English 
Spanish 
3 min read
0 comments
The UK government is under fire for allegedly selling warships to the Brazilian Navy for less than the amount invested in their repairs.
The British government is under fire for apparently selling two ships from the Royal Navy to Brazil for a price considered below fair value. The alleged ships sold are HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, which were reportedly purchased by Brazil for £20 million, despite the UK having invested a considerably larger amount to repair the vessels in recent years
Even though the sale has not been confirmed, the speculated value has generated reactions in the United Kingdom, which considers the price to be a discrepancy compared to the costs of maintaining the ships.
Possible sale of two ships causes controversy in the UK
The decision to retire HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark was taken last year when the UK government announced the withdrawal of the two amphibious assault ships.
- Canadian government cancels $100 million Starlink contract, suggests 100% tariff on Tesla electric cars
- Oil up 2%: How gasoline inventories and the US CPI impact a tense global market
- Ready for war? North Korea announces its first nuclear submarine
- France drew up its nuclear plan without the US in 1958 – now Europe can depend on it for its own defense!
The UK's ruling Labour government argues that the ships were retired as part of a process to cut defence spending.
The UK Ministry of Defence has invested millions of pounds in refurbishing the ships over the past 14 years.
HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark have undergone costly refits totalling £132,7 million since 2010, Defence Minister Maria Eagle said.
In addition, there were plans for further investment, including an estimated £72,1 million in repairs to HMS Bulwark between 2022 and 2025. However, the ships were retired before the refit was completed.
Criticism of the decision to sell the ships to Brazil
British experts and parliamentarians were also concerned about the hypothetical sale of the ships.
Shadow Defence Minister Mark Francois commented on the speculation, noting that in 2015 the Parliament's Defence Committee had withdrawn the ships from the fleet, deeming it a "militarily senseless" move.
For him, this possible sale of important assets such as these two ships to Brazil for such a low value also represents a financial error.
The UK strategy
A British military source also warned that if the sale of large-capacity vessels goes through, the UK would be compromising its ability to operate in the future.
According to this source, if the country continues to sell strategic assets, it could weaken its Navy.
Brazil, on the other hand, will be left with a robust naval force, as HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark are very versatile and can be used in a range of missions, such as evacuations, combat operations and humanitarian missions.
If the information about the sale is true, it is seen as a short-term measure, without considering the long-term impacts on national defense.
To date, the British government has not officially commented on the criticisms and accusations related to the sale of ships to Brazil.
Source: Naval Power
