Turunmaa-class gunboat

The Turunmaa-class fast gunboats (Finnish: Turunmaa-luokan tykkivene) was a type of vessel, previously operated by the Finnish Navy in the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and trade protection roles. Internationally they were labeled as corvettes.

Karjala alongside
Class overview
Name	Turunmaa class
Operators	Finnish Navy
Built	1963–1968
In service	1969–2002
Completed	2
General characteristics
Type	Corvette
Displacement	700 tons (+100 with later modifications) 1,350 tons (full load)
Length	74 m (243 ft)
Beam	7.8 m (26 ft)
Draught	3 m (10 ft)
Propulsion	3 × MTU; 2,200 kW (3,000 hp). Each driving one propeller. 1 × Rolls-Royce Olympus TM1a gas turbine; 16,000 kW (21,000 hp), driving pump-jet
Speed	17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) (diesel cruising) 37 knots (69 km/h; 43 mph) (gas-turbine)
Range	5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi)
Complement	70 (30 officers, 40 enlisted)
Sensors and processing systems	Simrad hull-mounted sonar WM22 missile control Argo intercept EW
Armament	1 × Bofors 120 mm Automatic Gun L/46 2 × Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/70 2 × twin ZU-23-2 (modified naval version) 2 × RBU-1200 anti-submarine rocket launchers 2 × depth charge racks Mine-laying capability

History

Development of the class started in 1963. Five hull designs and over thirty propulsion variants were looked at during development. At the time, the electronics of the vessels, and the propulsion system were state of the art and attracted international attention. Both vessels were built by Wärtsilä's Hietalahti shipyard in Helsinki.

In 1985–86 both ships were refitted, and the entire fire-control and communications systems were updated. Karjala has been berthed since 2002 at the maritime museum Forum Marinum in Turku as a museum ship next to Suomen Joutsen. Turunmaa was stripped of armaments and served as a floating machine shop and training ship for Satakunta Polytechnics. Currently Turunmaa is being refitted for civilian use. Neither vessel is currently owned by the Finnish Navy.

The ships were ordered in 1963, launched in 1968, commissioned in 1969 and decommissioned in 2002. The lead vessel was named after the turuma frigates serving in the Archipelago Fleet in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Turunmaa photographed through range finding binoculars in 1983

Vessels of the class

• Turunmaa (03)
• Karjala (04)

External links

• Finnish gunship FNS Turunmaa (1968) Photos (Flickr)
• Turun Sanomat newspaper archive
• The Finnish Navy's announcement of FNS Karjala's pending museum ship status
• MTV3.fi's news article from 2001
• Corvette Karjala @ Forum Marinum
• GN113 Warbird Consulting Ltd Current owner of Turunmaa. Includes pictures.