Minister Häkkänen: New Navy vessels strengthen security on the Baltic Sea as a whole

Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen attended the launching ceremony for the first Pohjanmaa-class corvette in Rauma. The corvette was moved from the shipyard’s construction hall to the dock basin for continued construction and outfitting.

“With this project, Finland has developed an independent capacity to build modern warships. It is well done considering the size of our country. The corvettes will strengthen Finland's defence, and their capabilities will also enhance security on the Baltic Sea as a whole,” said Minister Häkkänen.

The Squadron 2020 project on Pohjanmaa-class vessels is progressing towards the completion of a total of four corvettes by 2029. They will be commissioned in phases between 2027 and 2029. The corvettes can be used in naval operations, including on a long-term basis throughout the year, if necessary. They are designed for such purposes as repelling attacks from the sea, laying sea mines, conducting anti-submarine operations and protecting maritime connections.

The Squadron 2020 project was launched in 2015. Its objective is to replace those surface combatants of the Navy which will become outdated in the 2020s. The four multi-role corvettes will replace seven vessels to be decommissioned by the Navy and will form the core of Finland's entire maritime defence in the coming decades.