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Squadron 2020

A warship is different from many other defense materialsmore or less unique solution that designedto meet customer needs. The more the military sourcing is based solely on customer requirements, the higher risk both the subscriber and the supplier have to take for the functionality of the country's solutions. The Squadron 2020 performance is designed to be in use until the 2050s. The main characteristics of these ships are the ability for year-round and long-lasting presence at sea in all weather and ice conditions in the Baltic Sea. Future Warship Ship Technical Background Information was launched in 2008. The aim of the study was to map the characteristics of medium-sized surface combat shipsand technical solutions. At the same time, they tried to observe how international ship concepts had taken into account the Finnish factors related to the tasks and the environment of the forces, such as sea mining, icebreaking and shallow passages.

As the fighting ships of the Finnish Navy will need to be replaced by more modern vessels in the 2020s Minister of Defence Jussi Niinistö gave the Defence Forces a mandate on 28 September 2015 to start the Squadron 2020 project. In line with its program, the Government will decide on securing the Navy’s capabilities.

The life-cycle of six fighting ships will end by mid-2020s; these include four Rauma-class fast attack missile crafts which were built in the 1990s and two Hämeenmaa-class mine-layers from the early 1990s. The life-cycle of the vessels which are to be decommissioned cannot be extended in a cost-efficient way.

The main task of the Navy is to secure the maritime connections vital for the Finnish society and therefore the new vessels shall have the capacity to monitor and secure territorial integrity, protect maritime transport and counter naval attacks. To be able to carry out these tasks, the vessels shall be able to monitor maritime areas above and under the water surface and in the air space and to use weapons to counter potential threats of enemy forces. The exact configuration of the battle system will be decided in the course of the planning process. The plan is to construct four vessels.

While the vessels are designed primarily for the needs of national defence and it is vital that they can operate also in winter conditions, they could also be used for international crisis management. Once the vessels have been completed and taken into use they will play a central role in maritime defence.

The project planning phase is estimated to take place in 2015-2018 and the building phase is estimated for 2019-2024. The Suadron 2020 project will be carried out within the financial framework granted through a separate decision. The Defence Forces estimate that to build the necessary capabilities requires a funding of EUR 1.2 billion. The parliament has the budgetary power to decide on the project’s funding.

The following vessels shall be included in the navy fleet after 2025:

• Four units of the Fleet 2020 project
• Renovated Hamina class missile boats
• Renovated Pansio-class minesweeper
• Katanpää-class anti-personnel ships

Navy's forthcoming acquisition of ships should not be seen as a stand-alone project. Defending Finland requires the ability to operate in terrestrial, marine, aerial and cyber environments. Our defense capabilities are designed and built as a whole. Finland is a non-member country, so we cannot rely on external aid in maritime defense either.

The replacement of departing ships has been prepared in the long term planning of the Armed Forces. Six vessels will be decommissioned in the near future. The aging fleet will be replaced by the Fleet 2020 project. The project will build four multi-purpose baskets. The project is estimated at EUR 1.2 billion.

Maritime defense must be capable of monitoring normal conditions, preventing attacks from exceptional circumstances and securing maritime links. Mobile territorial integrity monitoring, sea mining, submarine search and combat, and anti-personnel mining are tasks that can only be done on board the fleet.

The vessels are designed from the national point of view for the conditions of the Baltic Sea. They are a little bigger than before because they have to be able to carry, in addition to weapon systems, mine cargo and to move under all circumstances outside the archipelago. The size and draft of the vessels are dimensioned to enable operations with archipelago and coastal lanes and offshore. According to the international classification of ships, corvettes are the smallest of the battleships.

The Fleet 2020 ships form the frame of the future naval defense capability. After 2025, the Navy's main fleet will consist of new Navy 2020 vessels, refurbished Hamina class missile boats, refurbished Pansio class minesweepers and Katanpää class minesweepers. Mines can also be dropped from some transport vessels if needed. The Maritime Defense Missile System includes launch units mounted on trucks. Coastal troops will be further developed to meet future demands.

Vessels are to be built domestically, as this is the best way to create the conditions for sustaining vessels in times of crisis. There is no ready ship concept that meets Navy needs. The icebreaking capabilities and mine clearance, which are important to Finland, require the ship to be designed with these characteristics in mind. Finland has cooperated with Germany and the United States on, among other things, the combat strength of ships. The Fleet 2020 vessel project has nothing to do with the Littoral Combat Ship concept mentioned by Ainola. The LCS design criteria and solutions in the US are quite different.

The LV2020 multifunctional corvette is the solution to the Finnish defense missions. The solution takes into account the number of available salaried personnel and the life cycle costs of the vessels. New ships will be able to operate in the air, on the surface, under water and on land, in cooperation with other branches of defense. It is not just a matter of procuring ships, but a significant part of the defense system as a whole.