The first blocks of HMS Active, the second Type 31 Frigate, have been laid out beside HMS Venturer at the Rosyth ‘frigate factory’, showcasing the scale and potential of one of two planned frigate fabrication facilities in Scotland.
At 147 metres long, the hall can comfortably fit three Olympic-sized swimming pools, and the 30-metre high doors can accommodate two vessels being assembled at the same time side by side, just as we’re now seeing.
Construction of HMS Active began with a steel-cutting ceremony at Rosyth in January 2023.
Latest photos from within Babcock’s Venturer Building in Rosyth showing the first blocks of HMS ACTIVE. It’s the 2nd in the T31 Class ahead of its keel laying ceremony next month – a day for employees both Babcock and MoD to celebrate this milestone. @Babcockplc pic.twitter.com/3uy8ELxvha
— HMSVenturer (@HMSVenturerRN) August 23, 2023
In May 2021, the First Sea Lord announced the names of the five planned Type 31 ships. The names were selected to represent key themes that represent the future plans of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines – forward deployment of ships overseas; operating in the North Atlantic; carrier operations; technology and innovation; and the Future Commando Force.
Active, named after the Type 21 frigate which served in the Falklands War, symbolises forward deployment of ships overseas.
The plan for the Type 31 project envisages all five units of the class being in service by February 2030.
What about the west coast?
With the east coast frigate factory already being utilised, it’s a good idea to look at the progress of the ‘frigate factory’ being built on the west coast for the Type 26 Frigates.
Recent drone imagery shows the progress of a massive new ‘frigate factory’ in Glasgow. The massive facility at Govan represents a huge boost in capability for UK naval shipbuilding, like the ‘Venturer’ building, this facility will be able to build two frigates side by side.
We can but hope that there is sufficient future work to keep both facilities occupied.
The NSS has the T31’s being completed by 2030, with the T32 (currently 5 vessels)build programme commencing in 2027. We are all still waiting to see what the T32 design(if it actually goes ahead as such) looks like and more importantly what it will actually be used for. If its just to be used purely as a ‘drone’ mothership, then surely that’s a waste, as something along the lines of RFA Proteus would be more suitable? We all await the unveiling so to speak.
I suspect the T32 will be linked to the success or failure of the T31.
I don’t know about that, but I do wonder if the T32 will be a ‘clean sheet’ design? T31 is based on the IH class frigate, which in turn used the hull form design of the preceding Abslom class frigate. So a design that’s 20 yo already. The easy\cheaper option is to use the T31 design and alter to suit, which potentially limits what you can do with it. Starting from scratch, while more expensive, avoids any such constraints that rehashing an older design might present. As always time will tell what if anything comes out of it. I imagine… Read more »
T32 concept phase has funding until next year so any decision will be with who ever wins the next election. I would say the odds are against the T32 ever being a reality.
You may well be very correct there, but that then leaves far bigger issues about frigate numbers in general, as the RN are aiming to get back to a 24 ship frigate/destroyer fleet as a minimum requirement.
Could all change again after the next election I know, but, if Labour get in and start cancelling programmes, can they then survive any backlash as the NSS suddenly crumbles and shipbuilding in this country probably goes forever? If that is there intent, it would be a hugh risk for them, given that they are almost entirely funded by the unions.
I suspect that starmer will do a Tony Blair and commit to holding tax and spend levels to those inherited from the conservatives for his first term. Also I can see recent developments pushing defence spending worldwide up rather than down. 2.5 to 4 % seems inevitable.
I agree Labour will stick to Tory funding but I think Geo politics will go the other way, Russia finished and China is crumbling.
Russia, everyone forgets, is self contained in terms of raw materials. They were running a substantial surplus before 2022 and had little inclination to spend much on anything but defense which was probably running at 5% or more.
Finished? Not if Trump and others let him off the hook. The Democrats will finish USA by other means. All sad and unnecessary.
I agree. Trump is a real snake in the grass, a Putin fanboy who’s declared he will withdraw US support from Ukraine if he gets elected again. The Republicans are screwed if they back a pro-Putin candidate. Insanity. However Russia is a huge land area with lots of raw materials & has obtained huge areas of Africa to exploit as part of its Wagner support for corrupt regimes package. We need to maintain a united sensible front against Russia. With Saudi forces slaughtering hundreds+ of immigrants at the border, we should be more careful about what regimes we support too.… Read more »
Trump and his megalomania to me , makes more of a threat to world peace than the little fool in Korea.
Like a pocket Mussolini. With half the IQ.
