30th May 2025 at 11:44am
This week marked a significant milestone for the Royal Navy as the Type 31 HMS Venturer was officially rolled out of the build hall in Rosyth, receiving applause from gathered workers and officials.
The Venturer is the first of five new Inspiration-class frigates, playing a vital role in the Royal Navy’s strategy to modernise its ageing fleet.
Costing up to £300m, the Venturer is viewed as a crucial and cost-effective response to the Royal Navy’s ongoing shortage of ships and personnel.
- The Navy will love her: First of new Type 31 frigates Ventures out of her build hall
- HMS Formidable: Work begins on Royal Navy’s newest warship and third Type 31
- Essex joins HMS Venturer family as under-construction Type 31 frigate is affiliated with county
Speaking on BFBS Sitrep, defence analyst Professor Michael Clarke explained the current state of the Royal Navy, saying: “The challenges are legion.
“It’s a very busy Navy, and it’s going to get a lot busier if we’re going to meet our current strategic expectations.”
The Royal Navy currently comprises about 60 operational ships, not including the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA).
However, deployable numbers are a concern as Prof Clarke explained, saying that around 10 frigates and destroyers might be available for deployment at any given time.
He said: “I remember when they used to regard 32 as the irreducible minimum.
“They said, we can’t possibly exist without 32.”
Highlighting a critical gap between strategic ambitions and available resources, he said: “We’re sending a carrier battlegroup around the world with our allies, yet we’re very short of deployable ships.”
BFBS Forces News reporter David Sivills-McCann was present during HMS Venturer’s rollout and described the event as impressive, especially for the workers involved in its construction.
The ship’s exit from the build shed took approximately 45 minutes and was accompanied by changing weather typical of Scotland.
Of the pride felt by those who worked on HMS Venturer, Mr Sivills McCann said: “It was a lovely day for a lot of the workers gathered who were involved in the construction, just to watch the whole thing unfold.
“There was a lovely moment, actually, when they broke into spontaneous applause when it ended.”
Sir Nick Hine, former Second Sea Lord and now Chief Executive of Marine at Babcock, the company overseeing the Type 31 construction, expressed the day’s importance, saying: “What a great day… the first rollout of a ship that has been built entirely by Babcock in Rosyth.
“First time we’ve ever done that. The first of many.
“We’ve got [HMS] Venturer out today, we’ve got [HMS] Active in the shed. We’ve got another, [HMS] Formidable, in bits around the yard that we’re going to put in the shed.
“I mean, that’s a pretty impressive drumbeat of platform delivery.”
Operating from the Caribbean, South Pacific, Mediterranean, Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, the new Type 31 vessels are designed to deter aggression and maintain the security of the UK’s interests, delivering a warship presence across the globe.
HMS Venturer can pack a punch during maritime security patrols because she is equipped with a 57 mm gun, two 40 mm guns and the Sea Ceptor.
The naval air defence weapon system can protect an area the size of Greater Manchester (500 square miles/1,300 square kilometres) by engaging multiple targets simultaneously, reaching speeds of up to three times the speed of sound as it intercepts.
The Type 31 frigate can also be used as a launchpad for commando raids, anti-piracy operations, escorting vessels encroaching on UK waters, plus disaster relief efforts and diplomacy overseas.
HMS Venturer’s flight deck is the largest of any Royal Navy Frigate or Destroyer and can operate a range of aircraft types such as Merlin, Wildcat and Chinook.
These ships will replace ageing Type 23 vessels, providing modernised capabilities with a smaller crew size – 60% larger than their predecessors but requiring only 60% of the workforce.
Sir Nick emphasised that with recruitment and retention issues affecting the Armed Forces, designing affordable and efficient ships is paramount for future naval operations.
He said: “All navies all over the world suffer from not enough money and not enough people, so we’ve got to build ships that are affordable and we’ve got to make them be able to be operated by less people.”
As the Royal Navy faces challenges such as budgetary constraints and personnel shortages, the rollout of HMS Venturer is an encouraging step toward building a more capable fleet ready to meet the demands of modern naval warfare.
The aim is to have all five Inspiration-class ships operating at sea by 2030.
You can listen to Sitrep wherever you get your podcasts, including on the BFBS Forces News YouTube channel.
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