Finnish Navy receives third Katanpää-class mine counter-measure vessel

The Finnish Navy received its third Katanpää class mine counter-measure vessel at the Intermarine Shipyard in La Spezia, Italy, on Wednesday.

The navy said the vessel would be transferred to its home port, Turku, by land. The undertaking is scheduled to be completed by December.

Katanpää class vessels provide the Finnish Navy with the ability to hunt and destroy mines in addition to the already existing contact and influence clearing capabilities.

Preceded by Kuha-class minesweepers, these vessels are mainly aimed for domestic use. The vessels’ systems can also be used in executive assistance, e.g. in mapping the seabed, under-water searches and identification and in defusing under-water explosives.

The vessels are EU and NATO interoperable, and, therefore, improve Finland’s chances of participating in international crisis management operations.