Will HMS Ocean Find a Buyer in Asia?

[dr demented]

The odds on favorite is Brazil to get the ship.  But if that deal doesn't go through.........

As the article suggests, imagine if Malaysia or Indonesia get HMS Ocean instead.

http://thediplomat.com/2017/04/will-hms-ocean-find-a-buyer-in-asia/

Will HMS Ocean Find a Buyer in Asia?

Could HMS Ocean find its next steward in the Asia-Pacific?

By Robert Farley
April 14, 2017

It looks as if HMS Ocean is for sale.

Constructed between 1993 and 1998, HMS Ocean has served as the Royal Navy’s primary amphibious assault ship since commissioning. She displaces 21,000 tons, makes 18 knots, and can carry up to 18 helicopters. She also has facilities for carrying and deploying boats, marines, and ground vehicles. In short, HMS Ocean is a fairly standard big, flat-decked amphibious warship, with a decent amount of wear and tear but also with some years left in her service window. The Royal Navy expects to need her less in anticipation of the completion of its two new large carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.

The asking price for HMS Ocean appears quite low; reportedly around $75 million, payable in installments. Of course, costs associated with maintenance and the acquisition of helicopters would be more significant, but should be manageable for any navy that already has some experience with maritime helicopters.

Rumor now has it that Brazil is the most likely buyer. Earlier this year, Brazil finally gave up on the NAe Sao Paulo, an older aircraft carrier purchased in 2000 from France. This leaves Brazil without a (semi) operational carrier for the first time since 1960. But deals can fall apart and re-materialize quickly; recall that no one expected Egypt to acquire the two ex-French, almost-Russian Mistral-class amphibs until it suddenly did. If Brazil doesn’t buy, a few nations in the Asia-Pacific might be interested.

The Royal Malaysian Navy has undertaken significant modernization efforts over the past decade, including the acquisition of modern submarines, frigates, and patrol aircraft. The leap to a 21,000 ton helicopter carrier would be quite a jump, but Malaysia’s strategic situation encourages such thinking; a wide maritime space, with many islands and extremely busy shipping routes is an ideal environment for a mid-range amphibious warship.

The Indonesian Navy faces strategic and operational problems similar to those of Malaysia, only more so; it needs to patrol a huge maritime space while also maintaining HA/DR capabilities. A big amphib is perfect for these kinds of responsibilities, and HMS Ocean could help Indonesia develop the expertise necessary to operating a next generation warship.

Chile operates a small but modern fleet, and historically has displayed periodic interest in large ships. Given long-term tensions between Chile and Argentina, London might find the idea of transferring the carrier to Santiago particularly appealing.

Mexico represents a conundrum for naval analysts; a large, wealthy country with a substantial coastline, and very real maritime monitoring issues, but with virtually no high-end navy to speak of. Although Mexico is not as dependent on maritime trade as many other countries (given the amount of exports that passes by truck or rail to the United States), shipping still accounts for a significant percentage of Mexican exports. And Mexico is certainly wealthy enough to experiment with a “starter” carrier such as HMS Ocean. However, even if Mexico acquired Ocean, it is likely that the navy would use the ship in the Caribbean, rather than the Pacific.

Other potential targets include Pakistan and Taiwan, although sale to either would generate significant political problems with India and China, respectively. Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, South Korea, and Japan already have ships in the same general class as Ocean, so likely are not plausible landing spots. In any case, the transfer of HMS Ocean to a new navy would represent the continuation of a trend that has been developing since the 1990s: the spread of amphibious warships around the world’s fleets.

[mamiyapis]

It depends how creative the PN could get in justifying the ship, but USD 75 million for an LHD is cheap, especially given her previous owners and the ship's capabilities.

She was refitted as recently as 2014 and is only being retired as cost-saving measure for the cash-strapped British. It would mess up any Chinese Navy planner's day if the PN were able to acquire such a ship.

[El_Filibusterismo1978]

is the price includes the CIWS and the sensors?, Mr. M?

[LionFlyer]

If PN has money to spend (80 to 100 million pounds), there are other priorities such as replacing the WWII PCEs. The operating cost, aviation assets and manpower needed to run HMS Ocean are considerable that it leaves only a few navies in running.

Other than Brazil, I will guess Canada as the other non Asian candidate.

[Ayoshi]

Brazilian government authorises purchase of UK’s HMS Ocean | Janes - 05 December 2017

The Brazilian Navy requested this authorisation in early 2017 after a decision to retire its NAe São Paulo aircraft carrier, and after the Royal Navy said the LPH could be available for sale once decommissioned in March 2018.

Ocean would be inspected by Brazilian Navy officers before that, while authorisation from the US government is also being requested as the ship has some US-built components.

The UK Royal Navy&#8217;s HMS <I>Ocean</I> helicopter carrier may next be heading to Brazilian service. (Crown Copyright/UK Ministry of Defence)

[dr demented]

Sale price to Brazil is 84 million pounds.

