The Royal Navy’s first Inspiration Class frigate, HMS Venturer, is approaching a significant milestone as it nears structural completion at Babcock’s Rosyth facility in Scotland.
This marks the latest phase in the build programme for the new Type 31 class, also known as the Inspiration Class.
Images show the progress of first of five Type 31 Frigates HMS Venturer at the shipyard in Rosyth. pic.twitter.com/gS5aZzwC46
— UK Defence Journal (@UKDefJournal) October 21, 2024
HMS Venturer, the lead ship of five planned vessels in the class, is now seeing the final structural unit added to its assembly within the Rosyth facility. Once complete, Venturer will represent a key element of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet, designed to deter aggression, secure maritime routes, and support global operations.
This vessel holds particular significance as it carries the name of the Second World War submarine Venturer, renowned for being the only submarine to sink an enemy submarine while both were underwater.
First steel for HMS Venturer was cut in September 2021, and its keel was laid down in April 2022. While initial plans anticipated the ship would be launched by mid-2024 and enter service in 2025, the current timeline envisages a slightly later launch with Venturer now expected to enter service around late 2026 or early 2027.
Despite this shift, Babcock remains committed to delivering HMS Venturer as part of a comprehensive programme designed to ensure the entire class is operational by 2030.
Babcock’s CEO, David Lockwood, recently highlighted the importance of the Type 31 programme during a recent steel-cutting ceremony for HMS Formidable, the third ship in the class. The ceremony also served as a reminder of the rapid pace at which the programme is advancing.
HMS Active, the second ship, is already well underway, sitting alongside Venturer in the Rosyth assembly hall.
Lockwood noted that the progress of the Type 31 programme demonstrates the UK’s sovereign shipbuilding capability and its positive economic impact across Scotland and the broader UK. “Today, we are proud to mark yet another milestone in this important defence programme for the Royal Navy. These frigates will play a significant role in protecting the UK and supporting international partnered defence operations,” he said during the HMS Formidable event.
He further pointed out the role the Type 31 programme plays in bolstering UK industry and skills. “This programme is a real demonstration of UK sovereign shipbuilding capability and is delivering positive economic impact within Scotland and in communities across the UK. It is a privilege for our teams across Babcock to be delivering these platforms for the nation,” he added.
Beyond its military significance, the Type 31 programme is creating substantial employment opportunities in Scotland. The programme is set to generate 1,000 new roles over the next four years, including 400 apprenticeships.
My questiion. Is the delay due to more fitting out being carried out under cover, before being launched. This is what we are being lead to believe. or is it something else, that we are not being told.
Mk 41 is to be retro fitted to ships already in build. Has that changed? Might explain what is a rather long delay.
HMS Venturer won’t be completed with mk41, and possibly not Active either.
Why not build another 3 T31s with MK41s and leave the first 2-3 ships with 24 CAMM silos to get them into service quicker?
Because we can’t afford it or crew them. The prospect of new frigates should pretty much be forgotten, when programs like MRSS are only looking to be able to afford half the ships they need.
Besides, building with mk41 isn’t much slower, the first ships just won’t be built with them initially, though I doubt if they’ll ever get them.
That’s what they are doing but all will have 24 CAMM irrespective of mk41
Camm cells sit in the mk41 space. Will have to be removed depending on the configuration of the mk41 VLS.
With the additional time delays involved, it would make sense to put Mk41 in from the word go, specially bearing in mind the fact the space is already there to do so, although I do wonder if the Mk41 for these ships has actually been ordered and are actually available for fitting.
It’s certainly not been ordered. And we don’t have any weapons integrated in mk41 yet. T26 will probably be testing any first.
We could quad pack CAMM in them until we acquire further weapons, greatly enhancing her air defence capability. As things stand, I suspect the first Type 26 – Glasgow, will enter service ahead of Venturer
More of the FFBNW nonsense,
Shame because the MK41 will make the T31s a lethal Frigate. Without any offensive capabilities, T31 is just an oversized Corvette.
No the mk41 will be added in a future refit.
We simply don’t know that. We won’t know that until they are out of the covered hall with that area exposed to view and George is allowed to do a drone fly over. George did comment, in an earlier article, that they were not allowed any photos of the ship which would imply that something different was being done that was not be disclosed. What will almost certainly be done is to get the seatings and the services in for the Mk41. I don’t think the clearances exist in the build shed to lover the Mk41 modules onto the seatings… Read more »
We have nothing to go in Mk41, we need the ships more than we need the weapons. As it stands we’ll probably be down to 8 frigates by next year, 7 not long after.
According to Navy Lookout the extended time in the build hall is due to more fit out work being carried out under cover. It looks like Babcock are developing their methods as they work through the program which will hopefully bring advantages as subsequent ships come down the production line…
Cheers CR
Fingers crossed this is the case, having an innovative efficient naval constructor is exactly what the uk needs.
I think its forgotten the Arrowhead team have partners like OMT who specialise in marine construction practices. When the order was won the team knew they would need to implement the latest best practices to have a chance of making any money on the T31. Good news is it’s also given BAe kick up the backside to make improvements.
Innovative and efficient ? Compared to who ?
But that wouldn’t affect the in service date which appears to have slipped by up to 2 years.
Seeing as they have never built a warship from scratch before, delays are pretty much inevitable. I’m sure they will get better over the series and dates will be more likely to be met.
I’d agree with that – Babcock’s are negotiating a very steep learning curve 👍.
We’ve been promised launch dates in 2023, by the end of 2023, first quarter 2024, first half 2024, and now in october 2024 no date is given at all. Every time the previous shift is used as a baseline for slippage. So now its claimed that “initial plans anticipated the ship would be launched by mid-2024”. Don’t Babcock know we can use Google?
Instead of rewriting history and promising dates when the frigate will be operational, not something in Babcock’s gift, why not tell us when the first one will be handed over? Then stick to that.
Is this an admission that it won’t launch in 2024?
Seems that way to me. 2025 launch it is. Fairly casual admission about a year delay.
From the pics it is obvious she won’t Launch this year – the question is when in 2025 will it happen ?.
Behind schedule & over budget. No doubt Babcock’s will be approaching the MoD with their hands held out for extra cash.
No Mk 41’s have been ordered so they most certainly won’t be fitted and last I checked, 12 CAMM’s was the plan, I doubt that’s changed.
I read this and just go Mmmm ! Then scratch my head 🤔 The Milestone is “the final structural added to its assembly”. So the hull and superstructure are now complete ! That is something for Babcock to really celebrate 🥳 Or is it hiding bad news on a Friday ? T31 is a derivative of the Danish Iver Huitfeldt Frigate, same basic design, size, weight etc etc. So how do they compare build / timeline wise ? T31 Laid down in the hall 26/04/22, hull assembly just finished so 30 months so far. Iver Huitfeldt Laid down 02/06/08, launched… Read more »