Babcock Launches First Type 31 Frigate for Royal Navy

British defense contractor Babcock has launched the first Type 31 frigate, HMS Venturer, for the Royal Navy, the company said on its website.

The vessel was rolled out from the covered slipway at Babcock’s Rosyth Dockyard on May 27, 2025, and officially launched into the water on June 9, 2025.

The frigate was loaded onto a barge and floated down the Firth of Forth from Rosyth to complete the launch.

Due to the shallow basin at the Rosyth yard, the barge was towed to deeper waters near Leith, where it will be submerged to release the ship.

After the launch, HMS Venturer will be towed back to Rosyth, where it will enter the shipyard’s basin and then be moved into Dry Dock No. 3 for fitting out.

Babcock expects to complete outfitting within 12 months, allowing for delivery to the Royal Navy in what the company says is a record five years—an accelerated timeline for UK standards.

The shorter delivery schedule is largely due to a simplified weapons configuration. The first three Type 31 frigates will be equipped with GWS 35 vertical launch systems for CAMM (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile) interceptors, rather than the more complex Mk 41 vertical launch systems.

Photos of the ship show 18 vertical launch cells, corresponding to 18 CAMM missiles.

HMS Venturer is the lead ship in the Type 31 program, designed as a more cost-effective alternative to the Type 26 frigate. The Royal Navy has ordered five ships in the class.

Babcock laid the keel for the second frigate in the series, HMS Active, in 2023. It is also being built at the Rosyth facility and is scheduled for launch in 2026.

According to Royal Navy officials, the heavier Type 26 frigates will focus on anti-submarine warfare and escorting aircraft carrier strike groups, while the lighter Type 31 ships are intended for general-purpose patrol duties in UK and international waters.

Type 31 is based on the Arrowhead 140 design. The frigates will be approximately 140 meters long, with a top speed of 26 knots, a range of 9,000 nautical miles, and an endurance of 28 days.