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/brazil-purchase-hms-ocean-84-million/?utm_source=TW&utm_medium=Twitter&utm_campaign=social

Brazil announce purchase of HMS Ocean for £84 million
By
George Allison -
January 2, 2018

We were informed by a source in the Brazilian defence community that the vessel has been sold for £84 million.

Roberto Lopes has informed us that the purchase of HMS Ocean by the Brazilian Navy was confirmed within the last week by Brazilian Defence Minister Raul Jungmann.

We understand the first group of four Brazilian officers will head to the UK within the next few weeks.

We also understand that there are doubts over the retention of the Phalanx CIWS by Brazil but are unsure regarding the reasons why. The vessel will remain in the UK until October or November this year.

We broke the news in March that Brazil was interested in helicopter carrier HMS Ocean, this has now been confirmed by the Brazilian government.

Then in April, we reported that the Brazilian Navy had reportedly sent a proposal to pay for helicopter carrier HMS Ocean in instalments.

HMS Ocean is the UK’s only helicopter carrier and the fleet flagship of the Royal Navy. She is designed to support amphibious landing operations and to support the staff of Commander UK Amphibious Force and Commander UK Landing Force.

According to Brazilian journalist Roberto Lopes in an e-mail to us, the ship’s cost to the Brazilian Navy is fixed at £84.3 million pounds (312 million Brazilian Reais). Commander of the Brazilian Navy, Admiral Eduardo Leal Ferreira, claimed that the price of Ocean seemed “convenient”.

Then this week, IHS Janes reported that Brazil’s MoD authorised efforts to purchase Ocean once she leaves UK service.

We understand from Roberto Lopes via e-mail, the source who let us know that Brazil has already submitted a payment plan for the vessel, that the officers involved in the ship acquisition process are optimistic and are already discussing details beyond the technical and financial assessments that have been made, such as the name of the ship.

“Minas Gerais is the strongest designation at the time. Rio de Janeiro was ‘saved’ for the future aircraft carrier. However, nothing definite. Only with the execution of the acquisition is that defined.”

According to someone we spoke to earlier in the year currently on-board the vessel, there were rumours that this is one of a number of possibilities:

“People have been talking about what will happen to the ship after 2018, there were rumours that the vessel might be sold to another navy but there’s been no mention of what navy that might be.”

The helicopter carrier was constructed in the mid-1990s and commissioned in September 1998. In November 2015, the MoD confirmed that HMS Ocean is to be decommissioned in 2018 with no like-for-like replacement.

This comes as the Brazilian Navy have decided to abandon the refit of the  aircraft carrier Sao Paulo and decommission the vessel after a series of technical issues and accidents. Rectification costs are understood to be a major factor in this decision.

The Sao Paulo is a Clemenceau class aircraft carrier commissioned in 1963 by the French Navy as Foch and was transferred in 2000 to Brazil, where she became the new flagship of the Brazilian Navy. The earlier intention of the navy was that the vessel would continue in active service until 2039, at which time the vessel would be nearly 80 years old. IHS Janes reported that during its career with the Brazilian Navy, São Paulo has suffered from ‘serviceability issues and has never managed to operate for more than three months at a time without the need for repairs and maintenance’. It is no surprise therefore that the navy have now announced, as reported by DefesaNet, that the ship will be ‘demobilised and subsequently decommissioned’.

[dr demented]

The sale to Brazil is now official. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/02/17/mod-sells-royal-navy-flagship-hms-ocean-brazil-84m/

MoD sells Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean to Brazil for £84m

By Hannah Boland

17 February 2018 • 12:01am

The Ministry of Defence has sold the Royal Navy flagship, HMS Ocean, to Brazil for around £84m, in a bid to plug a major funding black hole in its accounts.

HMS Ocean had already been due to be decommissioned later this year and be replaced by HMS Queen Elizabeth as the UK's new flagship.

The 22,000-ton vessel, which entered service in 1998, provided hurricane support in the Caribbean last year and played a key security role in the London 2012 Olympics.

The Brazilian Navy will pay for modifications to the ship, to be undertaken by UK firms Babcock and BAE Systems, and will then take possession of HMS Ocean in June.

Its sale, which was rumoured earlier this year, follows a scathing report from the National Audit Office late last month of the MoD's accounts.

In the report, the national spending watchdog warned of a £5bn funding black hole to the MoD's 10-year plan, which it said could possibly balloon to £21bn should price rises occur and "ambitious" cost-savings not be achieved.

The MoD is planning to spend £179.7bn over the next decade on equipment, including on five Type 31e frigates and on its replacement Trident submarine programme.



Announcing the sale today, Clive Walker, of the Defence Equipment Sales Authority, which handled the transaction, said it would "provide a financial return to the UK which will now be reinvested in defence".

However, it could prompt questions to resurface over why the MoD agreed to a £65m refit of the vessel just four years ago, given it is now being decommissioned and sold.

The overhaul involved an upgrade of all communications and weapons systems, and took fifteen months in total.

The Government has said it took the decision to pay for a refit at that time due to safety requirements, despite knowing that the vessel's decommissioning date would be 2018.

