The UK and Bangladesh have finalised a government-to-government agreement for the transfer of the former HMS Enterprise, an Echo-class hydrographic and oceanographic survey vessel, to the Bangladesh Navy.
The signing took place at Bangladesh Navy’s headquarters after extensive technical discussions involving the Bangladesh Navy, the UK Ministry of Defence, and the Royal Navy.
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Officials from both countries attended the ceremony, including the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Sarah Cooke, Defence Attaché at the British High Commission Dhaka, commander Lee Norton.
Representing Bangladesh were chief of Naval Staff admiral M. Nazmul Hassan, and assistant chief of naval staff (logistics) rear admiral Jahangir Adil Samdany.
Sarah Cooke said: “The sale of this survey vessel reflects the deep trust and strong cooperation between the United Kingdom and Bangladesh. HMS Enterprise served the Royal Navy with distinction, and we are proud to see her begin a new chapter supporting Bangladesh’s maritime capability and our shared commitment to a secure and prosperous Bay of Bengal.”
The vessel will support Bangladesh’s maritime security operations and regional stability efforts. It is expected to enhance hydrographic, oceanographic, and scientific research capabilities, as well as provide research opportunities for universities in Bangladesh.
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By GlobalDataHMS Enterprise entered service with the Royal Navy in October 2003 and was decommissioned on 30 March 2023 at a ceremony held at Portsmouth Naval Base.
The ship is one of two Echo-class vessels designed by STX Marine for military oceanographic surveys and data gathering.
Echo-class ships are fitted with multibeam sonar systems, thermographic imaging technology that uses an infrared focal plane array for fault detection in ship systems, and a Survey Motor Boat (SMB) named Pathfinder.
The survey vessel is 90.6 metres (m) long with a beam of 16.8m and a displacement of 3,740 tonnes.
It is capable of reaching speeds up to 15 knots and has a maximum range of 9,300 nautical miles at a speed of 12 knots.
