First Type 31 frigate for UK Royal Navy rolls out of construction
The HMS Venturer will be the first of the UK Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigates to enter into service. (Photo: Babcock)
Named the HMS Venturer, this roll out marks a pivotal milestone as it moves from the construction phase to then undergo outfitting and systems integration ahead of sea trials.
The first of five Type 31 frigates, the HMS Venturer, for the UK’s Royal Navy (RN) has been rolled out at a ceremony in Rosyth, Scotland, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) Equipment and Support (DE&S) has announced.
Procured by DE&S and manufactured and designed by Babcock, who was awarded the £1.25 billion (US$1.54bn) contract in 2019, the Type 31 frigate has been engineered to deliver more capability with fewer personnel than the Type 23 class it is due to partially replace.
Following the roll out, the HMS Venturer will complete the next process, known as float off, before
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA]()
Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA
The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.
-
![Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development]()
Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development
Ukraine’s battlefield has rewritten the rules of uncrewed systems development. For Syos Aerospace, real-time operator feedback, lean serial production and a system-of-systems philosophy are central to its operating model.
-
![Sealift shortfalls set to drive opportunities across NATO navies]()
Sealift shortfalls set to drive opportunities across NATO navies
A new Council on Geostrategy primer warns that NATO cannot defend its own supply lines. As the alliance faces a sealift and logistics escort deficit, a wave of unawarded procurement is beginning to take shape.
-
![AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise]()
AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise
The AUKUS partnership is accelerating uncrewed undersea capability while its submarine arm inches forward, and Australia’s decision to settle for three in-service Virginia-class boats raises questions about industrial risk, dependency and whether Pillar II may deliver meaningful capability long before Pillar I can.
