H.M.S Ocean- Amphibious Helicopter Carrier

1,000 tonnes heavier than the Invincible Class Aircraft carriers, H.M.S Ocean is the largest vessel built for the Royal Navy for over 40 years and is the first purpose built helicopter carrier. Officially designated as a Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) she is also referred to as a 'Commando Carrier' and sometimes as an assault ship. Her entry into service heralds the renaissance of both the Royal Navy Amphibious Forces and along with the Dutch vessel Rotterdam, the Anglo-Netherlands Amphibious force. Along with the LPD and LSL replacements Ocean provides Britain with the newest and strongest amphibious force in Europe.

Conceived at the end of the Cold War H.M.S Ocean is technically a long overdue replacement for the commando carrier Hermes, paid off in 1984 and sold to India two years later. Originally envisaged as an Aviation Support Ship (ASS), emphasis was placed on Amphibious capability and the design evolved into an amphibious helicopter carrier. An invitation for tenders was placed in 1987 but Ocean was not ordered for another six years when the proposal of an LPH was reaffirmed in the Options for Change Defence Review. Originally envisaged as a two ship class only one has been ordered although there have been recent calls in Parliament for a second unit.

H.M.S Ocean can carry 500 troops and an extra 300 in emergencies. Her four large landing craft can carry a combined total of 800 men. She can operate 18 helicopters and in a time of war is capable of transporting and operating Sea Harrier Aircraft, which in extreme circumstances would means she would act as a fourth aircraft carrier. Ocean can carry 40 land rovers, 34 trailers and six light guns which like the troops can be embarked and disembarked through large side and stern ramps. As a major asset H.M.S Ocean can rely on the defence of a task force during any combat situation. Therefore she had limited self defence armaments:- Three Vulcan Phalanx close in weapon systems and Twin barreled 30mm machine guns. Ocean is powered by two Crossley-Pielstick diesel engines and has a maximum speed of 18 knots

H.M.S Ocean has a similar hull design to the Invincible class carriers but differs overall as she has stern and side loading ramps and no ski ramp. She was built to commercial standards at the Kvaerner Govan shipyard in Glasgow and fitted out with military equipment by VSEL in Barrow. Her construction cost £154 million- a similar price as a Type 23 frigate. With a complement of around just 265 men and women she is a lean manned vessel which is an important benefit to a navy struggling to meet recruitment targets. Incidentally, Ocean is fitted with a large crane on her flight deck that was taken from the Sea Bed Operations vessel Challenger. Ocean has a displacement of 21,578 tonnes, and measures 208 metres in length with a beam of 34.4 metres and a draught of 6.6 metres

H.M.S Ocean was built at the Kvaerner Govan Yard, Glasgow. She was launched without an official ceremony on 11^th October 1995 during which she sustained £1 million worth of damage to her bow. She then sailed in November 1996 to Barrow-in-Furness where she was fitted out by VSEL. However soon after completion Ocean was damaged when she churned up debris at the bottom of a basin, which were sucked into her propeller shaft cooling duct. Further problems arose when noxious gases escaped and urgent repairs to her sewage treatment plant were required. Ocean sailed to Portsmouth to undergo repairs to these defects. Leaving Portsmouth on June 12^th, Ocean was commissioned at her home port (Devonport) in a ceremony which included fly pasts by Lynx, Gazelle and Sea King helicopters, a Hercules transport and two Second World War Swordfish aircraft. As part of her sea trails she sailed to the Caribbean for warm weather trials where it was planned to test her air conditioning system, machinery and electronic equipment in a warm environment. However, H.M.S Ocean was diverted to Honduras where she provided much needed relief to those who were suffering after the terrible hurricanes. Following successful undertaking of warm climatic trials she undertook cold climate trails off Norway. During her Sea Trails she carried out a total of 900 aircraft test landings including Chinook, Sea King, Lynx and Gazelle. In 1999 Ocean was in the news again when the pre-scheduled exercise Aurora was redeployed, with many speculating the reason for the change being the Kosovo conflict and even a possible preparation for a ground invasion. Ocean was to be the star attraction of Plymouth Navy Days 1999 but was replaced by the carrier Illustrious (fresh out of refit with a new flight deck) when it was decided she would participate in exercise Argounaut99- the largest amphibious exercise since the 1982 Falklands conflict. Together with 16 other RN and RFA vessels Ocean sailed to the Mediterranean and Black Sea with an number of exercises including foreign warships from the USA, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands. During this exercise Ocean was diverted to provide humanitarian assistance to Turkey in the wake of a terrible earthquake. Ocean's Sea King Helicopters were involved in search and rescue operations and were responsible for locating several people trapped under wreckage and rubble. After the completion of Argounaut99 - Ocean's first operational deployment - she returned to Devonport for a maintenance period. In May 2000 Ocean and her Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) were deployed to the West African coast to support British forces in troubled Sierra Leone.

Ship Deatils

Above: H.M.S Ocean pictured at sea in 1998. © Crown Copyright.

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© Written and researched by Jeremy Olver. Last updated 29th October 2000. Disclaimer.