A look back memory this day last year, when the survey ship HMS Echo was sailing into her home base of Devonport.
The majestic vessel ended her 20-year Royal Navy career formally, at a decommissioning ceremony at Portsmouth Naval Base in June 2022.
The ship was the first of two Echo-class survey ships – alongside HMS Enterprise, which is still in service – designed for hydrographic and oceanographic operations across the world.
The 5,000-tonne ship was commissioned in Portsmouth, but was based at Devonport Naval Base during two decades of service.
HMS Echo’s colourful Royal Navy career saw her deployed to all corners of the globe.
As the White Ensign was lowered on HMS Echo, it marked the beginning of a new approach to the Royal Navy’s hydrographic and meteorological operations.
The Future Military Data Gathering programme will see the use of more modern equipment, autonomous systems deployed and the introduction of new survey craft.
The Royal Navy’s hydrographers and meteorological experts will continue to serve aboard ships across the globe but will also deploy in smaller teams around the UK and overseas.
