Construction Starts on Second Finnish Patrol Vessel
The Baltic Sea has become a flashpoint for a multitude of maritime security issues, a driver for the Finnish Border Guard to renew its fleet.
The completion of the two new patrol vessels ordered from Meyer Turku by the Finnish Border Guard is progressing, an on December 3, 2024, production was started of the second ship, planned for delivery in 2026.
A start of production ceremony was held at the Baltic Operator shipyard in Gdansk. Representatives of the Border Guard, Meyer Turku, Baltic Operator and Bureau Veritas attended the event celebrating the traditional cutting of the ship's first steel plate.
“Our two-ship project has reached a significant milestone, as the production of also the second ship now has started. The offshore patrol vessels are built in the facilities of our long-term partner shipyards under the leadership and in full accordance with the quality demands of Meyer Turku,” says Tapani Pulli, Deputy CEO of Meyer Turku.
“The security situation in the Baltic Sea underlines the importance of this project. The introduction of new high-performance ships will significantly improve Finland's maritime security,” says Brigadier General Jari Tolppanen from the Border Guard.
The Finnish Border Guard’s operational capacity in the open sea is, for a significant part, based on continuous operation and preparedness of the multifunctional offshore patrol vessels. The offshore patrol vessels are at sea for approximately 330 days of the year.
Currently, the Finnish Border Guard has three operating offshore patrol vessels, of which the offshore patrol vessel Turva, introduced in 2014, is up-to-date. Preparations are made for giving up the two old offshore patrol vessels, when the new vessels are completed. The first new vessel will be completed by the end of 2025, in accordance with the contract, and the second by the end of 2026.
The operational capacity of the Finnish Border Guard’s vessels that currently are under construction is significantly better compared to the old vessels. The vessels’ abilities to monitor and response in border surveillance tasks and in control and protection of territorial integrity in connection to it will be improved. Advanced surveillance systems and solutions for data transfer improve maintenance of real-time surveillance information and sharing of it. The new vessels improve the ability to prevent major accidents and the ability to carry out rescue operations. All the vessels have an immediate readiness to control serious environmental accidents and the total oil recovery capacity will be approximately twice the size of the present capacity. The new vessels will produce low emissions and are energy-efficient. Capabilities funded by the Defence Forces will be acquired for the vessels.
