The Royal Navy will love her: First of new Type 31 frigates Ventures out of her build hall

The first new Type 31 frigate being built for the Royal Navy has been rolled out of the build hall where she is being constructed in Rosyth.

HMS Venturer is the first of five Inspiration-class warships that will replace the Type 23 vessels currently in service.

They’ll be equipped with 57mm and 40mm guns, as well as being fitted with the Sea Ceptor missile system.
They are expected to be a key part in the Royal Navy maintaining a global footprint – operating in the Caribbean, the South Pacific and the Indo-Pacific region.

Construction of the next-in-class HMS Active and HMS Formidable is already under way.

HMS Venturer is scheduled to be commissioned into the service in the next two years, with all five Type 31s being operational by 2030.

Former second sea lord and Babcock chief executive of marine Sir Nick Hine said: “What a great day. The first rollout of a ship that has been built entirely by Babcock in Rosyth.

“The first time we have done that – the first of many. We have got Venturer out today, Active in the shed, we have got another Formidable in bits round the yard that we are going to put in the shed.

“You will see Venturer today, you will see Active later in the year. I mean that is a pretty impressive drumbeat of platform delivery and she is a good, big ship.

“We will look to start to hand her over to the Royal Navy about this time next year and we will get her to sea.

“And I think the Navy will love what we have given them.”