Last week as Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry I visited Brazil and Chile where I attended various events and spoke to my counterparts in their respective governments. This included negotiating with Brazil on their buying two of our decommissioned naval vessels, about which we signed a statement of intent to continue talks.

This follows on from their purchase of the former HMS Ocean, an amphibious helicopter landing platform that was decommissioned by the Royal Navy in 2018. Now renamed NAM Atlantico, it is the flagship of the Brazilian Navy and was used as field hospital for rescue efforts during the 2023 Sao Paulo floods and landslides. I was pleased to visit the Atlantico and see that it’s useful life has been extended.