Echo-class survey ship (2002)

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

HMS Echo, 2011
Class overview
Builders	Appledore Shipbuilders, Bideford (Subcontracted from Vosper Thornycroft)
Operators	Royal Navy
Built	2000–2003
In commission	2003–
Active	2
General characteristics
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 & landing craft carried	Survey motor boat
Complement	72
Sensors and processing systems	Integrated survey system
Armament	2 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannons 2 × Miniguns 4 × General purpose machine guns

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.

Design

Echo and Enterprise 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. 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:

• 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 vessels are armed. They carry a GAM-B01 20mm canon (a naval version of the Oerlikon 20 mm cannon), two Miniguns and four General Purpose Machine Guns

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.

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.

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.

Ships in the class

Name	Pennant No.	Builder	Ordered	Launched	Date of Commission	Status
Echo	H87	Appledore Shipbuilders, Bideford	19 June 2000	4 March 2002	7 March 2003	In active service
Enterprise	H88			2 May 2002	17 October 2003	In active service

External links

• "Echo Class Hydrographic / Oceanographic Survey Vessels". Naval-Technology.com.