Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) today launched the third multi-purpose corvette of Pohjanmaa class built in the Rauma Shipyard for the Finnish Navy. The launch is a significant milestone for the Squadron 2020 project and a demonstration of the strong expertise of Finnish warship building and the achieved production capabilities.

The first two vessels are at the outfitting stage and the keel of the fourth corvette was laid in August. The building processes of the multi-purpose corvettes have progressed in an overlapping fashion with the experience gained during the series production taken advantage of in the project. The building processes have evolved and the efficiency of production has increased.

“As the project moves forward, we have been able to utilise the experience from each vessel in the building of the next ones. This is reflected in the evolution of the building processes, increased efficiency of production and stronger capabilities in warship building. The development has been facilitated by the close and beneficial cooperation with the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command, the Navy, SAAB, our partners and the entire project team,” says RMC’s CEO and President Mika Nieminen.

Rauma Marine Constructions is building a total of four multi-purpose corvettes of Pohjanmaa class for the Finnish Navy as part of the Squadron 2020 project. All four vessels are now under construction. The direct employment impact of the Squadron 2020 project is more than 3,600 person-years in Finland. The building of the multi-purpose corvettes has significantly strengthened Finnish marine industry, military shipbuilding and expertise in defence industry.

The Pohjanmaa-class corvettes serve a key purpose for the performance of the Finnish Navy. They are designed for round-the-year service in the challenging conditions of the Baltic Sea. The vessels meet the requirements of modern naval warfare and form the operative backbone and significant maritime performance of the Navy in the future.

“The launching of the third vessel testifies to the excellent learning curve in the key project on maritime performances. The continued development of cooperation between the Rauma Shipyard, SAAB as the supplier of weapon systems, and the Finnish Navy as the performance owner ensures the achievement of the projected performance,” explains Brigadier General Engineering Juha-Matti Ylitalo, the Deputy Chief of Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command.

Outfitting work will continue on the third multi-purpose corvette after the launching ceremony.

Main data on multi-purpose corvettes

Length: 117 m
Beam: 16.5 m
Draught: 5 m
Crew: 70