The British Royal Navy is set to take delivery of the Albion-class amphibious command ship HMS Albion, following a £90m mid-life technical upgrade programme.

HMS Albion is claimed to be one of the largest warships in the navy, and is returning to service after being in a state of extended readiness in Devonport for almost six years.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Go deeper with GlobalData

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

HMS Albion captain Tim Neild, said: “My crew and I are extremely proud to take HMS Albion back to sea.

"The ship looks amazing and is a credit to Babcock Marine, the Defence Equipment and Support organisation and the plethora of defence contractors.

"Becoming the UK’s very-high-readiness amphibious ship is tantalisingly close, and we very much look forward to getting stuck in to the trials programme and rejoining the front line fleet."

The ship is currently in the final stages of the upgrade programme, which will extend the ship’s operational life until the 2030s.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Babcock Marine initially commenced the upgrade works in 2015 and has made 110 improvements to the vessel to date.

"Becoming the UK’s very-high-readiness amphibious ship is tantalisingly close, and we very much look forward to getting stuck in to the trials programme."

Work under the programme involved equipping the ship with Phalanx defensive Close in Weapon System, a new propulsion cooling system to allow the ship to operate more effectively in warmer climates, upgraded surveillance radar and a combat system computer brain to manage all the on-board weapons and systems.

Babcock project manager James Morton said: “It’s been fantastic to see Albion grow over the past two years into the advanced and sophisticated warship that she is now.

"Babcock and all of the team are immensely proud of the project and we wish the Captain and all the crew every success and look forward to continuing our support to the Royal Navy."

The Royal Navy notes that HMS Albion will now undertake an intensive sea trials package to confirm performance of all systems, followed by operational sea training exercises.

Image: HMS Albion along side in Devonport. Photo: courtesy of Royal Navy.

Naval Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Naval Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Virtualitics has secured the Innovation and Business Expansion awards for its Integrated Readiness Optimization (IRO) suite. Discover how its explainable AI is transforming maintenance, sustainment and mission readiness, giving defence leaders faster, clearer, and more confident operational decisions.

Discover the Impact