HMS Roebuck at HMNB Devonport Navy Days, 26 August 2006
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Roebuck
OperatorRoyal Navy
BuilderBrooke Marine, Lowestoft
Laid down447
Launched14 November 1985
Sponsored byLady Cassels, wife of Admiral Cassels, last commander of the previous HMS Roebuck
CompletedAugust 1986
Commissioned3 October 1986
Decommissioned15 April 2010
HomeportHMNB Devonport, Plymouth
Identification
FateSold to Bangladesh Navy in 2010
Bangladesh
NameBNS Anushandhan
OperatorBangladesh Navy
Acquired28 May 2010
Commissioned29 December 2010
HomeportChittagong
Identification
StatusIn active service
General characteristics
Displacement1,477 tonnes
Length64.01 m (210.0 ft)
Beam13.03 m (42.7 ft)
Draught4 m (13 ft)
Depth6.13 m (20.1 ft)
Propulsion
Speed15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement52
Armament
NotesPennant number: H-584

BNS Anushandhan is a survey vessel of the Bangladesh Navy. She previously served with the Royal Navy as the coastal survey vessel HMS Roebuck (H130) from 3 October 1986 to 15 April 2010. She was the last traditional survey ship to serve in the Royal Navy. In 2010, she was sold to the Bangladesh Navy. She was handed over to the Bangladesh Navy on 28 May 2010. On 1 June 2010 she sailed for Bangladesh. She is the first dedicated hydrographic survey ship to serve with Bangladesh Navy.

Building

Brooke Marine built the ship at Lowestoft, Suffolk, launching her on 14 November 1985 and completing her in August 1986. She has twin screws, each powered by an eight-cylinder Mirrlees Blackstone diesel engine.[1]

Royal Navy service

20mm Gambo Cannon Firing on HMS Roebuck, 2010 (MOD)

Although nominally used for surveying along the United Kingdom continental shelf, with the downsizing of the survey fleet, Roebuck was enhanced to enable her to operate overseas. She was fitted with a full suite of hydrographic sensors, and a Survey Motor Boat for inshore work. In addition, as with the other vessels of the survey squadron, she could also operate as a support ship for mine warfare vessels. Roebuck was due to be decommissioned in 2003 following the entry into service of the Echo class. However, the decision was then taken to keep the ship in service until 2014, though this was later revised in December 2009 to a 2010 decommissioning.[2] It was declared that the ship had been sold to the Bangladesh Navy for £5 million.[3] Her last commanding officer was Lieutenant-Commander Richard Bird.

Iraq War

Roebuck was the first RN ship into Umm Qasr Port following the second Gulf War. The work she carried out prior to, and during, the war proved invaluable, allowing coalition ships to operate closer to shore than previously thought possible, and reducing helicopter flying time by ten minutes per sortie during the landings.

Roebuck completed a Ship Life Extension Period (refit) towards the end of 2005, and then deployed to the Mediterranean, returning to the UK in April 2006. Roebuck then deployed to East Africa in June 2006, returning on Monday 21 August 2006. Upon arrival in August, the crew had barely a few hours' notice before the ship was placed on display at HMNB Devonport Navy Days 2006 as the representative of the Hydrographic Squadron after HMS Enterprise could not attend.

During 2008 Roebuck acted as the Command Platform for the NATO minehunting group SNMCMG1 (NATO Standing Naval Mine Countermeasures Group 1).

Decommissioning from Royal Navy Service

It was announced on 16 December 2009, that Roebuck would be decommissioned in 2010.[2] She was decommissioned at HMNB Devonport on 15 April 2010. She was handed over to the Bangladesh Navy on 28 May and sailed on 1 June 2010.[3]

Affiliations (UK)

Her affiliations according to her official website were:-

The Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers, the town of Didcot in Oxfordshire, TS Roebuck, the sea cadet unit based at The Hydrographic Office in Taunton in Somerset, and 130 (Bournemouth) Squadron of the Air Training Corps.

Bangladesh Navy service

The ship reached Chittagong on 23 July 2010 under the command of the then Commander Nayeem Golam Muktadir.[4] On her way to Bangladesh, the ship visited ports of Gibraltar, Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Oman and Sri Lanka. She was commissioned to the Bangladesh Navy on 29 December 2010. She played an important role to secure the maritime boundary verdict against Myanmar and India by supplying accurate data.

Equipment

The ship is fitted with a full suite of hydrographic sensors. She also carries a survey motor boat for inshore work. In October 2011 she was fitted with shallow-water multibeam echo-sounder. Its four Mirrlees Blackstone ES8 supercharged diesel engines can drive twin controllable pitch propellers via two gearboxes.

Mission

The mission of this ship is to maintain the marine environment and navigability of the rivers, delimitate the maritime boundary and preserve the coastal area by collecting the necessary information and statistical data. She will also play a significant role in research activities and extraction of marine resources. She can also act as a support ship for mine warfare vessels.

References

  1. ↑ "Roebuck". Shipping and Shipbuilding. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Early retirement for survey ship". BBC News. 16 December 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Former officer's warning as three more of our Navy ships are sold off". Western Morning News. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  4. ↑ "Modern Hydrographic Survey Ship BNS Anushandhan arrives". 23 July 2010.
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