It said by that year HMS Ocean would have "reached the end of her life".

[Ayoshi]

UK confirms LPH sale to Brazil | Janes - 20 February 2018

Under a sales agreement signed on 19 February, the Brazilian Navy will take possession of the 22,000-tonne specialist amphibious aviation ship in June this year. The deal includes modifications to Ocean to be completed by Babcock and BAE Systems prior to the handover.

< snipped >

Ocean completed its last operational deployment in December 2017, and will formally decommission in Devonport at the end of March. The sale to Brazil was managed by the Defence Equipment Sales Authority, which is part of the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Equipment and Support organisation.

The UK Royal Navy's landing platform helicopter HMS will be formally decommissioned in late March ahead of handover to the Brazilian Navy in June. Source: Crown Copyright

[adroth]

MoD sells Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean to Brazil for £84m
 Hannah Boland
17 FEBRUARY 2018 • 12:01AM

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/02/17/mod-sells-royal-navy-flagship-hms-ocean-brazil-84m/

The Ministry of Defence has sold the Royal Navy flagship, HMS Ocean, to Brazil for around £84m, in a bid to plug a major funding black hole in its accounts.

HMS Ocean had already been due to be decommissioned later this year and be replaced by HMS Queen Elizabeth as the UK's new flagship.

The 22,000-ton vessel, which entered service in 1998, provided hurricane support in the Caribbean last year and played a key security role in the London 2012 Olympics.

< Edited >

[Ayoshi]

Royal Navy decommissions HMS Ocean | Naval Today

HMS Ocean was retired after 20 years of service and 50,000 miles covered during deployments around the world.

Since commissioning into Royal Navy in 1998 she has been involved in operation Palliser during the Sierra Leone civil war in 2000, operation Telic off the coast of Iraq in 2003, operation Ellamy as part of an international coalition in Libya in 2011, and most recently the hurricane relief contingent on operation Ruman in the Caribbean.

The decision to decommission HMS Ocean was made as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) 2015 and the ships was sold to Brazil this year.

Photo: Royal Navy

[Ayoshi]

Brazil commissions helicopter carrier | Janes - 29 June 2018

The Brazilian Navy commissioned the multi-purpose helicopter carrier PHM Atlantico (A140) on 29 June in the United Kingdom.

The ship, formerly the UK Royal Navy's HMS Ocean (L12), was purchased by the Brazilian Navy through a BRL381.081 million (USD98.76 million) deal on 19 February.

HMS Ocean was commissioned in September 1998 and decommissioned on 27 March at HM Naval Base Devonport in Plymouth. In the Royal Navy the ship will be replaced by the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R 09).

The helicopter carrier package for Brazil includes an Artisan 3D search radar, KH1007 surface surveillance radar system, four 30 mm DS30M Mk 2 remote weapon systems and four Mk 5B landing craft.

The Brazilian Navy commissioned the helicopter carrier PHM Atlantico in the UK on 29 June. The ship is due to reach its homeport, Arsenal do Rio de Janeiro, on 25 August. Source: Marinha do Brasil

[Ayoshi]

Brazil considers helicopter carrier modernisation | Janes - 19 March 2019

Among the components being considered for replacement, installation, or mondernisation are navigation and precision approach radar systems, a command-and-control system at the operational level for use by an embarked command force, and a new self-protection system to complement the existing four 30 mm DS30M Mk2 remote-controlled weapon stations. The navy is looking at an existing system – either gun- or missile-based – as a possible replacement.

PHM <I>Atlantico</I> helicopter carrier is presently the flagship of the Brazilian Navy. (Brazilian Navy)

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/article/89574/brazilian-navy-s-phm-atlantico-takes-centre-stage

Brazilian Navy’s PHM Atlantico takes centre stage
28 June 2019

Since the Brazilian Navy has formally decommissioned the aircraft carrier NAe São Paulo (A12) on 22 November 2018, PHM Atlantico (A140) multipurpose amphibious helicopter carrier (Porta-Helicópteros Multipropósito) has assumed the service's flagship role.

The purchase of PHM Atlantico enabled the Brazilian Navy to restore its amphibious aviation capability, the ship's commander, Captain Giovani Corrêa, told Jane's. The ship is to carry out a range of other roles such as amphibious assault, troop and equipment transport, humanitarian aid, command-and-control, and more.

< snipped >

Several systems were removed prior to transfer to Brazil, including the ship's electronic support measures (ESM) system, communication systems, three Phalanx Mk15 Block 1B weapon systems, four 7.62 mm M134D machine guns, and a towed sonar system.

[adroth]

The HMS Ocean; Britain's biggest warship and the flagship of The Royal Navy, as she deploys on a sensitive seven-month journey to the Middle East.

She's a floating village with her own hospital, shop, police force, church, bank, laundry, gym and even pubs. However, this village is an amphibious assault weapon - designed to sail across the world and, when necessary, bring violence to the enemy. Its population of military personnel is, surprisingly, mostly not gung-ho, but a funny and often thoughtful set of people living in and operating a highly complex war-making machine. And they love their ship.

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