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Echo-class survey ship (2002)

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For the earlier class of the same name, see Echo-class survey ship (1957).

The Echo class was a class of multi-purpose hydrographic survey ships in commission with the Royal Navy. The ships were primarily tasked with conducting survey work in support of submarine and amphibious operations, however, the class also has a secondary role in mine countermeasures. The two vessels of the class were the most recent additions to the Royal Navy's Hydrographic Squadron. Each ship displaced approximately 3,700 tonnes, and was equipped with a state of the art suite of equipment. The lead ship of the class, HMS Echo, was retired in 2022 and her sister ship in 2023.[6]

HMS Echo, 2011
Class overview
BuildersAppledore Shipbuilders, Bideford (Subcontracted from Vosper Thornycroft)
Operators Royal Navy
Built2000–2003
In commission2003–2023
Completed2
Retired2[1]
General characteristics [4]
Type
Displacement3,740 t (3,680 long tons)[5]
Length90.6 m (297 ft 3 in)
Beam16.8 m (55 ft 1 in)
Draught5.5 m (18 ft 1 in)
Propulsion
Speed15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Range9,300 nmi (17,200 km; 10,700 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Endurance35 days
Boats & landing
craft carried		Survey motor boat
Complement72
Sensors and
processing systems		Integrated survey system[N 2]
Armament

Design

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Echo and Enterprise were the first Royal Navy ships to be fitted with azimuth thrusters. Both azimuth thrusters and the bow thruster can be controlled through the integrated navigation system by a joystick providing high manoeuvrability. Complete control and monitoring for power generation and propulsion, together with all auxiliary plant systems, tank gauging and damage control functions is provided through the integrated platform management system (IPMS), accessible through workstations around the ship. The range of equipment carried includes the following:[4]

  • Multi beam echo sounder
  • Single beam echo sounder
  • Survey Planning and Processing Systems
  • Side-scan sonar
  • Oceanographic Probe and sensors
  • Undulating Oceanographic Profiler
  • Doppler Current Log
  • Sub-bottom Profiler
  • Bottom Sampling Equipment
  • Survey motor boat fitted with multi-beam sonar and sidescan sonar

The vessels were armed. They carried a GAM-B01 20 mm cannon (a naval version of the Oerlikon 20 mm cannon), two miniguns and four General Purpose Machine Guns.[5]

Role

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The vessels were designed to conduct survey tasks in support of submarines or amphibious operations. They provided almost real-time tailored environmental information, and also have a secondary role as a mine countermeasure tasking authority platform, for which they were capable of embarking a dedicated mine counter measures command team, and supporting other mine warfare vessels.[2]

Manning

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The two ships followed the same type of crew rotation pattern as HMS Scott, in that two-thirds of their crew was needed to keep the ship operational, with the remaining one-third ashore. This allowed each ship to be available for deployment for up to 330 days a year.[7]

The ship's crew consisted of 72 personnel, with 48 on board at any one time, working a cycle of 75 days on, 30 days off. The ships were able to accommodate 81 personnel if necessary. In support of this high availability, all accommodation and recreational facilities were designed for an unusual (in a warship) degree of comfort. All personnel shared double cabins with private facilities, except the captain and executive officer who both had single cabins.[8]

Ships in the class

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Name Pennant No. Builder Ordered Launched Date of Commission Decommission Status
Echo H87 Appledore Shipbuilders, Bideford[4] 19 June 2000[4] 4 March 2002[4] 7 March 2003[4] 30 June 2022[1] Awaiting disposal
Enterprise H88 2 May 2002[4] 17 October 2003[4] 30 March 2023[6] TBC

Notes

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  1. ^ Secondary role as a mine countermeasures command vessel. Capable of embarking a dedicated mine countermeasures team and supporting other MCM vessels.[2][3]
  2. ^ Side-scan sonar; Multi-beam echo sounder; Single-beam echo sounder; Undulating oceanographic profiler; Doppler current log; Sub-bottom profiler; Bottom sampling equipment

References

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  1. ^ a b @NavyLookout (30 June 2022). "@HMSEcho formally decommissioned today in Portsmouth after 20 years in service" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 July 2022 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ a b "Echoes of a varied history: HMS Echo, ship of the month May 2004". Navy News. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  3. ^ "HMS Enterprise". Royal Navy. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Jane's Fighting Ships, 2004-2005. Jane's Information Group Limited. ISBN 0-7106-2623-1.
  5. ^ a b "Echo Class Hydrographic / Oceanographic Survey Vessels, United Kingdom". Naval-Technology.com. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  6. ^ a b "HMS Enterprise is decommissioned". Royal Navy. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Navy's new survey ship named Enterprise". The Defence Procurement Agency Press Office. 2 May 2002. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  8. ^ "Multi-Role Survey Vessels Hydrographic/Oceanographic (SVHOs)". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 4 June 2009. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
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