One of two survey ships built by Appledore Shipbuilders at Bideford for the Royal Navy arrived on the upper firth this afternoon. ENTERPRISE, the second of the two ships - the first being ECHO (H87) - was part of a £130 million MoD Smart Acquisition Initiative order placed with Vosper Thorneycroft. Construction, estimated to have been worth around £44 million, was sub-contracted to the Devon yard. As part of the order, a Logistic Support contract over a 25 year period was included. ENTERPRISE was launched in 2002 and was formally commissioned into the Royal Navy two years later. The first RN ships to be fitted with aizpod drive, main power is taken from three diesel generators. Her displacement is 3,470 tonnes, her length 90.6 metres and she is capable of 15 knots. Fitted with a wide range of hydrographic surveying equipment, ENTERPRISE has one of the highest availability rates in the navy, at 330 days per year, but like her sister is also able to act as a support ship for mine warfare and amphibious operations, making her a true multi-role vessel.
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