Royal Navy: Construction of HMS Active takes major step forward in Scotland as Type 31 programme continues

Shipbuilders are currently working on major components for HMS Active - the second in a line of five warships which will replace their Type 23 counterparts. Workers at Babcock International have completed the step on the vessel, with the Inspiration-class vessel currently being constructed at the Venturer Building in Rosyth, Fife, Scotland.

The company reported on social media: “It was lift-off for HMS Active, the Type 31 Inspiration Class frigate, as two major blocks which are part of its modular construction were safely lifted and turned to prepare for integration in our Venturer Building at Rosyth.”

The two major blocks are a crucial part of the ship’s structure. All Type 31 frigates are expected to be rolled out throughout the 2020s, in a move to bolster the Royal Navy’s fleet. They are expected to be utilised on forward deployed operations.

HMS Active’s keel was laid last September, with the first steel being cut on the Inspiration-class warships eight months before that. The first of the new vessels, HMS Venturer, had her bridge system installed in February. Her crew were in Portsmouth to inspect the system before it was sent to Rosyth. Many of these systems are designed and tested at the National Maritime Systems Centre on Portsdown Hill.