Royal Navy Set to Decommission its Last Two Amphibs

UK Defence Secretary John Healey has unveiled plans to formally decommission five Royal Navy vessels, including both of the service's last two amphibious assault ships. All five have been unofficially slated for sale or decommissioning, some for years, but Healey's decision to formalize their removal from the fleet drew heavy criticism from the opposition. 

"Before the election, we knew there were serious problems with defense – one previous Defence Secretary told this House last year that our Armed Forces had been 'hollowed out and underfunded' over the last 14 years. However, as I have told the House since taking office, the problems were even worse than we thought," said Healey in an address before the House of Commons. 

The assets slated for decommissioning include frigate HMS Northumberland, built in 1989 and refitted in 2018. During a drydocking earlier this year, the Royal Navy discovered "structural damage that makes her simply uneconomical to repair." UK defense outlet Navy Lookout noted that Northumberland and her Type 23 sister ships were built out of thinner plate and designed for an 18-year service life - a life that they have long since outlasted.

The amphibs HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, which have both been idle at the pier, will also be retired. Their departure marks the end of the Royal Navy's traditional amphibious assault capability, and it has been a long time coming. They narrowly avoided a cost-driven decommissioning in 2017, and Bulwark has been in repair, drydock or uncrewed reserve status since 2020. Albion entered reserve status last year; both ships are now about 20 years old, and had been expected to retire early or go up for auction to a foreign ally. The Royal Navy is rumored to have difficulty recruiting and retaining enough sailors to bring both online. 

Also slated for decommissioning are the fleet oilers RFA Wave Ruler and RFA Wave Knight. Though comparatively modern and capable, they have been laid up for years because of a chronic crew shortage in the civilian Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Officers and unlicensed crewmembers in the RFA have long complained of stagnant, uncompetitive pay, with real wages shrinking by about 30 percent since 2010. These seafarers are represented by a union and have been staging a series of strikes, which look set to continue.  

In addition to the vessels, Healey said that the UK armed forces would decommission 14 Chinook heavy transport helicopters and 17 Puma helicopters. All told, these changes should free up an estimated $630 million over the span of five years, he said.