UK Sells Decommissioned Survey Ship HMS Enterprise to Bangladesh
A decommissioned Royal Navy survey ship, HMS Enterprise, that redefined hydrographic and oceanographic operations across the globe for two decades, is set to have a new lease of life after being sold to the Bangladesh Navy.
The United Kingdom government announced earlier this month that, after being laid up for three years following her decommissioning in March 2023, the HMS Enterprise will return to service after being acquired by the Bangladesh Navy for an undisclosed amount. The vessel is expected to be deployed in strengthening Bangladesh’s maritime security and regional stability efforts. Also, she will provide hydrographic, oceanographic, and scientific research capabilities and offer significant research opportunities for the country’s universities.
Commissioned in 2002, the Enterprise was the second of two Echo-class survey ships alongside HMS Echo that were built for the Royal Navy with the primary role of hydrographic and oceanographic operations. During her two decades of operations, the vessel was considered one of the most versatile ships that redefined hydrographic and oceanographic surveying and went beyond its primary mandates to take part in several global missions and help in humanitarian crises.
The ship surveyed hundreds of thousands of square miles of ocean floor and went on to earn a rare distinction in 2022 of venturing closer to the North Pole than any other Royal Navy vessel, sailing within 1,000 miles of the top of the world. On humanitarian missions, Enterprise was praised for helping the victims of the port of Beirut explosion in August 2020 that killed at least 218 people and which saw her spend weeks supplying essential commodities to the victims. The ship was decommissioned in 2023 after steaming more than 500,000 miles.
Following the signing of a government?to?government sale agreement, Enterprise will join the Bangladesh Navy. It is part of the UK's continuing efforts to strengthen its partnership with Bangladesh in order to enhance maritime security and contribute to a prosperous, stable, free, and open Indo-Pacific and Bay of Bengal.
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“The sale of this survey vessel reflects the deep trust and strong cooperation between the United Kingdom and Bangladesh,” said Sarah Cooke, British High Commissioner to 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.”
According to the U.S.-based East-West Center think tank, the Bay of Bengal is strategically and economically vital for Bangladesh, supporting 90 percent of the country’s trade and 100 percent of its energy transportation. Despite its importance, the waterway, which is part of the Indian Ocean, is facing growing maritime security threats, including geopolitical competition, piracy, armed robbery, and trafficking, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, among others.
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