With the aim of strengthening its naval projection capability and amphibious operations, the Brazilian Navy is reported to have begun preparations to incorporate one of the amphibious assault ships recently retired from service by the United Kingdom. The operation, focused on the HMS Bulwark (L15), is part of a bilateral cooperation process aimed at enhancing the force’s strategic and humanitarian capabilities, in a regional context that requires versatile assets capable of responding to both military operations and civilian emergencies.
In this regard, the Brazilian Navy is said to have already designated the crew that will take command of the Albion-class ship upon its reception, currently in the process of being transferred from the Royal Navy. It is planned that, in September of this year, naval personnel will travel to Plymouth to oversee the vessel’s initial maintenance and receive the necessary training before its formal incorporation. The ship’s return to Brazilian waters is projected for October 2026.
The HMS Bulwark, commissioned in 2005 and recently subjected to a comprehensive refit at Devonport with an investment of approximately £72.1 million, was officially decommissioned in March 2025. Its acquisition falls within an agreement signed during the LAAD 2025 defense fair, where Brazil and the United Kingdom reaffirmed their willingness to move forward with this type of strategic transfer.
Designed for amphibious operations, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response, the ship offers a platform of high operational value. With the capacity to carry over 300 marines (and up to 405 in maximum configuration), it can house six tanks or 30 armored vehicles, operate heavy helicopters, and deploy landing craft through its well dock at the stern, which accommodates up to four units capable of carrying one tank each.
Brazil’s interest in the HMS Bulwark fits into a broader context. Since late 2024, the British government confirmed it would proceed with the retirement of a significant number of support ships, including its two Albion-class LPDs: HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark. This decision has sparked domestic criticism in the United Kingdom, with accusations of “selling off” still fully operational units to third countries.
For Brazil, the acquisition of this vessel represents not only a military reinforcement but also an improvement in its amphibious capabilities. The Navy has stressed the need to have adequate assets to assist the population in cases of calamity caused by extreme weather events, such as the floods that affected São Sebastião in 2023 and the state of Rio Grande do Sul in 2024.
The agreement signed during LAAD 2025, coinciding with the bicentennial of diplomatic relations between Brazil and the United Kingdom, includes the exchange of technical and operational information on the ship. If the transfer is finalized, the HMS Bulwark will undergo a process of adaptation and replacement of sensitive equipment, similar to what was applied to the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean before its delivery to Brazil in 2018, when it entered service as NAM Atlântico (A140).
In this way, the future incorporation of HMS Bulwark would mark a new chapter in the modernization of the Brazilian Navy, strengthening its ability to project power, respond to emergencies, and carry out international missions, all with a proven platform of high strategic value, capable of serving as the core of amphibious operations in the South Atlantic.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
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