Echo class survey ship (2002)

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

HMS Enterprise HMS Enterprise
Class overview
Operators:	Royal Navy
Built:	2000–2003
In commission:	2003–
Completed:	2
Active:	2
General characteristics
Displacement:	3,470 t (3,415 long tons)
Length:	90.6 m (297 ft 3 in)
Beam:	16.8 m (55 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
Complement:	72
Sensors and processing systems:	Side-scan sonar Multi-beam echo sounder Single-beam echo sounder Undulating oceanographic profiler Doppler current log Sub-bottom profiler Bottom sampling equipment

The two ships of Echo class are the latest vessels to join the Royal Navy's Hydrographic Squadron. Each ship displaces approximately 3,500 tonnes, and is equipped with a state of the art suite of equipment, including:

• 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 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. As with other Royal Navy survey vessels, Echo and Enterprise can also be used to support mine warfare vessels.

Ships

• HMS Echo (H87), commissioned 7 March 2003
• HMS Enterprise (H88), commissioned 17 October 2003

See also

• Media related to Echo class survey ship at Wikimedia Commons