UK Defence Forum

^ HMS Enterprise (H88)

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 are 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 Echo class are 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.

1. HMS Echo (H87) Commissioned 2003
2. HMS Enterprise (H88) Commissioned 2003

Type:
Hydrographic survey
Mine countermeasures
Displacement: 3,740 t (3,680 long tons; 4,120 short tons)
Length: 90.6 m (297 ft 3 in)
Beam: 16.8 m (55 ft 1 in)
Draught: 5.5 m (18 ft 1 in)
Propulsion: Diesel-electric
3 × diesel generators (4.8 MW)
2 × 1.7 MW (2,279 hp) azimuth thrusters
1 × 0.4 MW (536 hp) bow thruster
Speed: 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Range: 9,300 nmi (17,200 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Endurance: 35 days
Boats and landing
craft carried: Survey motor boat
Crew Complement: 72
Sensors and
processing systems: Integrated survey system
Armament:
2 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannons
2 × Miniguns
4 × General purpose machine guns

will they be getting new engines?

HMS Echo captures 3D images of naval battle wrecks

Scans of ships destroyed in the Battle of Jutland 99 years ago have been made for the first time using 21st Century technology.

The colourful three-dimensional images made by Royal Navy survey ship HMS Echo belie the horrors played out off the coast of Denmark one Wednesday afternoon during the First World War.

They show the twisted and battered wreck of HMS Invincible, one of 25 warships – 14 of them British – that were blown up on May 31, 1916.

Ahead of the battle’s centenary next spring – which will form the focal point of the Royal Navy’s Great War commemorations – survey ship HMS Echo spent a week scouring the floor of the North Sea with her state-of-the-art sonar suite.

Read more & see photos here: http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-la ... tle-wrecks

According to the Guardian, HMS Enterprise is on its way to relieve HMS Bulwark in the Med.

http://ukdefenceforum.net/viewtopic.php ... 4059#p4059

A 3700t HSS is relieving a 20000t LPD? Scaling down indeed. How well equipped for humanitarian aid and SAR are the Echo class?

Halidon wrote:A 3700t HSS is relieving a 20000t LPD? Scaling down indeed. How well equipped for humanitarian aid and SAR are the Echo class?

Contrary to what the linked article claimed, Enterprise will actually be used for intelligence gathering, rather than rescue ops.

More info here:
http://forces.tv/33143709

HMS Enterprise starts hunting for people smugglers in Mediterranean as part of new EU operation.



More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... ation.html

where do Echo and Enterprise have their 30mm guns when they are fitted?

marktigger wrote:where do Echo and Enterprise have their 30mm guns when they are fitted?

They dont.
They have a single GAMBO 20mm cannon mounted level with the bridge. You can just make it out in the image in original post

They have 2x20mm GAMBO, one port forward of bridge, one starboard rear of bridge

shotleylad wrote:one starboard rear of bridge

Thanks, I've never spotted that one

HMS Echo is being used for fisheries protection:

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publi ... 1-07/21579

very interesting, waste of a specialist asset though.

Its about time fisheries protection was farmed out to a civilian organization, and stop wasting military resources on it.

at least shes at sea and not being towed back again

marktigger wrote:at least shes at sea and not being towed back again

when did that happen?

At least shes at sea, but not using the expense specialist equipment she's designed for, wasteful.

even when we had 7 opv's in home water they were still using MCMV's for fishery protection

with all the new MTU diesel generators I wonder will this class finally get new generator sets?

shark bait wrote:

marktigger wrote:at least shes at sea and not being towed back again

when did that happen?

its happened a few times.

HMS Echo assists stricken vessel

HMS Echo has assisted a yacht that became stranded in strong winds just off the UK South Coast.

The Plymouth-based Survey Vessel worked together with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Solent Coast Guard station to come to the aid of the yacht which had become distressed and unable to make headway in strong winds.

The Royal Navy warship was conducting Survey Operations in the Western English Channel when it overheard a distress call from the struggling sailor to Solent Coast Guard.

The yacht was unable to get a clear message out, due to being battered by 40 knot squalls whilst attempting to cross Lyme Bay - HMS Echo followed up the call by passing vital information to the Coast Guard, who quickly activated the RNLI.

Making way towards the yacht, as her master struggled against the elements, HMS Echo’s crew continued to provide information to the RNLI helping the Inshore Lifeboat launched from Teignmouth to locate the vessel quickly.

http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-la ... ken-vessel

HMS Echo patrolled Gib waters yesterday evening:

HMS Enterprise in Gibraltar this morning, reportedly heading home after being deployed in the Mediterranean since June 2015.

Image source: https://twitter.com/MODGibraltar/status ... 9254294528

And Echo has now replacing her, guess you'll see her coming you're way soon.

RN maintaining a patrol boat in the med, is that a taste of things to come with the new Rivers? I suppose if that's the case assigning one to Gib would make sense.

shark bait wrote:And Echo has now replacing her, guess you'll see her coming you're way soon.

RN maintaining a patrol boat in the med, is that a taste of things to come with the new Rivers? I suppose if that's the case assigning one to Gib would make sense.

Is it?

post Brexit why do we need to maintain Patrol boat, Border Force vessels or Survey ship there?