One of the Royal Navy’s largest ships, the 18,000-tonne Albion class amphibious assault vessel and landing ship HMS Bulwark, arrived at Southampton on 22 September for a four-day visit in support of the PSP Southampton Boat Show. HMS Bulwark hosted a capability demonstration and reception for invited guests during the first evening of her stay.
Over three days the public were able to tour the ship and talk to crew about the ship herself, their experiences within the service and the work of the modern Royal Navy.
In October HMS Bulwark, which was commissioned in December 2004, led the Royal Navy’s participation in the latest Joint Warrior exercise in Scotland. Between them, ten nations committed land, sea and air forces to the two-week work-out, the largest such exercise staged in the UK this autumn. The exercise, ranging from Faslane to Cape Wrath, tested NATO forces across the full spectrum of 21st century conflict, from fending off air attack to hunting for mines.
