First UK Royal Navy Type 31 frigate enters water

Venturer , the first Type 31 frigate on order for the UK Royal Navy, completes its first entry into the water on 15 June. (Babcock)

The UK Royal Navy's (RN's) first Type 31 Inspiration-class frigate, the future HMS Venturer (F 12), has completed its first entry into the water.

Announcing the milestone on 15 June, Babcock said Venturer was towed by a submersible barge up the Forth estuary to Leith, Edinburgh, for its official float off. Following its launch, the ship has now returned to the shipbuilder's Rosyth facility to continue outfitting and systems integration in number 3 dry dock in preparation for sea trials.

Venturer started construction in September 2021 and was laid down in April 2022. The lead ship was originally planned to be in the water before the end of 2023; however, the date was deliberately postponed in order to maximise the benefit of outfitting the ship under cover at Babcock's new shipbuilding facility rather than in a dry dock.

Venturer was rolled out of the build hall in preparation for its float off on 27 May. Since then, Babcock has been waiting for a suitable tidal window in the Forth estuary to enable the ship to be precisely launched. Under current planning, handover of the first ship is now expected to take place in the second half of 2026.