Building the Royal Navy’s General Purpose Frigates: Type 31 Programme Update

Why It Matters

The accelerated build rhythm strengthens the Royal Navy’s replacement path for ageing Type 23 frigates and showcases a revitalised UK naval industrial base, crucial for future export opportunities.

Key Takeaways

• Serial production of Type 31 frigates underway at Rosyth
• HMS Venturer acts as prototype; HMS Active pre‑production
• Robotics and digital tools cut paint waste, speed assembly
• £65 million contract adds Mk 41 VLS upgrades to early ships
• Workforce shift toward stable staff and local apprentices

Pulse Analysis

The Type 31 programme marks a turning point for British war‑shipbuilding by moving from single‑hull prototypes to true serial production. At Rosyth, nine structural units are fabricated in dedicated panel lines, consolidated into blocks, and then assembled in the Venturer Hall using the Goliath crane. Lessons learned from HMS Venturer have been codified into the build sequence for HMS Active and HMS Formidable, allowing more internal fit‑out before lift‑off and the use of robotic paint‑application systems that reduce material waste and cycle time. This modular, high‑throughput approach shortens the critical path and improves schedule predictability. Equally important is the yard’s evolving labour model. Babcock now employs roughly 900 staff, with a core of directly hired tradespeople complemented by Production Support Operatives recruited locally without prior ship‑building experience. The apprenticeship pipeline has swelled to over 320 apprentices, supported by graduate‑apprentice schemes that aim to sustain mid‑level expertise as the fleet expands. Digital welding machines and automated cutting tools have shifted skilled welders from manual torch work to machine oversight, boosting productivity while preserving valuable craftsmanship. The social dividend of stable jobs and retraining reinforces Rosyth’s role as a regional economic engine. Looking ahead, the Type 31’s open‑architecture combat system paves the way for rapid integration of the ARMOR concept, pairing each frigate with up to three ROMULUS uncrewed surface vessels. A £65 million Capability Insertion Period contract will fit Mk 41 vertical launch cells on the first two ships, demonstrating a flexible upgrade path. Successful serial production and the demonstrated ability to embed new technologies are critical for securing export orders, which could offset Babcock’s £90 million loss on the programme. Ultimately, the accelerated delivery of a modern, cost‑effective frigate class strengthens the Royal Navy’s operational readiness and underpins the UK’s maritime defence industrial base.

Building the Royal Navy’s general purpose frigates: Type 31 programme update

February 2026

The Type 31 frigate programme has now moved into serial production, with multiple hulls progressing in parallel. Following a visit to Rosyth to speak with the workforce, here is an overview of the current state of this major ship‑building project.

The downturn after the completion of the aircraft carriers forced a re‑thinking of Rosyth’s long‑term role. Securing the Type 31 contract led to heavy investment in covered build facilities, robotics, panel lines and digital tools. The result is a modernising yard that is getting into its stride, improving quality and schedule predictability. Planning is also under way for a second assembly building on the site, potentially larger than the Venturer Hall. This would provide additional covered space, high enough to allow mast integration and more flexible gantry‑crane operations, but development is contingent on confirmation of other orders.

While the quality standard across all ships remains constant, the first Type 31, HMS Venturer, has effectively acted as a prototype for construction processes, sequencing and accumulated programme knowledge. Ship 2, HMS Active, is best described as a pre‑production standard, while Ship 3, HMS Formidable, is emerging as the reference model for the remainder of the class. Refinements identified through design feedback loops, manufacturing methods and logistics planning are being fully embedded into an increasingly efficient build strategy.

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Throughput

Each Type 31 frigate is constructed from nine major structural units, fabricated and outfitted separately before being brought together in the large Venturer Assembly Hall. Initial manufacturing starts in the panel lines where plates and stiffeners are erected into units. The units are then moved to the Syncro Building, where they are consolidated into blocks (the Syncro Building, adjacent to the Venturer Hall, continues its original primary purpose of Minehunter support in parallel). Blocks are then moved to the Hall for consolidation into the ship. The Goliath crane, which runs on rails over number 1 dry dock and part of the hard‑standing area, is used to rotate blocks, which are mostly manufactured upside down.

There is an increasing degree of internal fit‑out completed before large modules are lifted. The ship’s masts, for example, are fully cabled internally before installation, avoiding complex and time‑consuming work at height once erected. HMS Formidable will be completed more quickly, benefiting from multiple process improvements. The major machinery spaces, including the tank‑top sections that form the double bottom beneath the forward and aft engine rooms, were delivered into the hall with pipework and systems installed to a much higher standard than was achieved on the first hull. Just visible in the image above are the two twin sets of diesel engines, generators and gearboxes in place on the tank tops (each pair of engines sits in a separate compartment, staggered so that the port engine room is forward of the starboard).

HMS Active is due to be rolled out from the Hall later this month (the steel‑cutting ceremony for ship 4, HMS Bulldog, will be held on the same day). Babcock is using a robot system to apply paint directly to her hull. The key factor is coating thickness rather than the number of coats applied; the automated system reduces waste compared with manual spraying methods. The main painting of the ship is done under cover, but some touch‑up work is done in dry dock and during the latter part of the fitting‑out stage.

HMS Venturer is now externally structurally complete, with both funnels and masts fitted, although weapons, sensors and communications systems remain to be added. Shaft lines have already been installed. Babcock has invested in new tooling to support this activity, including a purpose‑built installation skid, replacing older, more labour‑intensive lifting methods involving chain blocks and heavy tackle. At the time of writing, the propellers have been delivered to the dry dock, awaiting fitting.

Image 1 – A gray and red ship surrounded by scaffolding under construction in a large warehouse (HMS Active, Venturer Hall, 10 February 2026).

