Albion-class landing platform dock
The Albion-class landing platform dock is a class of amphibious assault ship in service with 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 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.
HMS Bulwark, an Albion class landing platform dock of the Royal Navy commissioned in 2004, seen in 2007.
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Type:
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Landing platform dock
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Displacement:
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19,560 t (19,250 long tons; 21,560 short tons)
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Length:
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176 m (577 ft)
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Beam:
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28.9 m (95 ft)
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Draught:
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7.1 m (23 ft)
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Propulsion:
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2 × Wärtsilä Vasa 16V 32E diesel generators
2 × Wärtsilä Vasa 4R 32E diesel generators GE Power Conversion Full Electric Propulsion System, 2x Motors and Drives and bow thruster |
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Speed:
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18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h)
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Range:
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8,000 miles (7,000 nmi; 13,000 km)
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Boats & landing
craft carried: |
4 × LCU MK10
4 × LCVP MK5 |
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Capacity:
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67 vehicles
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Troops:
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405 Royal Marines (710 overload)
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Complement:
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325
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Sensors and
processing systems: |
2 × Type 1007/8 I-band radars
1 × Type 996 E/F band radar 1 × Type 997 E/F-band radar |
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Armament:
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2 x 20mm Phalanx CIWS
2 × 30 mm guns 4 × General purpose machine guns |
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Aviation facilities:
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Two landing spots for helicopters up-to the size of a Chinook.
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£225M ($440.25NZD) per ship in 2001 so also an older design and inflation still in the budget about 650mil NZD however one has to remember we have to convert to 2025 NZD which is pretty hard to do but estimating around $760mil NZD. Again a draught of 7.1m is slightly off-putting but in useable range of what we would require. The other thing is no hanger for the helo's and again needs to be able to carry and service if required at least as many (or more) than HMNZS Canterbury currently can. Canterbury can currently hanger x3 NH-90 plus a Seasprite SH-2G(i). Realistically I can not see this on the books. There are simply better options out there.
