Royal Navy frigate is weighed as work progresses in Rosyth

HMS Venturer is due to emerge from the assembly hall this year to pave the way for work to continue on second frigate, HMS Active and then a third frigate, HMS Formidable.

The Royal Navy recently gave an update outlining the complicated procedure that has seen work carried out to ascertain the weigh of the vessel earlier this month.

A statement explained: "Throughout the design of a ship, the weight is estimated by naval architects, who take into account a raft of considerations: weight of materials such as the steel in the hull, the equipment and engineering and systems installed (engines, shafts, pipes, computers, wiring, weapons), consumables (food and stores), fuel and even the ship’s company.

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"Much of that has yet to be installed (or join) the ship, but to validate that the calculations to date are spot on, the entire ship as she exists right now was lifted and measured three times."

Jacks lift up the hull of HMS Venturer (Image: Royal Navy)

The frigate – which is longer than 11 buses – took 84 power hydraulic jacks to raise her while the load cells took precise calculations of the weight.

"Having successfully weighed the ship, the team at Babcock are completing the construction of the ship in the cavernous assembly hall at Rosyth alongside the second ship in the Type 31 programme, HMS Active," added the statement.

"Venturer is due to emerge from the hall this year to pave the way for work on Active and the third frigate, HMS Formidable, to progress in the facility, while the first-in-class ship completes fitting out and installation of kit and systems which could not be added inside the assembly building."

While the weighing operation was going on, crew of the ship were in Portsmouth to see of the completed systems which is now ready for installing in the bridge of their ship.

Hand-in-hand with construction in West Fife, many systems are being designed and tested ready for installation including the ‘Warship Integrated Navigation and Bridge System’ which has been pieced together at the National Maritime Systems Centre in Portsmouth.

The Venturer team asked technical questions about how the system will operate as well as gaining an understanding of the training plan which will be in place to get them up to speed on using and maintaining it.

Venturers crew with the bridge system for the new ship (Image: Royal Navy)

Commander Chris Cozens, HMS Venturer’s Senior Naval Officer, said: "It is great to see the bridge systems which will soon be coming to the ship.

"It makes the ship come alive and turns HMS Venturer into a highly-capable next generation warship, and of course takes us one step closer to her sea trials and delivery into service."

Having been thoroughly tested, the bridge system will be carefully dismantled, packaged and sent to Rosyth for installation on Venturer later this year.

The Type 31 Inspiration-class frigates are designed for a wide variety of roles around the world.

Armed with Sea Ceptor air defence missiles, a 57mm and two 40mm guns, a 4D radar – which is brand new to the Royal Navy – and carrying either a Wildcat or Merlin helicopter and up to three sea boats, HMS Venturer will be a key capability in delivering maritime security tasks.

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The new Type 31s will conduct duties around the globe where the presence of a major Royal Navy warship is required – such as curbing drugs trafficking in the Caribbean or Middle East, working with NATO in the Mediterranean, and providing humanitarian relief and assistance to those that need it.

Scottish Labour candidate for Dunfermline & Dollar, Graeme Dowie, has congratulated the workforce at Rosyth shipyard for their skill and expertise as they work towards structural completion of HMS Venturer.

Graeme Downie during his visit to HMS Venturer in December. (Image: Contributed)

He visited the yard in December along with Shadow Chancellor, Rt. Hon. Rachel Reeves MP, who said a future UK Labour government would ensure we buy, make and sell more in Britain.

“I want to congratulate the workforce and thank them for their incredible contribution to both our country’s security and our local economy,” he said.