Image 2 – A warship under construction in dry dock, with engineering vehicles nearby and a large aircraft carrier in the background (Port funnel being craned onto HMS Venturer, late 2025; HMS Queen Elizabeth undergoing refit in the background).

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Sequencing

The physical flow of ships through Rosyth is carefully choreographed to maximise the use of available infrastructure. HMS Venturer will leave dry dock soon to allow HMS Active to take her place. She will complete the fitting‑out process alongside on the same berth in the basin where the aircraft carriers were fitted out.

The Malin Augustea CD01 barge has arrived in Rosyth ahead of the rollout of HMS Active. HMS Venturer was towed to Leith last year to be floated off the barge in a four‑day operation, although other locations for this process are being considered. Use of the barge is coordinated with BAE Systems, which employs the vessel in the same role for the Type 26 programme. The two companies are sharing experience from each float‑off, sending teams to observe each other’s process.

Looking ahead, later ships may not need to enter dry dock, moving directly from the Hall to a berth for final outfitting. This reflects confidence in the considerably increased level of completion achieved before launch and mirrors best practice seen in other high‑throughput naval shipyards.

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Integration

Combat‑system installation remains one of the most complex elements of any modern warship programme, particularly for a first‑of‑class vessel. Preparation for this is well advanced, with Thales personnel already embedded at Rosyth for 18 months. The Mission System and TACTICOS Combat System Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) were completed in June 2025 and are now undergoing land‑based trials at the Shore Integration Facility. Currently, installation of cables comprises the most significant part of the fitting‑out work on Venturer.

The programme has deliberately built a modest schedule margin into the early ships to absorb unforeseen issues. Experience gained during the integration of HMS Venturer will inform a more predictable and repeatable process for subsequent hulls, reducing the risk of late‑stage surprises during sea trials.

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Workforce

Around 900 people are currently employed on the Type 31 programme at Rosyth, with approximately 200 working on the panel line. Where necessary to meet the delivery timetable and ensure efficiency, there is round‑the‑clock shift working. The composition of the workforce has been evolving, with a deliberate move away from heavy reliance on sub‑contractors towards a more stable core of directly employed staff. As the shipyard becomes increasingly digital, older welders have been retained to operate modern automated cutting and welding machines, reducing the demanding manual labour of legacy welding practice.

One of the more innovative features of the Rosyth workforce model has been the introduction of Production Support Operatives (PSOs). Recruited largely from the local area, many with no prior ship‑building experience, these staff undertake essential support tasks such as logistics, tool preparation and material movement. This has allowed skilled tradespeople to remain focused on high‑value work, improving output while also delivering tangible social value through retraining and long‑term employment opportunities.

The apprentice pipeline has expanded significantly, with more than 320 apprentices already in training and around 100 new intakes expected this year, supported by graduate and graduate‑apprentice schemes. Babcock is gradually building depth in its mid‑level workforce as skills are transferred and experience accumulated across successive hulls. This should translate into improved productivity and readiness to work on potential export orders.

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ARMOR

Babcock is promoting its Autonomous Maritime Operations and Resilience (ARMOR) concept as a near‑term option for the RN, built around pairing a Type 31 frigate with up to three ROMULUS large uncrewed surface vessels (LUSV). The first ROMULUS is already in production in the US, but could easily be built in UK ship or boatyards.

Impact on the Type 31 frigate is described as minimal. The combat system and common data backbone are based on open architecture, allowing rapid ARMOR integration that would require little more than additional operator consoles and blade servers. The concept is effectively software‑led, plugging into the existing system highway without major structural modification or intrusive shipyard work. Subject to customer approval, this would allow the RN to quickly pair a warship and uncrewed vessels as an early demonstration of the hybrid‑navy concept.

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Service

The RN faces a degree of choice over how quickly it wishes to bring the first Type 31 frigates into service. Ministers have stated that HMS Venturer is “scheduled to be ready for operations by the end of the decade”, but this loose commitment offers a considerable gap between handover from the contractor to the RN and full operational status.

In April 2025, Babcock was awarded a £65 million, five‑ship add‑on contract for the Capability Insertion Periods (CIP). The first two vessels will undergo upgrades, primarily the fitting of Mk 41 VLS cells, at some point after acceptance by the RN. The intention is that ships 3‑5 will be upgraded during the build process.

As a first‑of‑class, Venturer must complete builder’s sea trials, formal Sea Acceptance Readiness Checks (SARC) and the CIP. Much of this sequencing has yet to be decided by the Navy, but given the pressing need for ships, the question arises whether SARC and weapons‑acceptance trials can be accelerated.

Type 31 introduces several new systems to the RN, including new 57 mm and 40 mm guns, radar and combat‑management system, but these are not novel technologies for other navies that already operate them routinely. A more agile approach to trials and knowledge transfer, drawing on allied experience, could reduce the time taken to declare operational readiness. In a similar timeframe, the RN will also have to manage the same type of issues with the Type 26 frigate’s first‑of‑class entry into service. Ultimately, the pace at which Type 31 moves from delivery to credible warship will depend on how boldly the RN adapts its own acceptance and certification processes.

The Type 31 programme has now passed the point where it can be dismissed as a paper ambition and is visibly delivering successive hulls, offering the RN a credible path to replacing some of the ageing Type 23 frigates. While significant challenges remain—particularly combat‑system integration, trials and the transition from handover to full operational readiness—the industrial base at Rosyth is demonstrably maturing with each successive ship.

Export orders will be critical in potentially unlocking further investment in facilities and people, as well as offsetting Babcock’s £90 million financial loss on Type 31. Beyond the warships themselves, the programme is already generating long‑term social and economic benefits and regenerating high‑value ship‑building capability, laying foundations that extend well beyond the five ships currently on order.

All photos: Babcock