February 27, 2025
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Highland RFCA Regional Employer Engagement Directors Roy McLellan and Ray Watt took representatives from seven employer organisations to Babcock’s shipyard in Rosyth.
The 5 February event gave the visitors an opportunity to view the construction progress of HMS Venturer. Venturer is the lead ship of the Type 31 Inspiration Class frigate programme that will see five ships of that design produced by Babcock for the Royal Navy.
The main image (above) shows HMS Venturer in the background with sections of the second ship in the Type 31 programme, HMS Active, in the foreground. Steel is also being cut for HMS Formidable, the third ship in the class.
All the employer organisations in attendance are Armed Forces Covenant signatories and holders of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Awards at various levels (listed below).
The UKSI Limited: Gold Award.
Simplicity in Mind: Gold Award.
BRAVEHOUND: Silver Award.
Falkirk Football Community Foundation: Silver Award.
Gogar Services Limited: Silver Award.
Offshore Energies UK: Silver Award.
Aberdeen Laundry Services: Bronze Award.
Employers and visitors outside Babcock’s yard in Rosyth.
The Type 31 programme is due to reach a major milestone later this year with the rollout of HMS Venturer from the construction hall ahead of being lowered into the water.
Venturer is currently being painted and is progressing towards launch day. Her keel was laid in April 2022.
The vessel should be fully in service with the Royal Navy by 2027. The final frigate in the five-ship class, HMS Campbeltown, is scheduled to enter service in May 2030. The 140-metre vessels are projected to have a core crew of 105 sailors each.
The Type 31 project began nearly a decade ago when the Royal Navy announced the General Purpose Frigate programme. Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 was selected as the basis for Type 31 in 2019, and the design has subsequently been exported to Poland and Indonesia. 
