Nordic navies bolster defences with ice‑breaking corvettes
For years, both Sweden and Finland avoided operating larger ships. However, the new NATO members have decided to build corvettes—the Lulea type for Sweden and Pohjanmaa for Finland—in response to the Russian threat. The hull of the first Finnish Pohjanmaa-class corvette has already been constructed.
The hull was unveiled during a visit by former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö. Work at the RMC Defence shipyard in the Bay of Bothnia was carried out at an impressive pace. According to the Milmag service, metal cutting took place on 30 October 2023, the keel was laid on 11 April 2024, and the hull was completed by the end of the previous year.
Currently, finishing and outfitting work is underway, ahead of the launch planned for spring 2025. The first of the four ships is expected to enter service in 2027.
The Pohjanmaa class - new Finnish missile corvettes
The Finnish-built Pohjanmaa-class ships are sizeable missile corvettes, measuring 384 feet in length and with a displacement of up to 4,300 tonnes. Their size allows for year-round service in the Baltic, independent of weather conditions.
See also: Is it NATO equipment or Russian?
Due to conditions in the northern part of the Baltic Sea and in the Archipelago Sea (the area between Finland and the Åland Islands), their hulls have been reinforced to the Ice 1A ice class, enabling them to navigate through ice up to 31 inches thick.
The primary armament of the ships will be Israeli Gabriel 5 ANAM (Advanced Naval Attack Missile) missiles. The same missiles have been chosen by Finland for its coastal, land-based launchers.
Pohjanmaa-class corvettes - armament
The Gabriel 5 is over 18 feet long and weighs 1,250 kilograms. A key advantage of the missile is its modern warhead with an active radar (similar to the Swedish RBS15 missiles, which are half the weight).
The Israeli missile has been optimised to operate in conditions of strong interference, countering an opponent's electronic warfare and independently searching for targets—even those employing stealth technology.
In addition to anti-ship missiles, Pohjanmaa-class corvettes will be armed with 57 mm naval guns, as well as an 8-cell Mk 41 VLS launcher with 32 RIM-162 ESSM surface-to-air missiles.
