Keel-laying ceremony for new offshore patrol vessel at STX Finland Rauma Shipyard

The Finnish Border Guard´s press release

The keel -laying ceremony for the new offshore patrol vessel under construction for the Finnish Border Guard took place at the STX Finland Rauma Shipyard on Monday, 25 February 2013. In attendance to celebrate the keel-laying were representatives of STX Finland, the Border Guard, the classification society and the media.

The offshore patrol vessel project is important to the Border Guard with regard to both border security and environmental security. The Border Guard’s fleet must be modernised if the risks of maritime traffic are to be managed and proper maritime search and rescue (SAR) capabilities maintained. When completed, the new vessel will enhance Finland’s maritime SAR capacity also under difficult conditions and in the event of multimodal accidents requiring multiple response capabilities. Not only does the vessel’s emergency towing capability allow it to protect other ships from harm, but its dependable operation is also guaranteed by the particular attention paid in design to its own high tolerance for damage. Design elements incorporated into the vessel to ensure its tolerance for damage in case of e.g. stranding or engine failure include a double hull and double engine rooms for redundancy. The vessel now under construction will markedly augment Finland’s offshore oil spill response capabilities.

The vessel will provide assistance in minor and major maritime accidents within and beyond Finland’s maritime SAR area of responsibility, serving as e.g. evacuation platform, oil recovery unit, on-scene command post, or even refuelling station for helicopters to extend their operating time at the scene of the accident.

In the international arena , the colour schemes of coast guard vessels often echo those of the national flag. The Finnish Border Guard’s new blue-and-white offshore patrol vessel complies with this practice, which lends further support to operations in the international maritime domain.

The construction of the offshore patrol vessel may be followed at www.raja.fi/uvl10. A ship naming contest is also underway. Submissions may be entered until the end of May at www.raja.fi/nimilaivalle

For further information, please contact:

Gunnar Holm, Chief of Ship Technical Unit, Technical Department, Finnish Border Guard, tel. +358 (0)71 872 1541