UK hits roll out milestone for new Type 31 frigate
Babcock also said that three of the five Type 31 vessels are in production and all five will be “completed within 10 years from the point of initial contract award,” in 2019.
The Royal Navy’s Type 31 first in class frigate, HMS Venturer, is rolled out from its purpose-built construction facility in Rosyth, Scotland (Babcock)
BELFAST — The UK Royal Navy’s Type 31 first-in-class frigate, HMS Venturer, has been newly unveiled by shipbuilder Babcock at its Rosyth facility in Scotland.
The roll out of the 5,700 tonne (6,300 ton) general purpose surface ship marks “transition from the construction phase into final preparations” for the vessel’s “first entry into the water,” said Defence Equipment and Support or DE&S (the UK MoD’s procurement arm) in a Tuesday statement.
The key milestone was supported by modular transporters, designed with cradle equipment, to move HMS Venturer out of its assembly site, a move that comes over three years since the ship’s first steel cutting ceremony.
“The roll out of HMS Venturer paves the way for the success of the entire fleet of the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigates,” said Steve Ranyard, Type 31 team leader at DE&S. “Once complete, they will be at the forefront of deterring aggression and maintaining the security and prosperity of our nation and our allies.”
In a supporting statement, Babcock said that an “expert team” is preparing HMS Venturer “for float off into the River Forth in the coming weeks,” before returning to Rosyth to “undergo extensive outfitting and systems integration in dock before her sea trials and entering operational service.”
Officially referred to as the Inspiration class, the Royal Navy is set to receive five Type 31 and eight Type 26 frigates to replace legacy or retired Type 23 vessels, in line with Britain’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (PDF).
Babcock also said that three of the five Type 31 vessels are in production and all five will be “completed within 10 years from the point of initial contract award” in 2019. The contract was valued at £1.25 billion ($1.68 billion).
Each new Type 31 is due to be equipped with MBDA’s Sea Ceptor naval air defense system, a 57mm main gun, two 40mm Bofors guns, a 4D radar and a hold for mission specific items like mine hunting systems or drones, according to the Royal Navy.
Manufactured with a modular design to facilitate more efficient upgrades and systems integration, the surface ships are based on the Arrowhead 140 design (evolved from the Danish Navy’s Iver Huitfeldt frigate), which has also been exported to Indonesia and Poland.
Babcock reported a £90 million loss (PDF) on the Type 31 program last year, citing increased costs relating to “maturing of the design” and inflated labor costs. The loss “is expected” to be spread over the full duration of the contract, which it labelled “onerous,” at the time. But it also said then, “The programme has been restructured following a detailed operational review to protect the in-service date” of 2027.
