“Proud to begin new chapter”: HMS Enterprise sold to Bangladesh after "serving Royal Navy with distinction"

HMS Enterprise has been purchased by the Bangladeshi Navy after talks began in late 2025. The Echo-class multi-role survey vessel - hydrographic oceanographic ship (SVHO) will start her new life after being decommissioned on March 30, 2023, during a grand ceremony at HMNB Portsmouth.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke said: “The sale of this survey vessel reflects the deep trust and strong cooperation between the United Kingdom and 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.”

Why was HMS Enterprise sold to Bangladesh?

Reports by the press in Dhaka suggest that Bangladesh is seeking to modernise its naval forces. The Asian nation has been a prime destination for retired Royal Navy ships over the years.

Vessels sold to the government include five Island-class offshore patrol vessels HMS Alderney, Anglesey, Lindisfarne, Shetland, and Guernsey, as well as Castle-class ships HMS Leeds Castle and Dumbarton Castle. HMS Enterprise will join the former Royal Navy survey ship HMS Roebuck.

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Commissioned in October 2003, HMS Enterprise served the Royal Navy for nearly 20 years - her expected lifespan. She was deployed all over the globe to conduct survey operations in support of submarines or amphibious operations. The ship also had a secondary role of as a mine countermeasure tasking authority platform.

HMS Enterprise was regularly deployed to the Middle East, as well as conducting operations in Japan, the Falkland Islands, and the Arctic. One of her major operations was in 2014, where 110 British and EU citizens were evacuated from Libya due to violence escalating in the north African nation. A year later she would rescue migrants crossing the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy.

It’s unclear what will replace HMS Enterprise. Her sister ship, HMS Echo, has already been decommissioned. Plans to buy an autonomous vessel for survey missions, under Project Lily, have also been axed.