Name HMS Enterprise Sponsored by Lady Sally Forbes Launched 2 May 2002 Weight 3,740 tons Endurance 1.2 months | Ordered 19 June 2000 Commissioned 17 October 2003 Length 91 m Draft 5.5 m | |
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Identification Pennant number H88International callsign GXUHIMO number 9234020MMSI number 232691000 | ||
HMS Enterprise, the tenth ship to bear this name, is a multi-role survey vessel - hydrographic oceanographic (SVHO) of the Royal Navy. She has a sister ship, HMS Echo, and together they make up the Echo class of survey vessels.
Contents
- Design
- Role
- Construction
- Manning
- 2004 Mediterranean deployment
- 2005 Middle East deployment
- 2007 West Africa deployment
- 2009 Africa and Gulf deployment
- 2014 Libya evacuation
- 2015 2016 Mediterranean rescue deployment
- 2017 South Atlantic deployment
- Affiliations
- References
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.
Role
Enterprise and her sister ship are designed to conduct survey operations in support of submarines or amphibious operations. She can provide almost real-time tailored environmental information, and also has a secondary role as a mine countermeasure tasking authority platform, for which she is capable of embarking a dedicated mine counter measures command team.
Construction
Built by Appledore Shipbuilders under the prime contractor Vosper Thornycroft, Enterprise was launched on 27 April 2002, officially named by the ship's sponsor, Lady Sally Forbes, at her naming ceremony on 2 May 2002, and commissioned on 18 October 2003. She is designed and built to Lloyd's Naval Ship Rules.
Manning
Enterprise's crew consists of 72 personnel, with 48 on board at any one time, working a cycle of 70 days on, 30 days off. The ship can accommodate 81 personnel if necessary. The ship is operationally available 330 days a year. 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.
2004 Mediterranean deployment
Her first operational overseas deployment was to the Mediterranean in October 2004, returning to Devonport in April 2005. She participated in a NATO exercise and conducted oceanographic and hydrographic surveys.
2005 Middle East deployment
She sailed in September 2005 to conduct survey operations in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin. She also conducted a collaborative hydrographic survey with the Saudi military.
2007 West Africa deployment
In 2007 Enterprise deployed for 19 months to West Africa, South Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf. While in the Persian Gulf she worked off the coast of Iraq in support of the UK and Iraqi governments.
2009 Africa and Gulf deployment
Enterprise deployed in June 2009 for two years on an extended deployment to West Africa spending three months there before travelling through the Mediterranean to begin operations east of Suez later in the year. She returned to Devonport on 10 June 2011, having covered over 50,000 miles (80,000 km) during the deployment.
2014 Libya evacuation
Enterprise was dispatched to Libya in August 2014 to evacuate British citizens and diplomatic staff due to the increasing violence in the country. Over the course of two lifts, Enterprise evacuated a total of 217 civilians and landed them safely in Valletta, Malta.
2015-2016 Mediterranean rescue deployment
In June 2015 Enterprise replaced HMS Bulwark in the mission to rescue migrants crossing the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy. By December 2015, Enterprise had been responsible for rescuing more than 2600 migrants. By December 2016, this number had risen to over 9000 before Enterprise was finally relieved by Echo. In recognition her contribution to the European Union's Operation Sophia and her lifesaving work, the ship was nominated for a Millies award in the "overseas hero - unit" category and awarded the Firmin Sword of Peace, an award given to units of the UK Armed Forces who have gone above and beyond their normal role.
2017 South Atlantic deployment
On 9 January 2017 it was announced Enterprise had deployed to the South Atlantic to perform patrol tasks normally carried out by the Falkland Islands patrol vessel, HMS Clyde, while Clyde undergoes 3 months of maintenance in South Africa. Aside from patrol duties, Enterprise will also be updating charts of the region used by seafarers during her deployment.
Affiliations
Enterprise is affiliated with 'D' (Royal Devon Yeomanry) Squadron Royal Wessex Yeomanry and the town of Tiverton, Devon, which includes the freedom of the city with the ship's company able to march through the town with flags flying whilst bearing arms. The ship is also affiliated with two Sea Cadet units; TS Hermes in Tiverton and TS Enterprise in Airdrie and Coatbridge. She is also the affiliated ship of Reading Blue Coat School CCF navy section, the Worshipful Company of Cutlers and Two Moors Primary School, Tiverton.