HMS Ocean to be sold to Brazil
The Royal Navy’s HMS Ocean will be sold to the government of Brazil when the vessel is retired from service in March 2018, the Ministry of Defence announced on 19 February.
The vessel is being sold to Brazil for £84 million under a programme to be managed by the Defence Equipment Sales Authority (DESA), which is part of the Ministry of Defence’s procurement organisation.
HMS Ocean entered service in 1998 and has supported operations around the globe, from Operation Palliser during the Sierra Leone conflict to Operation Ellamy as part of an international coalition in Libya in 2011. Over the course of its service life the vessel has covered more than 450,000 nautical miles.
Clive Walker, head of DESA, said: ‘We have a proven track record of supplying surplus defence equipment on a government to government basis. The successful sale of HMS Ocean to the Brazilian Navy will provide a financial return to the UK which will now be reinvested in defence.
The Brazilian Navy will take possession of the ship in June 2018. Modifications to the ship will be made by Babcock and BAE Systems ahead of delivery, with this work funded by Brazil.
More from Naval Warfare
-
Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA
The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.
-
Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development
Ukraine’s battlefield has rewritten the rules of uncrewed systems development. For Syos Aerospace, real-time operator feedback, lean serial production and a system-of-systems philosophy are central to its operating model.
-
AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise
The AUKUS partnership is accelerating uncrewed undersea capability while its submarine arm inches forward, and Australia’s decision to settle for three in-service Virginia-class boats raises questions about industrial risk, dependency and whether Pillar II may deliver meaningful capability long before Pillar I can.
-
Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America
With a growing pipeline of naval modernisation programmes in South America, South Korean companies could be set to expand their presence in the region as recent contract wins highlight growing collaboration.
-
AUKUS plan B? Japan’s submarines stopgap gains traction
Australia’s Collins-class life of type extension has revived debate over whether Canberra needs a contingency plan as risks to every stage of the AUKUS pathway mount. With Japan newly open to exports, the case for a diesel-electric stopgap is gaining traction.