| Aziz Idris |
EIGHTY Year 6 students from International School Brunei (ISB) were treated to a tour on board the largest UK Royal Navy warship – HMS Albion – at Muara Commercial Port yesterday as part of her four-day goodwill visit to the Sultanate.
Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Muda ‘Abdul Muntaqim ibni Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah was present to grace the visit. On hand to greet Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Muda ‘Abdul Muntaqim and the delegation from ISB was HMS Albion’s Commanding Officer, Captain Tim Neild.
The tour of the ship focussed around her capabilities both as an amphibious assault ship, and command and control platform. Most of the ship’s Royal Marines are conducting a training exercise in Brunei’s jungle. There were a number of practical displays that allowed the students to get ‘hands-on’ with the kit.
HMS Albion is the first of the Royal Navy’s two Albion class amphibious assault ships. Their role is to deliver Royal Marines ashore by air and by sea, with landing craft from her internal dock and helicopters from her two-spot flight deck. She can carry an Embarked Military Force of 256 Royal Marines together with their vehicles and combat supplies. She is the ninth warship to bear the name HMS Albion – one of her predecessors played a significant role contributing to security operations in Borneo in the 1960s.
According to the UK Royal Navy, HMS Albion has been deployed to Southeast Asia to promote peace, security and prosperity. Her deployment this year, together with the Royal Navy frigates HMS Sutherland and HMS Argyll, will involve a mix of bilateral and multilateral exercises as well as training with regional partners and allies in support of the maintenance of global security and order.
HMS Albion was built at Barrow-in-Furness, where she was launched in March 2001 by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. HMS Albion was commissioned in June 2003 and is based in Devonport Plymouth, home of the Royal Navy’s amphibious capability. She rejoined the fleet in July 2017 after a two year £90 million upgrade.
HMS Albion’s vehicle deck can carry up to six Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks or around 30 Viking armoured all-terrain vehicles. These can be landed ashore by her four landing craft utility carried in her internal floodable dock.
She also carries four smaller landing craft externally on her davits. She does not have a hanger but is equipped to support aircraft operations.
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