Babcock Fits Foremast on First Type 31 Frigate HMS Venturer
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.
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/08/babcock-fits-foremast-on-first-type-31-frigate-hms-venturer/