Looking at where British foreign aid is going to, just makes my blood boil . millions to Syria, nation who’s despotic leader uses gas on his own people. How can we justify it? Abdul needs a new camel? No problemo, the British will buy it for him £200 million to Pakistan. A nation that harbors terrorists and allows it’s soil to be used to train more.those who oversees this issue should be sacked, and I’ve said as much to my local M.P
I find the resistance to a program of defence spending uplift quite bewildering when everyone else is spending like crazy.
Speaking of spending, when labour come to power, we’ll have a huge armed forces they’ll buy and buy, till all the money is gone, then they’ll borrow some more and spend that too!
If 4 percent is on the cards then we may at least see 1 type 83 being built Mark
But it’ll take the n years to have the basic design sorted. If it’s anything like the T26, then th entire hull will be fitted for, but not with, and the navy wouldn’t have a chance to get the 6-8 destroyers it needs.
Cheers Andy I really had my hopes up with Designs that are FFAFW I can but dream
We’ll need more than the 6 type 45’s
But the navy will need 8.(they won’t have a chance of getting them.).
Nail on the head there Andy plan for 8 build 1
Starmer is the victor meldrew of British politics
I agree, too much focus being placed on the army now. T32 budget will never appear and it won’t be a cut for labour as the Tory’s never funded it.
So if Labour than trash the NSS….
That would mean Labour effectively closing a ship yard….
That will go down well with the unions when there is a bit of industry that us on the up…..
Also makes little sense when UK ships are exporting very nicely.
But I appreciate UK thinking is driven by short term book balancing and not long term thinking.
Thats politicians for doesn’t matter what colour only ever interested in what will get get the next 20 seconds on camera. Not one gives a sh*t about the reality
Never have, never will.
I’d they try for a clean sheet design it will be cancelled. The only hope is a cheap as chips build in line with T31.
That is entirely possible fella, probably the most realistic outcome if it ever gets the nod so to speak. Not necessarily the right course to take, but…..
Probably the best option to get 5 more scorts. Could be upgraded slightly, a better MG & ASW sonar for example. T31’s are a lot more formidable now Mk41 silos are included.
Only five? Rediculous like the T31 ordersfor the price of those, I’d bin T32, and double the T31 order. I think, as a class, the T31 will be a massive success. Especially when we know exact much they do cost compared to the £250 million projected cost. Venturer and the active are looking like being quite fast to manufacture, it only seems like yesterday that the first cut of steel was happening, yet the picture of two ship being built in tandem shows that a whopping great lump of active is already filling it’s place in the hall.
A fully militarised river design, would suit me, I used to love those rothseas to bits, when Exmouth has the Olympus gas turbine fitted it was superb ship , one similar to it, with say 76mm gun,extra 30mm cannons decent ASW suite and maybe artisan and of course a flight deck.yarmouth and Plymouth acquitted themselves well in the Falklands and proved that there is plenty of room in any naval fleet for the small powerful well designed, properly equipped small warship.
I’ve got a feeling type 32 will be binned to enable type 83 T to go ahead
Won’t happen at all it’ll be sacrificed for other types, th 83,T31(to a total of ten)
I think you would likely find that the limiting factor might be that there is insufficient UK complex warship design capacity to deal with a clean sheet T32 whilst also covering continuing work on upgrades for T26, T31. T45, and then not forgetting T83 which will be a major undertaking. Hence I would expect T32 (if it comes to pass) will be a derivative of T31.
Yes, that is certainly a distinct possibility given what you allude to. Someone will also be working on the FSSS design, further diluting the experience available.
The down side to not going ‘clean sheet’ can be seen across the pond with our US cousins and the mess they have got themselves in with the AB and beyond. Which is also why they went and used the Italian FREMM as the basis for the Constellation class.
This is what years of neglect and limited to no investment gets you unfortunately.
Agree your points including the AB class – a very successful design, but has clearly run out of road interms of further development potential (volume, weight, stability, elec generating capacity), a new class should have been much further on than is the case. Re Constellation class, I know that there have had to be major revisions to meet USN requirement, including structural design, and this may bring its own issues, we will see. Your last sentence: too right!
Could you fit 3 rivers building together? The hall with two T31’S still has lots and lots of extra space.
Mate., I’ve got absolutely no idea if that could be done. Have to say, not sure why we would want to at the moment either.
We are sort of stuck with where we are at the moment, money, skilled personnel and crew manpower are all limiting factors as we speak, probably will be for a while yet.
I think the T83 will do to the naval budget, what the carriers and astutes did.(use it all).
