Rauma-class missile boat

Last updated
FNS Porvoo.jpg
FNS Porvoo
Class overview
NameRauma class
Builders Rauma shipyard
OperatorsNaval Jack of Finland.svg  Finnish Navy
Preceded by Helsinki class
Succeeded by Hamina class, Squadron 2020
In commission1990-present
Completed4
Active4
General characteristics
Type Fast attack craft
Displacement240 tons
Length48.5 m (159 ft 1 in)
Beam8 m (26 ft 3 in)
Draught1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)
Installed power2 × MTU 16V 538 TB93 diesels, 6600 kW
Propulsion2 × Riva Calzoni IRC 115 waterjets
Speed34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Complement19
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
MASS decoy system
Armament
  • 1 × Bofors 40 mm/70
  • 2 × NSV 12.7 mm machine guns
  • 6 × Saab RBS-15 Mk3 SSM
  • 2 × Saab Elma ASW-600 9-tube ASW mortars
  • Mine rails for tactical mines can be fitted instead of missiles

The Rauma-class missile boats (Finnish : Rauma-luokan ohjusvene) are a class of missile boat in use by the Finnish Navy.

Contents

It is the predecessor of the Hamina-class missile boats. The ships were constructed at the Rauma shipyard (initially by Hollming and after the merger Finnyards) in Rauma, Finland. All the ships have their home port in Pansio.

All four vessels underwent a 70 million EUR modernization program at the Western Shipyard in Teijo. The program includes the installation of a new version of the 9LV225 control and command system made by SAAB (the Mk.3 has been replaced by a Mk.4), the replacement of the Mistral SAM missiles with a MASS decoy system. The MASS system also replaces the Philax chaff and IR flares, the Thales Matilda radar warning system, and the six 103 mm rails for rocket illuminants, that were previously fitted. The sonar and ASW systems are being completely renewed (the previous Simrad ST 240 has been replaced by a ST2400). The modernization programme began late in 2010 with all four vessels expected to be ready by autumn 2013. The first vessel, Naantali, was handed over to the Finnish Navy in May 2013. The modernization will allow the vessels to be operational into the 2020s. [1]

The vessels were previously armed with a sextuple Mistral SAM launcher, which could be replaced by a Sako twin-barrel 23 mm/87 anti-aircraft cannon (a modified version of the ZU-23-2). Additionally the vessels had a portable Mistral SAM launcher pad that could be mounted on the ship's deck, or on land, in order to protect them when moored.

After modernization in 2010-2013 the SAM system was replaced by a MASS launcher.

On 18 February 2015, the Finnish media reported that the Rauma class has been banned from use after fatigue damage was discovered in the vessels' hull. [2]

The vessels were repaired and back in operation by 2016. They are planned to be retired from service when the new Pohjanmaa-class corvettes enter service in the late 2020s.

List of ships


Pennant
number
NameBuilderOrderedCommissionedModernizedHome baseStatus
70RaumaHollming27 August 198718 October 1990PansioIn active service
71RaaheHollming20 August 199126 June 2013PansioIn active service
72Porvoo Finnyards 27 April 1992PansioIn active service
73Naantali Finnyards 23 June 199220 May 2013PansioIn active service

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mistral (missile)</span> French short range air defense system

The Missile Transportable Anti-aérien Léger, commonly called Mistral, is a French infrared homing short range air defense system manufactured by MBDA France. Based on the French SATCP, the development of the portable system later to become the Mistral began in 1974. The first version of the system was introduced in 1988 (S1), the second in 1997, and the third in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finnish Navy</span> Military unit

The Finnish Navy is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS", short for "Finnish Navy ship", but this is not used in Finnish-language contexts. The Finnish Navy also includes coastal forces and coastal artillery.

<i>Halifax</i>-class frigate Class of Canadian frigates

The Halifax-class frigate, also referred to as the City class, is a class of multi-role patrol frigates that have served the Royal Canadian Navy since 1992. The class is the outcome of the Canadian Patrol Frigate Project, which dates to the mid-1970s. HMCS Halifax was the first of an eventual twelve Canadian-designed and Canadian-built vessels which combine traditional anti-submarine capabilities with systems to deal with surface and air threats as well. Ships of the class are named after capital cities of Canadian provinces, the capital of Canada, Ottawa, and the major cities of Calgary, Montreal, and Vancouver.

<i>La Fayette</i>-class frigate French general purpose stealth frigates

The La Fayette class is a class of general purpose frigates built by DCNS in the 1980s and 1990s, operated by the French Navy and three other navies. Derivatives of the type are in service in the navies of Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Taiwan.

Saar 4.5-class missile boat Israeli missile boat

The Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boats is a class of Israeli Sea Corps missile boats designed and built by Israel Shipyards Ltd. for Shayetet 3 flotilla as an improved and stretched Sa'ar 4-class missile boat. There are two different subclasses that are both named Sa'ar 4.5. The first subclass was initially called Chochit, but renamed to Aliya. Two Aliya-subclass boats are in service with the Mexican Navy. The second subclass was initially called Nirit but renamed to Hetz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croatian Navy</span> Military unit

The Croatian Navy is a branch of the Croatian Armed Forces. It was formed in 1991 from what Croatian forces managed to capture from the Yugoslav Navy during the breakup of Yugoslavia and Croatian War of Independence. In addition to mobile coastal missile launchers, today it operates 30 vessels, divided into the Navy Flotilla for traditional naval duties, and the Croatian Coast Guard. Five missile boats form the Croatian fleet's main offensive capability.

