First look at largest warship ever assembled in Scotland as part of £1.25 BILLION project
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THE largest Royal Navy warship ever assembled in Scotland has been rolled out as part of a £1.25billion project.
The first Type 31 frigate HMS Venturer emerged from Babcock's facility at Rosyth in Fife today.
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The largest Royal Navy warship ever assembled in Scotland has been rolled out
Credit: Andrew Barr
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All five of the Type 31 warships are being built by Babcock in Rosyth
Credit: Andrew Barr
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The general-purpose frigate is capable of undertaking a wide variety of roles
Credit: Andrew Barr
Final preparations are taking place for the 5,700-tonne vessel's entry into the water, which will take place in the coming weeks.
All five of the Type 31 warships are being built by Babcock in Rosyth, with three of the ships currently in production.
HMS Ventura is a general-purpose frigate capable of undertaking a wide variety of roles, including counter-piracy missions, defence engagement and humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
The ship's flight deck is the largest of any Royal Navy frigate or destroyer and can operate a range of aircraft types, including Merlin, Wildcat, and Chinook.
Sir Nick Hine, chief executive of Babcock's marine sector, told The Scottish Sun: "This is the ship I think navies will need going forward because these ships will be more available, more affordable, and more adaptable, which are the things that all navies are going to need going forward.
"It's a great day to see her, literally in the flesh, and I hope you'll see the next one in the second half of this year.
"We'll continue to roll them out with five ships in 10 years from contract award to in service.
"That's unheard of, and that's down to the work that we do here with the engineering people in Scotland.
"She's a big ship, and you can see from the platform that she's got lots of space.
"Nobody ever said 'you built my ship too big'. Therefore, we need to make sure that we can adapt her through life for the changes that come."
Incredible moment a Royal Navy warship destroys a supersonic missile off Scots coast
After the vessel has been floated off into the River Forth, she will undergo extensive outfitting and systems integration in dock before undergoing sea trials and entering operational service.
Commander Chris Cozens, senior naval officer of HMS Venturer, said: "The ship's company have seen HMS Venturer grow from the keel up inside the build hall. This will be the first time Babcock and the Royal Navy can unveil this next generation frigate to the public.
"This moment is taking the ship another step closer to where it is needed and contributing to the UK's security and prosperity."
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