Royal Navy: New “multi-role” strike ships replacing HMS Albion and Bulwark to be fitted with advanced tech

Further information has been published about the new Multi Role Strike Ships (MRSS). These vessels are due to replace HMS Albion and Bulwark, two Landing Platform Docks which were officially retired in November last year.

Military officials told the Naval News the programme will entering the assessment phase in 2026, where capability requirements and design implications will be considered. The current concept phase involves extensive operational analysis, wargaming, and design reviews.

Captain Derek Powles, the Royal Navy’s MRSS Programme Director, provided further information at the Combined Naval Event 2025 conference in Farnborough last month. He said: “As we commence the assessment phase, there will be challenges in trying to balance the space, weight, power, and costs of all these requirements.

“That’s going to need us to think differently, and to incorporate design innovation, modularity, and technology that can achieve our levels of ambition. This cannot simply be an Albion class (landing platform dock) in the 2030s.”

What could the Multi Role Strike Ships look like?

The Naval News reports that the core designs and capabilities will be outlined to support the Royal Navy’s amphibious capabilities. Each ship will include include a well dock, longer-range insertion craft, a flight deck supported by a hangar, a mission bay to operate drone carriers for maritime un-crewed systems (MUS), and being “fitted for but not with” advanced capabilities such as directed energy weapons (DEW).

Installing a vertical launching system could be considered. The MRSS will be designed to support the requirements of the Royal Marines, who will be adapted to a specialist amphibious force and re-equipped accordingly.

The Strategic Defence Review said the role of the marines will be to support Nato and carry out other requirements in extreme environments like the Arctic. Three of the six MRSS platforms are currently funded. They will support the operation of littoral response groups, which can deploy Royal Marines to specific geographic areas.

The intent is for the first class of these vessels to be rolled out in 2033. The sale of HMS Albion and Bulwark to Brazil is currently ongoing. A statement of intent for the sale between the Ministry of Defence and the South American nation was signed in May.