Echo-class survey ship (2002)

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HMS Echo (H87) 2015.jpg
HMS Echo, 2011
Class overview
Builders Appledore Shipbuilders, Bideford (Subcontracted from Vosper Thornycroft)
OperatorsNaval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy
Built2000–2003
In commission2003–
Completed2
Active1
Retired1 [1]
General characteristics [2]
Type
Displacement3,740 t (3,680 long tons; 4,120 short 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) 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

The Echo class is a class of multi-purpose hydrographic survey ships in commission with the Royal Navy. The ships are 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 displaces approximately 3,700 tonnes, and is 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 is expected to decommission in 2023. [6]

Contents

Design

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: [2]

The vessels are armed. They carry 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

The vessels are designed to conduct survey tasks in support of submarines or amphibious operations. They can provide almost real-time tailored environmental information, and also have a secondary role as a mine countermeasure tasking authority platform, for which they are capable of embarking a dedicated mine counter measures command team, and supporting other mine warfare vessels. [3]

Manning

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

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

Ships in the class

Name Pennant No. BuilderOrderedLaunchedDate of CommissionDecommissionStatus
Echo H87 Appledore Shipbuilders, Bideford [2] 19 June 2000 [2] 4 March 2002 [2] 7 March 2003 [2] 30 June 2022 [1] Awaiting disposal
Enterprise H882 May 2002 [2] 17 October 2003 [2] In active service

Notes

  1. Secondary role as a mine countermeasures command vessel. Capable of embarking a dedicated mine countermeasures team and supporting other MCM vessels. [3] [4]
  2. Side-scan sonar; Multi-beam echo sounder; Single-beam echo sounder; Undulating oceanographic profiler; Doppler current log; Sub-bottom profiler; Bottom sampling equipment

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References

  1. 1 2 @NavyLookout (30 June 2022). "@HMSEcho formally decommissioned today in Portsmouth after 20 years in service" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 July 2022 via Twitter.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Jane's Fighting Ships, 2004-2005. Jane's Information Group Limited. ISBN   0-7106-2623-1.
  3. 1 2 "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.
  4. "HMS Enterprise". Royal Navy. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Echo Class Hydrographic / Oceanographic Survey Vessels, United Kingdom". Naval-Technology.com. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  6. @NavyLookout (8 March 2023). ".@HMSEnterprise is to be decommissioned at the end of March - joining her sister HMS Echo laid up in Portsmouth" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 March 2023 via Twitter.
  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.