The Navy’s new assault ship HMS Albion is due to arrive in Plymouth Sound today for the first visit to the city which will be her home for up to 30 years.

Albion will displace almost 20,000 tons when she is fully loaded, and can carry up to 700 Royal Marines commandos and up to 60 vehicles, ranging from trucks to battle tanks.

She carries eight new landing craft to move men and equipment ashore quickly, and can also operate large troop-carrying helicopters to deliver an airborne assault.

She also has the largest and most sophisticated battle command centre afloat in the Royal Navy.

Defence Procurement Minister Lord Bach said: “HMS Albion will be a pivotal element of the MOD’s amphibious warfare capabilities when she enters service later this year, and a tribute to the workforce at her shipbuilders, BAE Systems at Barrow-in-Furness.

“She will be based in Plymouth with our other front-line Royal Navy-crewed amphibious warfare vessels, including the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean and Albion’s sister ship, HMS Bulwark, when she enters service.

“We have decided to bring together our new amphibious shipping and the men these vessels will carry into combat, 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, which has its headquarters and the majority of its units in the West of England.

“This will make Plymouth our centre of excellence for amphibious warfare.

“Many of the ships and men and women of the Royal Navy and 3 Commando Brigade based in Plymouth and the West of England are engaged in operations within and around Iraq. We are pleased with the progress of the campaign so far – it is going well and initial objectives have been achieved.”

Albion will arrive in Devonport under the Blue Ensign, as she has yet to be handed over to the MOD by BAE Systems and is under the control of a civilian ship’s master appointed by the company.

The handover is expected to take place later this month, and after further trials, Albion should go into service in July.

Albion (L14) was launched on March 9 2001, and is similar in configuration to the ships which she and Bulwark replace, Fearless and Intrepid. The new ships have a well-dock with stern-gate access, and the addition of side-access ramps.