The UK Royal Marines are set to significantly enhance their amphibious capabilities with a fleet of six new multirole support ships (MRSS), the Royal Navy announced recently.

These vessels, part of the Ministry of Defence’s MRSS program, are scheduled to replace HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, the current amphibious flagships, as well as three other Bay-class platforms, and support ship RFA Argus by 2033/2034.

Designed to carry a vast array of military hardware including drones, larger aircraft, and insertion craft, the MRSS also holds the capacity to operate as casualty receiving ships, providing urgent medical care to sailors and marines.

Addressing concerns over the premature retirement of HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, which had stirred worries among lawmakers due to recruitment challenges, the Ministry of Defence clarified in January that the ships would serve until their planned out-of-service dates.

With the program’s total cost yet to be finalized, the MoD has initiated a first (concept) stage and is engaging with industry partners to develop the design of these state-of-the-art vessels. A spokesperson highlighted, “All Royal Navy warships are designed to meet Naval survivability standards, as a minimum to protect our sailors and marines.” They added that the ongoing concept phase is considering cost and capability trade-offs within a set of key user requirements and wider fleet assumptions.

The Royal Navy has a select pool of domestic shipbuilders for the MRSS project, including Babcock, BAE Systems, Camell Laird, and Harland & Wolff. A spokesperson for BAE Systems welcomed the development: “We have a long history of supporting Royal Navy shipbuilding… and we look forward to working with the UK Ministry of Defence and industry partners on the next phase of the program.”

The commitment to these advanced warships reflects the UK’s broader naval modernization efforts, which include the procurement of new Type 26 and Type 31 frigates. UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, speaking at the annual Sea Power Conference in London, lauded this as “a golden age for British shipbuilding,” supported by the recent decision to ramp up UK defense spending to 2.5 percent GDP by 2030.

Despite the optimism, the future of defense spending hinges on political tides, as it’s dependent on the Conservative Party securing victory in the upcoming general election, while polls suggest a shift in power to the Labour Party.

A report by the Council on Geostrategy accentuated the need for the UK to bolster its naval capabilities to address the Euro-Atlantic security concerns and the growing geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific. To achieve this, the Royal Navy must escalate lethality, mass, survivability, and integration efforts, and enhance the potential of Britain’s aircraft carriers by securing more US F-35B fifth-generation fighter jets.

These future MRSS vessels are engineered to be versatile and adaptable, with the ability to swiftly deploy on a variety of operations. They are envisioned to be fully interoperable with the nation’s closest European allies and NATO partners. The First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key, expressed his enthusiasm: “These will be the most capable amphibious warships the nation has ever owned.”

MRSS ships will draw on lessons from current global military engagements, such as the conflict in Ukraine and Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, to be equipped for a “new military age.” The design will allow them to carry a broad array of unmanned systems alongside traditional vehicles and aircraft, underscoring their multi-role nature.

In his statements, Defence Secretary Shapps underscored the strategic intent behind the MRSS, aiming to ensure that the Royal Marines are equipped to manage future conflicts effectively.

The new warships, flexible in their design, signify a step forward in modernizing the UK’s maritime force projection and consolidating its position as a leading naval power.

As the UK forges ahead with its ambition to enhance the Royal Marines’ amphibious assault capabilities and overall naval strength, these new MRSS vessels stand as a testament to its commitment to maintaining a formidable presence on the global stage.

Relevant articles:
– UK Royal Marines to acquire 6 new multirole support ships, cost yet to be decided, Breaking Defense
– Britain getting six new amphibious warships, UK Defence Journal
– Six new amphibious warships to be built for Royal Marines operations, Royal Navy
– Shapps says new ships for Royal Marines will learn lessons from Ukraine war, Yahoo News UK