Aker Arctic to provide equipment for Finnish Navy’s Pohjanmaa-class corvettes

Aker Arctic has been chosen to supply its ice load monitoring system to the Finnish Navy’s Pohjanmaa-class corvettes.

As disclosed, the contract includes the delivery of Aker Arctic’s ARC ILMS ice load monitoring, measurement, and analysis system for the series of four Pohjanmaa-class multi-role corvettes currently under construction at Rauma Marine Constructions for the Finnish Navy.

The ARC ILMS is Aker Arctic’s platform for measuring loads that the ship’s structure experiences when operating in ice-covered waters, providing feedback to the operator on the safety level of the ship in ice.

The contract builds on Aker Arctic’s long-term involvement with the Pohjanmaa class. In addition to the ARC ILMS, Aker Arctic is supplying the ice-strengthened controllable pitch propellers and their pitch control mechanisms, propeller shafts, bearings and shaft seals.

In addition to completing design, calculations, and material supplies, Aker Arctic is also responsible for installation supervision and commissioning of the propulsion lines.

“Following our recent successes being chosen to supply the ARC ILMS for the Canadian Coast Guard’s Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPV) and our collaboration with French cruise company Ponant measuring ice loads on the Le Commandant Charcot as she made her historic trans-Arctic voyage last summer, we are excited with the vote of confidence the Finnish Navy has put in us to supply our ARC ILMS to their important program,” said Kari Laukia, Head of Equipment Business and Special Projects at Aker Arctic.

The Finnish Navy revealed that this month, the hull of the first Pohjanmaa-class corvette was completed. The navy said that the outfitting work will continue at the shipyard, with the official launch expected this spring.