious transport dock of the Royal Navy

HMS Albion is an amphibious transport dock of the Royal Navy, the first of the two-ship Albion class. Built by BAE Systems Marine in Barrow-in-Furness, Albion was launched in March 2001 by the Princess Royal. Her sister ship, Bulwark, was launched in November 2001, also from Barrow. Affiliated to the city of Chester and based in Plymouth, she is the ninth ship to carry the name Albion, stretching back to the 74-gun 1763 warship, and last carried by an aircraft carrier decommissioned in 1973 after 19 years service. Designed as an amphibious warfare ship, Albion carries troops, normally Royal Marines, and vehicles up to the size of the Challenger 2 main battle tank. She can deploy these forces using four Landing Craft Utility (LCUs) and four Landing Craft Vehicle and Personnel (LCVPs). A flight deck supports helicopter operations.

HMS <i>Bulwark</i> (R08) Centaur-class light fleet aircraft carrier

The sixth HMS Bulwark of the Royal Navy was a 22,000 tonne Centaur-class light fleet aircraft carrier. Initially commissioned as a light aircraft carrier in 1954, the ship was converted into a commando carrier in 1958 and recommissioned as such in 1960. Bulwark remained in this capacity until 1979 following failed efforts to sell the ship, Bulwark re-entered service as an anti-submarine warfare carrier and remained as such until being decommissioned in 1981. The ship was scrapped in 1984.

<i>Albion</i>-class landing platform dock Type of amphibious warfare ship in service with the Royal Navy

The Albion-class landing platform dock is a class of amphibious warfare ship in service with the Royal Navy. The class consists of two vessels, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, ordered in 1996 to replace the ageing Fearless class. Both ships were built by BAE Systems Marine at the former Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering yard in Barrow-in-Furness. Albion was commissioned in 2003 and Bulwark in 2004. Each of the ships has a crew of 325 and can accommodate up to 405 troops. Thirty-one large trucks and thirty-six smaller vehicles and main battle tanks can be carried inside the vehicle deck. To disembark troops and vehicles, the vessels are equipped with eight landing craft.

HMS <i>Bulwark</i> (L15) Albion-class assault ship

HMS Bulwark is the second ship of the Royal Navy's Albion-class assault ships. She is one of the United Kingdom's two amphibious transport docks designed to put Royal Marines ashore by air and by sea.

RFA <i>Mounts Bay</i> (L3008)

RFA Mounts Bay is a Bay-class auxiliary landing ship dock of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. She is named after Mount's Bay in Cornwall.

HMS <i>Fearless</i> (L10) Royal Navy ship that served from 1965 until 2002

HMS Fearless (L10) was a Royal Navy amphibious assault ship that served from 1965 until 2002. One of two Fearless-class landing platform docks, she was based in HMNB Portsmouth and saw service around the world over her 37-year life. She was the last steam-powered surface ship in the Royal Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landing craft</span> Seagoing watercraft

Landing craft are small and medium seagoing watercraft, such as boats and barges, used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. The term excludes landing ships, which are larger. Production of landing craft peaked during World War II, with a significant number of different designs produced in large quantities by the United Kingdom and United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landing platform helicopter</span> Hull classification used by a number of the worlds navies

Landing platform helicopter (LPH) is a term used by some navies to denote a type of amphibious warfare ship designed primarily to operate as a launch and recovery platform for helicopters and other VTOL aircraft. As such, they are considered a type of helicopter carrier.

HMS Lofoten was a vessel of the Royal Navy. Initially built as one of a large number of LSTs in 1945, she was named after the Norwegian islands that were raided during Operation Claymore in 1941. She saw little service before being laid up in reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helicopter carrier</span> Type of aircraft carrier

A helicopter carrier is a type of aircraft carrier whose primary purpose is to operate helicopters, and has a large flight deck that occupies a substantial part of the deck, which can extend the full length of the ship like HMS Ocean of the Royal Navy (RN), or extend only partway, usually aft, as in the Soviet Navy's Moskva class or in the Chinese Navy's Type 0891A. It often also has a hangar deck for the storage of aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amphibious assault ship</span> Type of warship used in amphibious assaults

An amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault. The design evolved from aircraft carriers converted for use as helicopter carriers. Modern ships support amphibious landing craft, with most designs including a well deck. Coming full circle, some amphibious assault ships also support V/STOL fixed-wing aircraft, now having a secondary role as aircraft carriers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amphibious warfare ship</span> Ship used in amphibious warfare

An amphibious warfare ship is an amphibious vehicle warship employed to land and support ground forces, such as marines, on enemy territory during an amphibious assault.

HMS <i>Bruiser</i> (F127)

HMS Bruiser was built as a Landing Ship, Tank at Harland and Wolff. Launched in October 1942 and commissioned the following March, she saw service as part of the Allied invasion of Italy.

A Littoral Response Group (LRG) is a Royal Navy task group consisting of at least two amphibious warfare ships, a company of Royal Marines and supporting elements primarily tasked with amphibious warfare from the littoral areas. They were first deployed in 2020 and have been described by the Royal Navy as being more flexible and agile compared to previous amphibious task groups with an emphasis on forward-basing, precision strike capabilities, high mobility, modern command and control technology, networked autonomous systems and deception capabilities. Multiple LRGs can combine to form a more substantial Littoral Strike Group (LSG) and they can also join a UK Carrier Strike Group to form an Expeditionary Strike Force.

HMS <i>Thruster</i> (F131)

HMS Thruster (F131) was a Mark I LST built by Harland and Wolff. Launched in September 1942 and commissioned the following March, she saw service as part of the Allied invasion of Italy.

References