The first modernised Hamina-class vessel has been delivered Finnish Navy (Merivoimat), Finnish Navy announced on 15th January via official website.
Work to refit the FNS Tornio was carried out by Patria, the prime contractor, designer and lead system integrator, as part of a €220 million upgrade to all of the Hamina-class vessels.
The Hamina-class refit project is an important part of maintaining Finland’s naval combat capabilities for years to come according to the navy, and all four of the Hamina-class boats will be renovated between 2018 and 2021.
The programme will secure the service life of the vessels until the 2030s and extend each vessel’s independent operation time. The project will also develop anti-submarine warfare and the surface defence capabilities with new features.
The vessels are due to be redelivered to the Finnish Navy by the end of 2021. The new weapons and systems will be tested in 2021 when the upgrades and new additions to all four Hamina-class patrol boats are fully complete.
