Plans to sell landing platform dock (LPD) and former Royal Navy flagship HMS Bulwark to the Brazilian Navy have now been finalised.
As per a U.K. Ministry of Defence press statement, the warship, one of two Albion-class amphibious assault ships, will enjoy a second life with the Brazilian Navy after more than two decades of service with the Royal Navy.
The agreement to sell the 176-metre vessel, which displaces about 19,500 tonnes, for about £20 million was struck with Brazil in September 2025; when she enters service with the Brazilian Navy she will be renamed NDM Oiapoque.
HMS Bulwark entered service with the Royal Navy in 2005 and served as the fleet’s flagship between 2011 and 2015. She spent her first years of operational life in the Middle East region, conducting counter-terrorist and counter-piracy tasks in waters off the Horn of Africa.
In the 2006 Israel-Lebanon crisis she was instrumental in helping evacuate well over 1,000 British citizens from Beirut; in 2009 she sailed as the flagship of an amphibious task group in a major exercise, Taurus.
Over the subsequent years she continued to participate in training and exercises and also provided security for the maritime activities during the London 2012 Olympics.
Her sale has been the subject of some controversy, given the widely reported £132 million cost of refitting her and her sister ship, HMS Albion, over the last 15 years. HMS Albion remains berthed at HMNB Devonport pending disposal.
For now HMS Bulwark is also in the Plymouth shipyard, undergoing final refurbishment and technical preparation ahead of her departure for South America. Upgrades to propulsion and communications networks are being carried out before her physical transfer to the Brazilian fleet, expected next month.
Some Brazilian sailors have been in Plymouth since 2025 learning about the ship; an additional contingent are due this month to finalize operational certifications, conduct onboard drills, and prepare the vessel for its trans-Atlantic journey.
The Royal Navy’s future amphibious capabilities centre on the £2.4 billion amphibious ship joint agreement signed with the Netherlands in July; each nation will operate four identical vessels.
The eight-ship joint fleet of 160-metre, 15,000-tonne amphibious transport ships, built in U.K. shipyards, are set to replace the capability previously provided by the Albion class.
Minister of State for Defence, Lord Coaker commented: “HMS Bulwark served this country and our allies with distinction for over two decades, and I’m pleased that she will continue her story in Brazilian service, with a nation that has long stood alongside us as a defence partner.
“This partnership with the Netherlands marks a real step forward for our Armed Forces, giving our personnel the modern, interoperable capability they need to operate alongside our allies for decades to come.”
- You can read more details on the U.K. Government website