Finnish minelayer <i>Pohjanmaa</i>

Pohjanmaa is a former minelayer of the Finnish Navy. The sole member of her class, she was the flagship of the Finnish Navy as well as the largest naval ship in service in Finland until 2013. The ship has a Finnish-Swedish ice class 1A so she can operate all year round. During a crisis, the main task for Pohjanmaa would have been mine laying and acting as a command ship. She also acted as a school ship for the Naval Academy cadets. Part of their training includes an annual cruise abroad.

<i>Hamina</i>-class missile boat Fast attack craft class of the Finnish Navy

The Hamina-class missile boat is a class of fast attack craft of the Finnish Navy. They are classified as "missile fast attack craft" or ohjusvene, literally "missile boat" in Finnish. The Hamina FACs are based at Upinniemi, and form the 7th Surface Warfare Squadron, part of the Finnish Coastal Fleet, together with the minelayers MLC Hämeenmaa, Porkkala and Pyhäranta.

<i>Hämeenmaa</i>-class minelayer Minelaying ship class

The Hämeenmaa-class minelayers is a two-vessel strong class of coastal minelayers, used by the Finnish Navy.

<i>Helsinki</i>-class missile boat

Helsinki-class missile boat is a class of four fast attack craft built for the Finnish Navy. All the ships were constructed at the Wärtsilä Helsinki Shipyard, Finland, and had Pansio as their homeport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RBS 15</span> Swedish air or surface to surface missile

The RBS 15 is a long-range fire-and-forget surface-to-surface and air-to-surface anti-ship missile. The later version Mk. IV has the ability to attack land targets as well. The missile was developed by the Swedish company Saab Bofors Dynamics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egyptian Navy</span> Maritime warfare branch of Egypts military

The Egyptian Navy, also known as the Egyptian Naval Force, is the maritime branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. It is the largest navy in the Middle East as well as Africa, and is the twelfth largest navy in the world. The navy protects more than 2,000 kilometers of coastline of the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, defense of approaches to the Suez Canal, and it also supports for army operations. The majority of the modern Egyptian Navy was created with the help of the Soviet Union in the 1960s. The navy received ships in the 1980s from China and Western sources. In 1989, the Egyptian Navy had 18,000 personnel as well as 2,000 personnel in the Coast Guard. The navy received ships from the US in 1990. US shipbuilder Swiftships has built around 30 boats for the Egyptian Navy including mine hunters, survey vessels, and both steel and aluminium patrol boats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force</span> Surface warfare branch of the Peoples Liberation Army Navy

The People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force is the surface warfare branch of China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), consisting of all surface vessels in operational service with the PLAN. The PLAN Surface Force operates 661 ships organized into three fleets: the North Sea Fleet, the East Sea Fleet and the South Sea Fleet.

<i>La Combattante III</i>-class fast attack craft

The La Combattante III type missile boats are two classes of fast attack craft built for the Hellenic Navy. The first group of four were ordered by Greece in September 1974 from France. The vessels had no class name but are referred to by type. They are similar to the La Combattante IIa-class fast attack craft already in service, but are larger and armed with torpedoes. A second group of six were ordered in 1978, to be built under license in Greece and use the Norwegian Penguin Mk 2 Mod 3 missiles. Since 2019, all the ships of the class use Harpoon anti-ship missiles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multi Ammunition Softkill System</span> Military technology

Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS) is a naval self-defence system produced by Rheinmetall of Germany. It is connected to the ship's sensors and protects ships from attacks by advanced sensor-guided missiles by launching decoys that operate in all relevant wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum: ultraviolet, electro-optical, laser, infrared and radar. MASS can either be integrated with the command and control system of a warship, or can operate autonomously.

MEKO 200 Widely exported German frigate design

The MEKO 200 is a frigate design by the Blohm + Voss shipyard of Germany, as part of the MEKO family of warships.

<i>Roussen</i>-class fast attack craft Class of European naval vessels

The Roussen class is a seven-strong class of British-designed fast attack missile boats improved and customized for the Hellenic Navy, also known as Super Vita. The class is named after its lead ship, which in turn is named after Lt Nikolaos Roussen, a World War II submarines officer who was killed in the suppression of the Navy mutiny in April 1944.

Rauma shipyard is a shipyard in Rauma, Finland. It was previously operated by STX Finland which is owned by the South Korean STX Corporation. Rauma shipyard is specialized in large ferries, small cruise ships, multipurpose icebreakers and small naval craft.

<i>Pohjanmaa</i>-class corvette Finnish Navy warship class

The Pohjanmaa class is a series of four multi-role corvettes currently under construction for the Finnish Navy as part of the Squadron 2020 project. Together with the existing four Hamina-class missile boats, the four new surface combatants will form the backbone of the Finnish Navy from the mid-2020s onwards. They will replace seven older vessels that have been or are due to be decommissioned; the minelayer Pohjanmaa, two Hämeenmaa-class minelayers and four Rauma-class missile boats.

References

  1. "Merivoimat Current affairs". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  2. "Rauma-luokan ohjusveneet käyttökieltoon". ts.fi (in Finnish). 2015-02-18. Retrieved 2024-08-27.