Ocean was designed to provide the amphibious assault capabilities for marines but is also capable of supporting afloat training and acting as a base facility for other embarked forces, including counter-terrorism units.
She has capacity to carry 40 vehicles and 830 troops, which she can land using helicopters and craft carried on davids (specifically 1 Pacific 22 Mk2 seaboat and four LCVP Mk5B) and an organic pontoon. She can support a mix of some 18 attack and transport helicopters (Wildcat, Merlin, Chinook, Apache).
In PN service, in an amphibious assault role, she could operate PA and/or PAF Mi-17, and PA Aerospatiale Puma / Fennec, Bell UH-1 Huey, Bell 412 Twin Huey transport helicopters. These could be backed by Mi-35 Hind or Bell AH-1.
Although she has no ASW sensors or weapons, HMS
Ocean is also capable of limited anti-submarine warfare activities: she could support a number of ASW helicopters e.g. PN Westland Sea Kings and Z-9s. A ship carrying, say, 12 ASW helicopters and 6 attack helicopters, would be something to recon with, although due to her light self-defence armament (4 × 30mm DS30M Mk2 guns, 3 × Phalanx CIWS, 4 × Miniguns, 8 × General purpose machine gun, plus
UAT Electronic Support Measures, DLH decoy Launchers and Surface Ship Torpedo Defence), she would be very dependent her escorts for protection.
https://jacknicholson1963.wordpress...and-eventually-replace-hms-ocean-starts-here/
However, if looking for a ship that can combine e.g. peacetime anti-piracy duties and wartime ASW duties ....
http://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/a-ship-that-still-isnt-a-frigate/
The Malaysian Navy converted the Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC) Bunga Mas Lima into an auxiliary patrol ship, equipped with a helicopter pad and hangar, small boat handling systems and personnel accommodation for seventy.
The Bunga Mas Lima (BM5) has achieved some success in the counter-piracy role. Another vessel, the Bunga Mas Enam (BM6), has also been converted, rescuing the MT Bunga Laurel from Somali pirates in 2013. Both vessels are owned and crewed by
MISC but the security personnel and aircrew are from the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF).
The Malaysian MoD have published an excellent overview of OP FAJAR, their efforts to combat pirate activity in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, click
here to read.
Conversion included modification to accommodate extra crew, fittings for launching rigid hull inflatable boats, a helicopter deck to accommodate landing/take-off and a hangar. The foreword crane of Bunga Mas Lima was taken out since it presence inhibited helicopter landing while the 2nd crane were rested to the starboard side of the ship above the hangar. She carrier 1 helicopter (Eurocopter Fennec or AgustaWestland Superlynx
I can easily see a variant with 2 hangars (i.e. 2 helicopters) and some container mounted selfdefence equipment e.g. a remote control pedestal mounted MANPADs, some 20-30mm cannon, a decoy/chaff/flare launcher. But nothing fancy.
http://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/a-ship-that-still-isnt-a-frigate/getting-fighty/
This with 2 frigates as escorts doubles a group's ASW helicopter load out, at a fraction of the cost of a frigate platform.