I suspect it will be linked the next governments defence review 😀
Expat wrote:
“”I suspect it will be linked the next governments defence review 😀“”
I must admit the one thing the MOD under both governments has become world beating experts in, is in defence reviews
Can’t wait for the Defence Review class of RN frigates all in batches of one. HMS Defence Review will be the first Frigate without any armament though it will have sensors so it can detect hostile ships it can surrender to. The PM will say it’s a marvel of British ingenuity and shows our importance in the World and above all commitment to bring a world Peace closer to reality.
Wow you could be a speech writer 😄
Review? Don’t you mean cut?
Batch 3 militarised river
I’d like to see a FEW the size of the T14 Exmouth. With artisa ceptor and single gas turbine. Not every RN ship has to be huge
I suspect that T32 will be sacrificed to fund the T83 program.
Assuming there are no major issues with either T31 ot T26 the temptation would be to create a steady drumbeat of ship production extending well into the future so that the facilities are running at maximum capacity. 30 Frigates & 12 Destroyers seems like a tempting initial plan. It looks to me like the RN will be spending much more time in the Pacific in the future. These ships will need to be supported by 10 times the number of drones but they will clearly be built elsewhere. 2-3 Billion a year on ship production should be achievable even for… Read more »
Although that 3% is a good idea in current circumstances I don’t expect it to happen!
It is perhaps early days however there seems to be some joined up thinking between the building anti western alliance BRICS countries and some of their junior partners. This may well be seen as an emerging threat and an increase in defence spending a prudent & necessary next step.
Looking at some of the half hearted responses and delays towards Ukraine I suspect that any possible response to BRICS is several years away – I think the UK is more likely to either say ‘not really our problem’ or wait and see what happens. As to any increase in spending beyond, say, 2.5% I doubt our ability to increase the build rate of frigates/destroyers – probably our main naval shortfall – or recruit enough people to crew them. Same with army/RAF – not going to increase tank force, need lots more artillery, RAF need stuff across the board –… Read more »
We gave a build drumbeat for T26/31 that isn’t bad?
True, and nice that there is a new uparming policy in play.
Problem with the BRICS counties is they are all shit at fighting, hate each other and are mostly pro western.
Despite their rhetoric Russia and China are amongst the most pro western counties in the world, their leaders favour keeping their money and families in the west.
Fair point . UK had been allies with the French for a long time even then were more like frenemies and were actual enemies before that
Portugal has been the only constant ally
I don’t like these 5 ship orders, at the price, the RN should be looking at a class of at least 8
You won’t see any argument about this from me. However, there would be a question of finding crews.
The creeping issue is somewhat overblown, if 10,000 Nepalese applied for the 400 places in the British army, I’ve no doubt that many of the unsuccessful ones would take up an offer for a place in the RN. Another aree worth discussing is retentionwhen I put my 18 months notice in, back in 1984, not once was I asked’why I wanted to leave. If sailors aren’t asked why, how can the issue be identified? And put right. I know a lot of people still in the navy bear a big grudge over the state of the married patches, neglect, poor… Read more »
Seems like a very achievable and worth while goal, the national shipbuilding strategy called for this, we may build 30 surface combatants is a cycle but some will be paid off early to reap funding to keep the production lines going. Higher end vessels like T26 and T45 may stay in service for 30+ years while the lower end T31, T32 are kept for 15-20 years with older hulls sold on to Allie’s.
the T45’S are being clogged. They’ll be.knackered in no time for the next class design even being finalized th RN needs a class of destroyer that can be a large number of ships in the class the paltry six type 45 were never going to be enough
Where would you get the crews for 30 frigates and 12 destroyers?
Honestly that is more than we need.
A surface fleet of 30 frigates and destroyers would be plenty.
I’d rather have 30 properly armed and kitted out than 42 place savers – which was the old RN approach of mass.
