Article Posted on : - Jun 25, 2010

Rauma-class missile boats of Finnish Navy. Photo: Finnish MoD.

FINLAND (BNS): Finnish Navy has announced to award a 64.7 million euro ($79 million) contract to Patria for upgrading its Rauma Class Fast Attack Crafts built in the beginning of 1990.

The contract will be signed on 30 June 2010.

Under the contract, Patria will upgrade four Rauma Class Fast Attack Crafts from 2010 to 2013. The company will plan the entire up-gradation of the missile boats, and will also coordinate with the subcontractor supply as well as on the whole integration.

Saab AB, Western Shipyard Oy and Kongsberg Maritime AS are the subcontractors with Patria for upgrading Rauma Class Fast Attack Crafts.

”This upgrade is a challenging project as it includes many different, new systems. We have during the last few years developed consequently our own system competence as well as our ability to lead and implement different systems integration projects. We are very contended of the trust the Finnish Navy has now expressed towards us,” Pasi Niinikoski, President of the Systems Business Unit, said in a company news release.

The vessels have to achieve operative readiness as of 2014. The upgrade will secure these vessels’ to be in service until 2020.