Retired Royal Navy ship HMS Enterprise to be transformed after being sold to Bangladesh in 'historic moment'

The former HMS Enterprise, retired in a glorious ceremony at HMNB Portsmouth in March 2023, is due to be maintained and serviced by a Gosport company. UK Docks has signed a major contract with the Bangladeshi Navy to restore and regenerate the ship.

UK Docks managing director Jonathan Wilson said the “landmark moment” marks the first time the company has worked on a ship for a foreign navy. A multi-million-pound agreement will see initial work on the vessel take place at the UK Docks facility in Teesside, after it was expanded to having four dry docks. The former HMS Enterprise is expected to be towed from Portsmouth later this month, with UK Docks having sites in Gosport.

Mr Wilson said: “It’s a completely new development for the company and one we’re looking forward to delivering on. It opens up a lot of possibilities for the company. 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. Without doubt, it’s one of the biggest moments in UK Docks’ history, stretching back over 30 years of increasing growth.”

The former HMS Enterprise was an a multi-role survey vessel - hydrographic oceanographic (SVHO). Alongside her sister ship HMS Echo, the 297ft long vessel served in the Royal Navy for nearly 20 years. She was deployed all over the globe to conduct survey operations in support of submarines or amphibious operations.

This took her to the Falkland Islands, Middle East, Arctic, and elsewhere. One of her major operations was in 2014, which saw her evacuate 110 British and Eu citizens from Libya amid escalating violence in the north African nation.

Once the former HMS Enterprise reaches the north east, she will be brought back into service and up to operational readiness throughout the course of 2026. UK Docks engineers previously serviced both HMS Enterprise and HMS Echo while they were part of the Royal Navy.

Sign up for The Week in Defence with Freddie Webb - our newsletter rounding up the sector’s must-read stories

Three permanent members of staff will oversee the project, who will work with the original equipment manufacturers in Norway. Upgrades due to be made to the ship 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.

The aim is for the former HMS Enterprise to enhance the Bangladeshi Navy’s operational capabilities, support hydrographic operations, maritime security, and broader objectives. This follows £84m worth of contracts being awarded to UK Docks to maintain current Royal Navy ships.

Mr Wilson added: “We were among a number of contractors tendering for the work, and I think the fact that we had worked on the vessel over many years and had an excellent track record on it certainly went in our favour. There were a lot of discussions over quite a few months but it was clear that the Bangladesh Navy was really keen for us to take on the work, and that helped us reach an agreement pretty quickly in the end.”