HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark will not be scrapped or mothballed before their planned out-of-service dates of 2033-2034
14th May 2024 at 11:22am
Up to six new amphibious warships for the Royal Marines are to be built in the UK, drawing on the lessons learned from the Ukraine war and the Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the first three vessels would definitely be built for Royal Marines, with the other three planned to be constructed.
The vessels are known as Multi Role Support Ships (MRSS) – specialist warships that are designed to rapidly deliver the Commando Force onto coastlines around the world to conduct special operations.
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Speaking at the annual Sea Power Conference in central London, the Defence Secretary also announced that existing amphibious warfare ships HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark will not be scrapped or mothballed before their planned out-of-service dates of 2033-2034.
He told Forces News he was “very confident about… crossover times”.
“Not least because we’re going to keep the existing ships in place for our Royal Marines in the meantime,” he said.
“But the good thing about the multi-role design, just as with the Type-26… is they’re designed to be somewhat more modular in design, enabling them to be used in many different use cases.”
Additionally, the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key, said if the UK can “move quickly and confidently into contested waters” and is “prepared to do so”, that will become part of the “deterrence messaging” to potential enemies.
“That requires all the unique skill sets that we find in the Royal Marines Commandos today and building into the future as part of their transformation,” he said.
“But it also requires a means of getting them to work and, when they’re finished doing their work, picking them up and taking them on to the next jobs.”
According to Mr Shapps, the three confirmed MRSS vessels are among 28 warships and submarines that are either planned or currently being built.
He said: “This is a new golden age for British shipbuilding.
“The new vessels for the Royal Marines will help our brave commandos fight the conflicts of the future.
“This is all possible because this government has committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence by the end of the decade, as part of our plans to deliver a more secure future for you and your family.”
Russia’s Black Sea fleet has proved vulnerable to attacks from Ukrainian missiles and drones.
And in the Red Sea, Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have used weapons to target merchant vessels and international warships protecting the vital trade routes.
In response, the MRSS vessels are designed to carry a broad range of unmanned drones along with vehicles, aircraft and insertion craft.
They will also be able to act as primary casualty receiving ships, providing urgent medical care.
Under the plans, Type 26 and Type 31 frigates will be built in Scotland, Astute and Dreadnought submarines in Barrow-in-Furness, and Fleet Solid Support ships in Belfast and Devon.
In line with the National Shipbuilding Strategy, there will be up to six MRSS built overall, which will replace current capabilities in the early 2030s.
This includes the two Landing Platform Docks, three Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliaries) and the Aviation Support Ship RFA Argus.