Rauma shipyard launches third Finnish Navy corvette

Rauma Marine Constructions has launched the third of four multirole corvettes it is building for the Finnish Navy, Yle reports. The shipyard is also building icebreakers for the United States.

RMC chief executive Mika Nieminen described the launch as a celebratory and emotional day. He said the project had brought significant challenges, adding that building the vessels involved complex work and everyday challenges with people.

The four corvettes will replace some of the Navy’s current vessels and together form the Pohjanmaa class. They are due to be completed in 2029. The Finnish Defence Forces have described them as unique internationally because they can operate in ice and lay mines. The Navy says they will form the backbone of Finland’s maritime defence.

The vessels are 117 metres long, 16 metres wide and have a draught of five metres. They displace 3,900 tonnes, can travel at more than 26 knots and have a crew of 70. Their weapons include Gabriel anti-ship missiles, Sea Sparrow air-defence missiles, Torped 47 lightweight torpedoes, naval mines, a 57-millimetre BAE Bofors gun, decoy launchers and remotely operated weapons.

Finnish marine-industry companies are optimistic about future growth. A survey by Finnish Industry Investment found that a typical company in the sector expects its revenue to grow by 10 per cent this year. However, a little over a quarter of surveyed companies said they faced a labour shortage.

Nieminen said labour shortages had not caused major problems at the Rauma shipyard, citing its long history of shipbuilding and established workforce and partners. He said more skilled workers were needed and that education programmes would be important to the industry’s success.