UK sells Albion-class assault ship HMS Bulwark to Brazil

September 12, 2025, by Fatima Bahtić

The Brazilian Navy has signed a contract with the UK Ministry of Defense for the acquisition of the Albion-class landing platform dock HMS Bulwark.

The agreement was concluded during Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2025 in London.

The contract formalizes a memorandum of understanding signed earlier this year at LAAD Defence & Security 2025 in Rio de Janeiro. The signing ceremony took place aboard HMS Mersey.

UK to sell two Albion-class amphibious ships to Brazil

Vessels

“The acquisition of HMS Bulwark marks a new milestone in the strategic partnership between the UK and Brazil. With proven crisis-response capability, this vessel will significantly enhance the operational reach of the Brazilian Navy, both for humanitarian assistance and defense missions,” UK Ambassador to Brazil, Stephanie Al-Qaq, underlined the importance of the transfer.

HMS Bulwark is 176 meters long, displaces 18,500 tons, and can embark up to 710 personnel. The vessel is designed to support amphibious operations, disaster relief, and large-scale humanitarian missions. Its facilities enable the transport of vehicles, ambulances, and engineering equipment, along with eight landing craft and a flight deck for two large helicopters.

The ship is capable of delivering medical supplies, field hospitals, and essential cargo directly to crisis zones, making it an important tool for rapid disaster response.

The vessel has a distinguished history of operational deployments. It supported the evacuation of British citizens from Lebanon in 2006, transported stranded passengers during Iceland’s 2010 volcanic ash crisis, took part in counter-piracy missions off Somalia in 2011, and assisted in rescuing thousands of migrants off Libya in 2015.

Currently docked in Plymouth, Bulwark is undergoing a full refurbishment program, including modernization of command-and-control systems, upgraded communications, and an overhaul of propulsion and power generation.

The refit, scheduled for completion in 2026, will extend the ship’s service life by at least 20 years, according to the navy.

Upon commissioning into the Brazilian Navy in 2026, HMS Bulwark will be renamed multipurpose dock ship (Navio de Desembarque Multipropósito – NDM) Oiapoque, in line with the navy’s tradition of naming major vessels after national geographic landmarks.