The second Pohjanmaa-class multi-role corvette launched

The second Pohjanmaa-class multi-role corvette to be built for the Navy has been launched in Rauma. The vessel was moved from the construction hall to the dock basin where the building and outfitting of the vessel will continue. A festive launch ceremony was celebrated in Rauma on 21 May.

The Pohjanmaa-class vessel project is progressing towards the completion of four vessels by 2029. The ships will be commissioned in phases.

– This moment is significant not only to the Navy but also to the entire Finnish marine industry. It is delightful to be able to say that all four highly capable vessels are now being built, with two of them already afloat, Rear Admiral Tuomas Tiilikainen says.

– Even though the project has been demanding and there have been slight delays, we have succeeded in keeping the entire project on schedule reasonably well, Tiilikainen adds.

The Pohjanmaa-class multi-role corvettes, designed for the varying circumstances of the Baltic Sea, are being built by Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) and its subsidiary RMC Defence Oy. The vessels were ordered by the Defence Forces Logistics Command.

– I want to highlight the culture of cooperation between the Defence Forces and industrial actors that has developed in an outstanding way. We have rebuilt a capable ecosystem of national and Nordic warship building and managed to plan and build an exceptionally complex arctic warship class with an excellent learning curve. The resulting expertise and industrial ability have not gone unacknowledged internationally, says the Deputy Chief of the Defence Forces Logistics Command, Brigadier General (Eng.) Juha-Matti Ylitalo.

The capabilities of the Pohjanmaa-class vessels are crucial for both the Finnish national defence and the Alliance’s collective defence. The vessels will serve the Navy, the Defence Forces and the Alliance well into the 2060s.