HMS Venturer – the first of the Royal Navy’s new Type 31 frigates – has taken another major step forward with the installation of her foremast at Babcock’s Rosyth facility.
With the foremast now in place, the profile of HMS Venturer is nearing completion, offering a visible sign of momentum as we continue with the outfitting of the ship ahead of sea trials next year. The successful lift and integration of the foremast required close coordination between several specialist engineering and lifting teams.
Paul Watson, Babcock, Arrowhead Managing Director, said: “HMS Venturer will play an important part in the Royal Navy’s defence capabilities. The foremast installation on the vessel marks another important milestone and clearly demonstrates the progress being made across the Type 31 programme.”
The foremast, which weighs 24 metric tonnes, the same as 10 full-size Range Rovers, travelled from the Venturer Building (Build Hall) to the dockside at our Rosyth facility, before being lifted into the air and expertly placed on the ship.
Babcock rolled out Venturer on May 27, 2025. The hull entered the water in mid-June. Based on our Arrowhead 140 design, the Type 31 Inspiration-class will form a core part of the Royal Navy’s fleet with the baseline design already exported to Indonesia and Poland, bolstering the ability for allied nations to work together in support of global security.
Venturer is currently undergoing extensive outfitting and systems integration in dock before her sea trials and entering operational service. Her commissioning with he Royal Navy is expected to take place in late 2026 / early 2027.
About Type 31/ Inspiration-class frigate
The Type 31 / Arrowhead 140 is based on the proven Iver Huitfeldt-class of frigate of the Royal Danish Navy, designed by OMT, and adapted to Royal Navy requirement by Babcock and BMT. Thales will supply the combat management system of the Type 31. The frigates will be assembled at Babcock’s Rosyth facility, and involve supply chains throughout the UK, in line with the UK’s shipbuilding strategy.
Type 31 / Inspiration-class frigate main specifications:
| Displacement | 5,700 tons |
| Length | 138.7 m (455 ft 1 in) |
| Installed power | 4 × Rolls Royce/MTU 20V 8000 M71 (8.2 MW) diesel engines 4 × Rolls Royce/MTU 16V 2000 M41B (900 kW) generators |
| Propulsion | CODAD configuration, two shafts |
| Speed | 28+ knots |
| Endurance | 9,000 nautical miles |
| Complement | 80 to 100 sailors (accommodation for up to 160) |
Type 31 / Inspiration-class frigate weapons systems:
- TACTICOS combat management system
- 12x VLS for CAMM / Sea Ceptor surface to air missiles
- 1x 57mm (Bofors 57Mk3) main gun
- 2x 40mm (Bofors 40Mk4) secondary guns
- Hangar and flight deck for a Wildcat or Merlin helicopter
