The Ship's Capacities

HMS Bulwark is similar in size to the Royal Navy's current aircraft carriers, and has a ship's company of 380, a quarter of whom comprise 4 Assault Squadron Royal Marines. The ship can also carry up to 700 troops and her flight deck can accommodate one Chinook or three Merlin helicopters. A large floodable dock holds four large landing craft - with another four carried on davits on the ship's side.

The ship's primary function is to act as the floating command platform for the Commander Amphibious Task Force (CATF), which includes duties of naval Task Group Commander (CTG) and Commander Landing Force (CLF) while embarked. The ship is also to embark and transport, deploy and recover by air and surface means, troops, their equipment, vehicles and miscellaneous cargo forming part of an Amphibious Assault Force.

Fully laden at 18400 tonnes, HMS Bulwark is 176m x 32.2m x 7.1m and is powered by two 6.25MW and two 1.56MW diesel generators driving two AC motors through twin shafts and a bowthrust unit, all operating at 6.6KV. She is the Royal Navy's first Integrated 'Full Electric Propulsion' ship.

Equipped with a well dock, large stern gate (97 tonnes) and side access ramps, she will operate four 'Landing Craft Utility' (LCU Mk 10s) and a further four 'Landing Craft Vehicles Personnel' (LCVP Mk 5s) from davits.

To embark and disembark the four larger landing craft, the stern of the ship is flooded, the stern gate opens, and the vessels sail into what is, in effect, a fully equipped 'dock'.

Able to operate two Merlin sized helicopters from her 64-metre flight deck, HMS Bulwark is also equipped with a modern combat system, integrated communication suite and close-in weapons system. The vessel is designed with a range of approximately 8,000 miles, speed of about 18 knots, has a ship’s company of 342 and an 'Embarked Military Force' of 305 with a further 405 in overload.

Captain's Blog
History of the ship
The ship's affiliations