Royal Navy: How close are Portsmouth Type 31 ships HMS Venturer, Formidable and Active to being built

Babcock International issued an update regarding the construction of the Type 31 ships. The Inspiration-class General Purpose Frigates will be based at HMNB Portsmouth once they’ve been completed.

In the company’s preliminary financial results, they said: “The Type 31 Inspiration Class five-frigate programme being built for the Royal Navy at our facility in Rosyth has made significant progress.

“We cut steel on the third ship in the programme, HMS Formidable, in October 2024, and in June 2025 the first ship, HMS Venturer, left the assembly hall and entered the water (float-off), marking a major execution milestone.

“The ship has since returned, as planned, to dry dock to continue fit out. This has created space in our Venturer Hall facility for work on HMS Formidable, which has commenced using an enhanced build strategy.”

The company added that the superstructure and outfitting for HMS Active is progressing. She is expected to be tested on the water in the second half of 2026.

These Type 31 ships, due to replace their Type 23 counterparts alongside the submarine-hunting Type 26 variants, are expected to enter service in the late 2020s. They can accommodate a crew of up to 110 sailors. Their flexible and adaptable design means they will be tasked with various Royal Navy operations.

This includes intercepting and disrupting illegal activities at sea, gathering intelligence, conducting defence engagement, and providing humanitarian support. HMS Venturer was unveiled to the public for the first time in May, and made her inaugural sailing earlier this month.

Senior Naval Officer, Commander Chris Cozens, said: “Getting Venturer’s feet wet is not just a show piece, it is the culmination of the structural stage of build before the rest of the fit out and commissioning completes. It has been impressive to see the pride and teamwork in the industrial staff, MOD and Royal Navy.”

Babcock recorded an operating profit of £363.9m for the year ending March 2025, compared to £241.6m the previous term.

CEO David Lockwood said: “This is a new era for defence. There is increasing recognition of the need to invest in defence capability and energy security, both to safeguard populations and to drive economic growth. Our specialist capabilities are increasingly relevant and, with a growing set of opportunities before us, Babcock is committed to play its part in driving prosperity alongside its customers.”