Finnish Navy’s minelayer runs aground during firing drill

Finnish Navy’s minelayer LCT Pyharanta ran aground in waters of the Archipelago Sea, off Turku, Finland in the afternoon on 24 August, according to the navy’s update.

The incident occurred during Coastal Navy’s firing drill while uplifting a floating target device from water. The ship reportedly sustained a hull breach with ensuing water ingress. No spill has been reported.

This morning, the navy informed that its divers are inspecting the damage to the exterior surfaces of the ship, which is still in the place where it got stuck yesterday. The ship’s situation is stable and under control.

According to Commander Juhani Lehtimäki, operations manager of the Coastal Navy, divers were not sent on the mission last night for safety reasons and no additional damage has occurred to the ship.

However, as a precaution, the conscripts of the minelayer have been transferred to another Navy ship. Based on the information obtained from the divers’ inspection task, decisions will be made about further measures, the Navy’s update states.

Commissioned in 1992, Pyharanta is one of three minelayers in the Pansio class.