Two Devonport-based Royal Navy ships have been sold to the Brazilian Navy for a cut price according to SW Devon MP Rebecca Smith.

"In January I asked the Labour Defence Secretary when the replacements for Plymouth's HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion would enter service. No answer. The following month I asked if Plymouth's warships were being flogged to a foreign navy. It was dismissed as mere speculation.

She said: "It has just been revealed that that foreign navy is Brazil.

"HMS Bulwark has just undergone a £72.1m refit. What deal has the Labour Government brokered for Plymouth's warships? A mere £20m, £52m less than the cost of Bulwark's refit!

"Their replacements won't be ready until 2033 – an eight year capability gap – and, to add insult to injury, Brasilia's bargain will mean that the Brazilian Navy will soon have a greater amphibious capability than the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines.

"This move is a hit to Plymouth's military prestige, risks our nation's security at a time of global upheaval and stands in direct contradiction with the Labour Government's promise to reinvest in our Armed Forces."

The agreement comes during the bicentennial year of diplomatic relations between Brazil and the United Kingdom.

The acquisition of the Albion-class landing platform docks (LPDs) boost Brazil’s capacity for amphibious operations, disaster relief, and humanitarian response.

They join the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean which was previously sold to the country.

As well as military applications the ships will be able to help provide relief for natural disasters such as last year’s floods in Rio Grande do Sul and the 2023 floods in Sao Sebastiano.

HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark date back to the late 1990s and early 2000s and were designed to transport large numbers of troops, vehicles and cargo.

They both have flight decks capable of supporting heavy helicopter operations.