Albion and Bulwark were designed to replace Fearless and Intrepid, but planned facilities were removed during development. The deleted hospital would have supported casualties, while the gym would help Royal Marines remain fit during a long voyage before combat. Most consequentially, deleting the hangar made the ships dependent on HMS Ocean for sustained helicopter support. The decisions show how lessons about aviation and human endurance can be acknowledged after a war yet still lose to later budget assumptions.
Notable Point · 54:15-55:35
The amphibious lessons deleted from Albion and Bulwark
Planned hangar, hospital, and gym facilities disappeared from the Albion-class LPDs even though the Falklands had demonstrated the need to sustain helicopters, casualties, and embarked troops.