HMS Venturer (Type 31 frigate)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Venturer.

History
United Kingdom
Name	Venturer
Namesake	HMS Venturer (P68)
Builder	Babcock,[1] Rosyth
Laid down	26 April 2022[2]
Sponsored by	The Princess Royal
Homeport	HMNB Portsmouth
Status	Under construction
General characteristics
Class and type	Type 31 frigate
Displacement	5,700 t (5,600 long tons)
Length	138.7 m (455 ft 1 in)
Installed power	4 × Rolls Royce/MTU 20V 8000 M71 8.2 MW (11,000 hp) diesel engines[3] 4 × Rolls Royce/MTU 16V 2000 M41B 900 kW (1,200 hp) generators
Propulsion	MAN Alpha VBS Mk 5 controllable pitch propeller, two shafts, CODAD[4]
Speed	> 28 knots
Endurance	9,000 nmi (17,000 km; 10,000 mi)
Complement	c. 110 (accommodation for up to 190)[5]
Sensors and processing systems	Thales TACTICOS combat management system, Thales NS110 3D radar, Anschütz Warship Integrated Navigation and Bridge System, Terma Scanter and Anschütz NSX navigation radars, 2 Mirador Mk2 EOS, Viasat Ultrahigh-frequency satellite communications[6]
Electronic warfare & decoys	Vigile-D ESM
Armament	Missile system: 32 Mark 41 VLS for various missiles including Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon[7] and Sea Ceptor anti-air missiles [Mark 41 "for but not with" on Venturer; to be potentially added in "future capability insertion periods"] [8][9] Guns: 1 × Bofors 57 mm Mk 110 main gun 2 × Bofors 40 mm Mk 4 secondary guns 4 × 7.62 mm General purpose machine guns or other machine guns
Aircraft carried	1 × Wildcat or Merlin helicopter
Aviation facilities	Helicopter hangar and flight deck
Notes	Mission bay under flight deck for 6 TEUs. 3 boat bays for RHIBs and USVs/UUVs.

HMS Venturer is the lead ship of the Type 31 frigate-class currently under construction for the Royal Navy and the seventh vessel named HMS Venturer.[10]

In May 2021, the names of the five planned Type 31 ships were announced by the First Sea Lord. The names were selected to represent key themes that represent the future plans of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. Venturer, named after the Second World War submarine Venturer (P68), the only submarine ever to have, while underwater, destroyed an enemy submarine in underwater battle, symbolises technology and innovation.[11]

As of 2023, planning envisaged Venturer being launched in 2024 and entering service by 2025.[12][13] In mid-2024 it was reported that the Type 31 program was likely behind schedule with Venturer not having been launched by mid-2024 as had been planned and with the ship now envisaged for service entry in late 2026/early 2027. The entire class is still planned to be in service by 2030.[14][15][10][16]

First steel was cut for the new ship on 23 September 2021 signalling the start of construction.[17] The keel of the ship was ceremonially laid down in April 2022.[2]

Affiliations

• County of Essex[18]
• Worshipful Company of Ironmongers[18]

References

1. "Babcock Team 31 selected as preferred bidder for UK Type 31 frigate programme". babcockinternational. 12 September 2019. Archived from the original on 17 September 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
2. "Keel laying for Royal Navy's Type 31 frigate showcases Babcock workforce". 26 April 2022. Archived from the original on 26 April 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
3. "Rolls-Royce Seals Propulsion Systems Contract For Royal Navy's Type 31 Frigates". navalnews.com. 29 May 2020. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
4. "MAN to supply propulsion for Royal Navy frigates". 27 April 2020. Archived from the original on 29 May 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
5. "The development of a lean crewing solution for the Royal Navy's Type 31 frigate". Navy Lookout. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
6. Chuter, Andrew (3 November 2020). "Viasat to supply Britain's future frigate with satellite communications tech". defensenews.com. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
7. "Royal Navy's Type 31 frigates to be fitted with Mk41 vertical launch system". Navy Lookout. 17 May 2023. Archived from the original on 14 June 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
8. Thomas, Richard (9 February 2024). "Type 31 frigates could get Mk 41 during future capability insertion periods". Naval Technology. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
9. Childs, Nick (7 October 2019). "UK's naval balancing act: getting the Type-31 frigate right". iiss.org/. IISS. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2020. as well as up to 24 MBDA Sea Ceptor local-area air-defence missiles
10. "Ships to inspire – names of Type 31 frigates revealed". Royal Navy. 19 May 2021. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
11. "Royal Navy's Type 31 frigates have names; HMS Active recalls her predecessor and Falklands liberation". MercoPress South Atlantic News Agency. 19 June 2021. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
12. Bahtić, Fatima (28 December 2023). "Babcock: Float-off of UK's first Type 31 frigate expected in first half of 2024". Naval Today. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
13. Lookout, Navy (16 January 2023). "Navy Lookout". Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
14. "Royal Navy frigate strength to get worse before it gets better". Navy Lookout. 2 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
15. "Royal Navy formally announces the names of the 'inspiration class' Type 31 frigates". Navy Lookout. 19 May 2021. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
16. "Royal Navy - Inspiration class names". Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
17. "Steel cut for first Type 31 frigate – HMS Venturer". Navy Lookout. 23 September 2021. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
18. "Essex joins the HMS Venturer family – County is affiliated with new frigate". Royal Navy. 26 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.