STT Finnish Government News,
The Rauma yard of Norwegian shipbuilder Aker Yards on Monday delivered the fourth and last Hamina class missile boat to the Finnish navy.
The fourth vessel was named Pori. It joins Hamina, Hanko and Tornio in the navy's “Squadron 2000”.
Pori is 51 metres long and built of aluminium and light-weight composite materials. Twin water jets give it a speed of more than 30 knots.
According to Wikipedia, The Hamina class missile boats (Finnish: Hamina-luokan ohjusvene) are a type of vessel in use by the Finnish Navy. It is also known as Rauma 2000 following its predecessor the Rauma class.
The Hamina is generally designated as a “fast attack craft”, but because of the connotation of aggression in that name, the Finnish Defence Forces prefers names such as “fast patrol craft” or “fast surface combatant”.
Nevertheless the Hamina packs a deadly force. Its aluminium/composite structure is designed with stealth in mind and equipped with latest in radar technology. It has electronically integrated combat management systems including equipment for electronic warfare. Modernized MTO-85m Surface-to-surface missiles and the Umkhonto Surface-to-air missiles provide the bulk of the crafts combat capability.
When all of the four vessels are finished they will form what the navy calls Squadron 2000 (Finnish: Laivue 2000). The navy went through severals plans on the combination of this squadron. At one point only two Hamina class vessels and four Tuuli class ACV were to be built. The prototype of Tuuli didn't live to its expectations so the navy changed its plan in favour of the well performing Hamina class. As this time three of the Hamina class have been built and the fourth is expected to be delivered in summer 2006.
The squadron should reach its full operative capability in 2008 and will greatly improve the surface- and air patrol as well as air defense capacity. It will also increase the quality of information available for military leaders.
General specifications
Designation: Fast Attack Craft – Missile
Displacement: 250 tons
Dimensions:
Length: 51 m
Width: 8.5 m
Draft: 1.7 m
Main engines: 2 * MTU 16V 538 TB93 diesels; 6600 kW
Propulsion: 2 * Kamewa 90SII waterjets
Speed: 30+ knots
Range: 500 miles
Armament:
1 * Bofors 40 mm/70 Sea Trinity (Bofors 57 mm/70 SAK Mk3 on Hanko & Tornio. Hamina will be retro-fitted))
2 * NSV 12,7 mm MGs
8-cell Denel Umkhonto-IR VLS SAM system
4 * Saab RBS-15 Mk3 SSM (2 * Sako twin-barrel 23 mm/87 (modified ZU-23-2) can be fitted instead of missiles)
4 * Saab Elma LLS-920 9-tube ASW mortars
1 rail for depth charges or mines (Sea Mine 2000)
Countermeasures:
Decoys: Philax chaff and IR flares
Smoke system: Lacroix ATOS
EMS: MEL Matilda radar intercept
Electronics:
Rheinmetall MASS (Multi Ammunition Soft-kill System)
Saab Ceros-200 FCS
EADS TRS-3D/16-ES multimode acquisition 3D radar
EADS ANCS 2000 combat data system
EADS MSSR 2000 I IFF
SAGEM EOMS
Simrad Subsea Toadfish sonar
Finnyards Sonac/PTA towed array sonar
Crew:
24
Yard:
Aker Finnyards Rauma, Finland
