Military Wednesday – Albion Class Landing Platform Dock

The Albion class landing platform dock (LPD) is the newest type of amphibious assault vessel in 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 Ltd 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.