Retired Royal Navy ship HMS Enterprise leaves Portsmouth for final time to be transformed for Bangladesh
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The Echo-class survey ship was joined by P2000 vessels as she departed from the harbour
A decommissioned Royal Navy survey ship has left Portsmouth for the final time after being sold to Bangladesh.
HMS Enterprise left the Fountain Lake Jetty and sailed past The Round Tower just before 9am. She was towed by tug boats Lady Sarah and Christina, as naval enthusiasts took photos of the Echo-class vessel ahead of her journey.
She proceeded to the NAB Tower ahead of her long journey to Teesside. She’ll be renovated and restored by UK Docks, who hold a strong presence at Victoria Quay in Gosport, before setting sail for Asia.
The former HMS Enterprise was decommissioned in a glorious ceremony at HMNB Portsmouth in March 2023. The red carpet was rolled out for the multi-role survey vessel - hydrographic oceanographic (SVHO) as the last members of the ship’s company, former Commanding Officers, and sponsor Lady Sally Forbes all attended the pleasantries.
The Ministry of Defence sold the ship to the Bangladeshi Navy earlier this year after talks began in late 2025. Reports by media outlets in Dhaka suggested that this was part of a move to modernise the country’s navy. British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Sarah Cooke, previously said the sale reflected the deep trust between both nations, and the ship will be used to maintain a secure and prosperous Bay of Bengal.
Bangladesh has been a prime destination for retired Royal Navy ships over the years, including HMS Alderney and other Island-class offshore patrol vessels, and Castle-class ships HMS Leeds Castle and Dumbarton Castle. The former HMS Enterprise will be joining the former Royal Navy survey ship HMS Roebuck.
She is heading to the expanded UK Docks facility in Teesside, which now boasts four dry docks. Engineers previously serviced the ship when she was part of the Royal Navy fleet, and will now be tasked with bringing her back up to operational readiness. Scheduled upgrades include retrofitting advanced propulsion systems, integrating new cutting edge hydrographic and maritime technologies into the vessel, and conducting extensive auxiliary and ancillary maintenance across onboard systems.
Managing director Jonathan Wilson previously said it’s one of the biggest moments in the company’s history dating back over 30 years. He added: “The fact that this is a capital project for the newly-formed Bangladesh Government and that it was signed by the equivalent of the first and second Sea Lords of the British Admiralty, shows its importance to Bangladesh and significance to us.”
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.