VARD 9 105

HMS ‘Echo’ and HMS ‘Enterprise’ are two multi-role hydrographic survey ships commissioned by the Royal Navy. They form the Echo class of survey vessels. They were built by Appledore Shipbuilders in Devon in 2002.

Echo and Enterprise are the first Royal Navy ships to be fitted with azimuth thrusters. Both azimuth thrusters and bow thruster can be controlled through the Integrated Navigation System by a joystick providing high maneuverability.

These ships are designed to conduct survey operations in support of submarines or amphibious operations. They can provide almost real-time tailored environmental information, and also have a secondary role as Mine Countermeasure Tasking Authority platforms, for which they are capable of embarking a dedicated Mine Counter Measures command team.