The Finnish Pohjanmaa-class programme for four heavy corvettes keeps moving forward, with the first two vessels reaching important milestones recently.
As reported back in February, the first vessel is hull-ready and being prepared to be launched later this year. As such, at IMDEX Asia 2025 Saab in an interview for Naval News confirmed that they have delivered the integrated mast to the lead ship.
With Saab as the most important subcontractor for the project – being responsible for the combat management system, integration work, and several of the key sensors – the integrated composite mast is one of the key deliveries. It is built in Karlskrona where Saab Kockums has a long experience of composite manufacturing, including the Swedish Navy’s composite-hulled Visby-class vessels, and delivered fully integrated to Rauma Marine Construction in Finland. This means that all sensors and equipment within the mast are installed already in Sweden, and the goal is for the delivered mast to be as close to ‘plug-and-play’ as possible. Key among these sensors are Saab’s own Sea Giraffe Multi Sensor Solution which sports four fixed Sea Giraffe 4A FF-panels as well as a rotating Sea Giraffe 1X, the former of which operates in the S-band while the latter is an X-band radar. This combination provide what Saab describe as a Hypersonic Detection Mode for the Sea Giraffe 4A, as well as ‘Enhanced Low, Slow and Small’ (ELSS) function and the ability to detect and track rockets, artillery, and mortar rounds. In addition to the active sensors, the top of the mast is dedicated to passive electronic warfare sensors, including signals intelligence and electronic support measure capabilities. The production of the first mast started in August 2023.
The second vessel saw first steel cut in early October last year, and has now progressed to formal keel laying, which saw a ceremony held at the yard in Rauma, Finland, on May 8. While the nature of keel laying has changed with the introduction of block-built hulls, it still marks a significant milestone for the production of the vessel. As such, the first keel block saw the traditional lucky coins being inserted in the presence of representatives from the Finnish Navy, the Finnish Defence Forces’ Logistics Command, Saab, and Lloyd’s Register. Schedule-wise, the second vessel follow approximately a year after the first one, although it is expected that the production time of the vessels will be somewhat shorter following the first vessel. As such, the cutting of the first steel of the third sister ship is expected to follow in the near future.
