The Royal Navy’s next-generation warship HMS Venturer has entered the water for the first time, marking a major milestone in the UK’s sovereign shipbuilding programme and signalling progress on a £1.25 billion contract to deliver five Type 31 frigates.
The vessel was launched from Babcock’s Rosyth facility, where the company is undertaking simultaneous construction of multiple warships for the Royal Navy.
This moment, according to the company, represents not just a step forward for one ship but a demonstration of national industrial strength.
“In a complex and uncertain world, our ability to design, build and support advanced warships in the UK is more important than ever,” said Sir Nick Hine, Chief Executive of Babcock’s Marine Sector.
“HMS Venturer’s first entry into the water is a clear demonstration of UK sovereign capability in action and the depth, resilience and expertise within Babcock’s Marine business. This latest milestone exhibits the excellent progress being made across our multi-build programme, which will see us deliver five complex warships for the Royal Navy within a decade.”
The Type 31 frigates are intended to serve as general-purpose warships capable of forward deployment and global presence, providing versatility across maritime security, humanitarian assistance and deterrence roles. HMS Venturer is the first of the Inspiration-class frigates and is named in honour of the WWII Royal Navy submarine responsible for the first successful submerged attack on another submarine.
“This is engineering at its best, delivered, together with our partners, with pride, purpose and precision,” added Hine. “HMS Venturer is just the beginning.”
The launch comes amid a broader drive by the Ministry of Defence to restore resilience in domestic naval shipbuilding, a sector that had previously faced decline but is now buoyed by major investment and export ambitions. The Type 31 design has also been selected by Poland and Indonesia, further reinforcing its value as a globally competitive product.
With outfitting and systems integration now underway, HMS Venturer will undergo a series of harbour and sea trials before joining the fleet. The full Type 31 programme is expected to deliver all five ships by 2030.
This is a credit to the Scottish people and their skills; it’s a pity their government does not applaud their efforts.
All they seem to do is whinge and moan – It’s shameful really.
They don’t know what they’ve got.
The SNP just stepped on a land mine by blaming Westminster for them not being able to order busses from Alexander Dennis in falkirk while Andy Burnham in Manchester managed to order 160 using the same rules.
Now in Ian Murray has written to every metro mayor in England asking if they can do the same.
This might just be the end of the current SNP administration.
Dennis has identified some drawbacks from manufacturing in Scotland, and they are real and serious and potentially injurious for the Scottish economy. Obviously, there are many manufacturers there who benefit from their location but some are hampered, and the SNP needs to work hard to encourage industry to base itself there. Sadly, I fear Dennis won’t be the only company to move south as the cost of transportation escalates.
Scottish tariffs are the way for the SNP to go 😂
Dennis used to have a factory in Guildford!
At the end of the day it’s only 400 jobs and Scunthorpe needs them way more than central Scotland, however just as with Grangemouth the SNP have used their old staple excuse of blame it all on Westminster, that’s backfired massively especially when labour can point to other devolved administrations run by labour making orders.
The SNP remain the tartan Tories they are just masquerading as a party that cares about workers to try and score some more votes for independence.
Yes, Dennis is moving to Scarborough
The Plaxton factory?
All I know is they are moving to Scarborough. This is from the website: “Located in close proximity to the manufacturer’s existing Scarborough site, the new warehouse will allow the rationalisation of all logistics for the factory, freeing up space to restructure production arrangements and increase capacity to meet growing demand for Alexander Dennis buses and Plaxton coaches.”
All I know is they are moving to Scarborough. The says they are moving to Scarborough, but Dennis’s website says additional warehouse space. This could be prelude to moving. This is from the website: “Located in close proximity to the manufacturer’s existing Scarborough site, the new warehouse will allow the rationalisation of all logistics for the factory, freeing up space to restructure production arrangements and increase capacity to meet growing demand for Alexander Dennis buses and Plaxton coaches.” The SNP first minister said he will fight, but it was pointed out the SNP purchased buses from China.
Im assuming that we will now look to properly equip these ships ? Now we are “ahem” on a war footing
How about another 5 air defence variants with ABN version of Aster(developed by FR/It?) so we can post several offshore to help intercept misiles & drones coming our way? We should be seriously planning GBAD & widespread shelter systems.
Were not going to build more Aster ships when T83 may retire Aster
Interesting use of the words “churn out ships” is that churning in a geological timescale? As UK ship building and general re-armament seems quite glacial to me.
The headline would be more accurate if it said “continue to churn out ships (at the speed the Treasury will pay for)”.
Which is nothing but the simple truth for virtually every programme going. Ask anyone in any section of industry why once main gate is agreed everything is built at a glacial pace. It’s staged payments over the longest timescale possible and do it so the next programme is ready to go 🤞🏻.
What makes it far worse is when they then delay a project for a short term saving the result is out of date equipment soldiering on till it’s clapped out and higher overall costs so cut numbers.
It is a shame that Scotland does not have such success in the commercial sector. From an outside perspective it looks like RN orders alone are supporting Scottish shipbuilding…. the Scottish government appear to be trying to sabotage that to with the welding debacle….