RMC Commences Production of Third Multi-Purpose Corvette for the Finnish Navy

Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC), together with its subsidiary RMC Defence Oy, is building four Pohjanmaa-class multi-role corvettes for the Finnish Navy as part of the Squadron 2020 project. The high-performance multi-purpose corvettes are designed for the varying conditions of the Baltic Sea, including ice operations. 

The corvettes are built in a closed special facility constructed specifically for the project to guarantee the required level of security and quality. The Rauma shipyard also fulfils the security requirements of NATO. 

The building of the multi-purpose corvettes is linked to the more extensive strengthening of national security and development of performance. The production start ceremony was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Defence of Finland, the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command as the Client of the vessel, the Finnish Navy, as well as classification society Lloyd’s Register, and the management and personnel of Rauma Marine Constructions Oy (RMC).

The first of the multipurpose corvettes under construction was launched in May 2025. The vessel is now undergoing outfitting. The production of the second multi-purpose corvette started in October 2024 and at present it is at the hull assembly stage. The Squadron 2020 project is scheduled to be concluded in 2029. The direct employment impact of the project is over 3,600 person years in Finland.

The key elements include effective cost and schedule management, strong development efforts, consistent in-house design activities, area-specific shipbuilding teams, independent steel production, work planning, and subcontractor management, as well as life-cycle services to vessels. The versatility of the high-performance multi-purpose converts, including high ice-going capabilities, makes them a world-class candidate for export. The corvettes are designed for the varying ice conditions of the Baltic Sea and RMC can offer top-level expertise in the construction of icebreakers.

In July, RMC announced forming a consortium with US-based Bollinger, Canadian Seaspan, and Finnish Aker Arctic. The objective of the consortium is to win icebreaker contracts from the United States.

Main data on multi-role corvettes:

Length: 117 m
Beam: 16.5 m
Draught: 5 m
Speed: 26 knots (48 km/h)
Crew: 70