UK Docks signs contract to modernise Bangladesh Navy’s newest purchase

The multi-million-pound project will see the ageing ship towed from its current berth for a major overhaul at a Teesside facility later this month.

The firm at the heart of the work, South Shields-based UK Docks Marine Services, has signed a major contract with the Bangladesh Navy to help restore and modernise the Asian country's most recent purchase, HMS Enterprise. It marks their first contract with a foreign navy.

Launched in 2002, the 3,740-tonne HMS Enterprise was previously known for significant service in survey operations, humanitarian support and worldwide disaster response missions.

HMS Enterprise - pictured on active service for the Royal Navy (Image: GSA MEDIA)

The vessel is currently in Portsmouth but will be towed to Teesside later this month to be dry-docked.

With the help of UK Docks, it will then be brought back into operational readiness over the course of 2026.

The facility at Teesside has recently expanded from two docks to four, and the restoration has created new jobs in the company and provided work to UK Docks’ regional supply chain.

Previously, the company serviced and maintained HMS Enterprise before she was decommissioned by the Royal Navy as part of a £150m contract begun in 2018, and also encompassing her sister ship HMS Echo and HMS Protector.

UK Docks managing director Jonathan Wilson, said: “It was a landmark moment for the company when it earned service and maintenance contracts with the Royal Navy more than a decade ago, but this is the first time we’ve worked on a vessel for a navy beyond the UK.

Blangladesh Rear Admiral Md. Safiquer Rahman, assistant chief of Naval Staff (Logistics) signs off the landmark agreement with UK Docks MD, Jonathan Wilson (Image: GSA MEDIA)

“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.”

Restoration will employ three permanent staff dedicated to programme oversight while working with original Norwegian equipment manufacturers.

This, combined with a further 20 new, fixed-term contracts drawn for specialists in ship repair and maritime engineering sectors, will ensure both capability and capacity to deliver the regeneration programme to the highest operational and strategic standards.

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.”

Blangladesh Rear Admiral Md. Safiquer Rahman, assistant chief of Naval Staff (Logistics) signs the landmark agreement with UK Docks MD, Jonathan Wilson. (Image: GSA MEDIA)

The UK Docks’ senior management team flew to Bangladesh to sign the Former HMS Enterprise Regeneration Contract in Dhaka, alongside the two most senior and high-profile officers in the Bangladesh Navy.

Upgrades to HMS Enterprise include, retrofitting advanced propulsion systems, integration of modern hydrographic and maritime technologies and extensive auxiliary and ancillary maintenance across essential onboard systems.

These improvements will aid long term efficiency, operational reliability and mission readiness reflecting a comprehensive modernisation effort.

Once completed, the vessel will significantly enhance the Bangladesh Navy’s operational capabilities, maritime security and regional stability efforts.

The programme will be fully managed and delivered from Teesside - reinforcing the port’s position as a world-class centre for maritime engineering and ship repair.