If you are to argue with politicians you must do it based on need and not on what you think they will let you have. They, generally, haven’t got the foggiest idea. Personally the issue which makes me think we need a greater number is that the potential threats are all over the world not just NATO. Cooperation is building between nations like China and Argentina for example.To be fair I’m not sure how i got to 42 but I think there needs to be more focus on the threat and adjusting our forces to meet that threat. I’m thinking… Read more »
I often write to the local aaMp with questions about . matter’s naval. On the rare occasion that I get a reply it is a paper of reasons why Not to do with any proposals anybody puts forward. The whole.navh organisation is blinkered and full of we know what’s going on and those blinkers have blocked me innovative, creatability that we used to be renowned for. Has gone we’re just going along with what unknown people appointed (by who).how and why are these unknowns put into the position of holding the navy to ransom over the size and cost.theres far… Read more »
There were plenty of frigates and destroyers , even carriers, swinging on a mooring in the old days . Often a refit would finish and go straight to reserve
There is enough manpower/ladypower just its not in the right places
A T23 has 70 ratings inc PO , 2 Wo and 4 officers in the engineering department
yet the last time they published manning levels 4200 trained general service engineers ( excl subs, aviation etc) who werent officers- 1500 of those
Overall ratings at time was 23,700
It will be down a bit now but gives a general idea
Bor.n in Blythe, made in the royal navy, is that the best we can do? Over ten thousand Nepalese applied for 400 places in the army if they are offered a place in the navy, a lot WOULD BE UP FOR IT. maybe a ship H.M.S GURKHA, would be a good way to entice some volunteers. Maybe make whole crew Nepalese
I think we can only dream of that, although that sized RN would certainly make Russia, PRC etc sweat.
It would make anyone sweat if fully equipped.
It would deffinatly make the treasury sweat😄👍
There will be when the Boris classT32 starts
At the moment it’s all go with ship building in U.K. 👍
Being realistic my view would be to sell the first 5 RN T31 within 15 years to be replaced by a second tranche. Keep the drumbeat going and offer allies some value for money, decent GP frigates.
That was the initial idea in John Parkers shipbuilding strategy report . Forgive the pun but that ship looks to have sailed.
I think plans can be changed with a click of an SDR/IDR/Election so personally i wouldn’t count any chickens yet.
It was too good and idea for the navy or the government to actually action 😀
That will fall victim to can-down-the-road short term cost savings.
Also i thought the strategy you mentioned was to build the first 5 T31’s entirely for export. Thats not the plan im advocating.
I’d rather see the 5 ship order upped by 5 more. I believe that the T31 will be a massive success for the RN.it looks like the production rate of delivery is going to be a massive bonus the picture of the venturer and the active side by side is great. Those early blocks of active seem to have been banged up very quickly.yes for me, double the amount of the T31’S ordered and forget the T32. That, plus T26,T83, and the astutes replacement Will give us the drumbeat we’ve waited for too long to happen.
Naval News has a bow image (Link)
Neither the Babcock Rosyth nor BAES Clyde succeeded in winning “build export” order yet. Shipbuilding is made of, 1: concept design (easy), 2: detailed design (very difficult, including all the process, verification and certification works), 3: build of hull (welding, expensive but no the major part), 4: and warfight/sensor systems integration (costy). (1/2) T26 and Arrowhead 140s’ Design export is great. But, after T26, there is no detailed design (for T31, UK did buy many of the detailed design from Denmark). (4) systems integration can be also done in mid-life upgrade (like T23LIFEX, T45 CAMM addition/SeaViper upgrade), so maybe sustainable.… Read more »
T31 was detailed design in UK for RN requirements.
Just that the contract was for an existing baseline ship to avoid the endless ministry- RN- industry games of musical chairs for various ‘gates’
T26 had no export builds either just the design plans. Thats how it works these days they want their own ship build however a lot of the radars, combat system, air con, fire control, water treatment , engines etc are sourced from Uk companies
Duker-san, thank for reply. No. T31’s detailed design is large a copy of Iver Huilfeldt class. If you read the Babcock guy’s document, it is written as such. Yes Babcock made detailed design, but they carefully avoided changing the original design as far as possible. Virtually, almost all compartments are unchanged, other than small modification to address small difference in internal standard requirements (but note that Iver Huilfeldt class is already designed to NATO escort standard, which is largely common with RN’s). Center of gravity requirement is more strict for RN, and that is the reason the radar masts are… Read more »
Im going on what the people who did the detail design said. Yes the requirement was for an existing design – modified to RN standards
Let’s hope the government keep their commitment to ship building and keep a steady supply of work coming to these yards . It would be nice to see the RN benefit with an increase in surface ships . The numbers are far to low at the moment
That the Babcock hall can build frigates in pairs is all well and good. However Babcock in three years time will have only one ship under construction in the hall and in four years none. This as we all know would mean a waste of investment into the hall, a loss of the workforce, a loss of the skills and extra cost if Babcock gets a new contract a few years later. We could then sell ships to partner nations that would be 10-15 years old and re invest into more new ships. It would also save money on expensive… Read more »
Fabulous news
Shame that it’s taken so long to get these frigate factories
T32 won’t happen those factory’s will be over whelmed with orders for everything else