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Tuima-class missile boats / 'Osa II' Type 205A

The Navy moved from the early 1970s to the missile era. The Coastal Artillery Missile battery piloting began, and the Isku rifle was built for missile training and missile testing. The first actual four-ship missile boat fleet was purchased from the Soviet Union in these years. These Osa II boats were named the Tuima, Tuisku, Tuuli and Tyrsky missile boats in Finland. The ships were equipped with four SS-N-2 Styx or MTO-66 anti-aircraft missiles. Compared to traditional artillery ships, missile boats significantly increased the Navy's long-range combat capability.

Between 1975 and 2000, four Soviet-made missile boats served in the Finnish Navy. Tuima-class missile boats were purchased in Finland from the Soviet Union in 1974 and 1975. They were used by the Navy until 2000. The Tuima ships were very seaworthy. In the final phase, missile boats became fast mineships.

The vessels are 38.6 meters long, 7.7 meters wide, 3.1 meters deep and 12 meters high. Each ship has three highly efficient 56-cylinder star engines that generate a total of 15,000 horsepower. It has the same power as a Tarmo-class icebreaker. At its worst, 1000 liters of fuel burns per hour. Tuima and Wind had a peak speed of about 33 knots and Tuisku and Tyrsky about 40 knots.

The purchase of four Tuima-class missile boats from the Soviet Union was stealthily handled in the early 1970s. The deals were made in the so-called. on a bilateral basis, ie the transaction amount was set off as Finnish export products. There was no need to put the purchase price of the ships in the defense budget. The training of future ship personnel was also secretive. The training trip had been quite an experience. Already the story was told to the whole group of 40 people at once. On a four-month trip to the eastern neighbor, there was no word on outsiders.

A project called Guard Boat 80 was born, The contract was signed with a domestic shipyard in. The project was followed by the construction of a class of missile boats later called the Helsinki class in the early 1980s, alongside the Tuima class. The fleet class represented the peak of its time in its versatile and modern weaponry and command systems, as well as in its resistance to combat. As the MTO-66 anti -aircraft missile system became obsolete, the missile boats were modified into mine boats. In the conversion , the middle engine and propeller were removed from Tuima and Tuul from the path of the minesweeper. The conversion work was carried out at the Uusikaupunki shipyard between 1993 and 1994. At the same time, the speed of the boats decreased by about 8 knots. Smaller modifications were made to Tuisku and Tyrsky , where the missile weaponry was replaced with mines.

The ships were withdrawn from strength in 2002-2003. The vessels were owned by GN113 Warbird Consulting Oy, owned by Markku Lehti, headquartered in Malmi Airport, which bought them at auction in 2003-2006. One was to become a restaurant ship and the other a water bus outside Helsinki. The other two were to be left in the yard as spare parts.

GS113 Warbird Consulting Oy sold the Tuisku, Tuuli, Tyrsky and Tuima missile boats. In July 2006, the company received an export permit from the Ministry of Defense for four Tuima-class vessels, as well as the engines and generators on board and other installed equipment. The permit document revealed that the buyer was the Egyptian Armed Forces at Korby El Kobba, Cairo. It is reported that, at the request of the buyer, a confidentiality clause was added to the contract, according to which the parties are prohibited from disclosing the buyer or trade to third parties.

On October 24, 2006, Loviisan Sanomat reported that all four Tuima-class missiles had been sold to the Egyptian Defense Forces. The transaction was mediated by Patria Oyj. The Ministry of Defense granted export licenses for the material on July 6, 2006.

In 2006 the four Tuima-class missiles had landed at Isnäs Harbor for over three years. Several potential buyers from Egypt, Vietnam, Russia, Sweden and England had visited the ships in the port of Isnäs.

In 2006 they were sold to the Egyptian Armed Forces, where they were being refurbished and equipped for active use.

At the Ministry of Defense's registry, the Minister of Defense Seppo Kääriäinen signed an export permit signed on July 6, 2006, for four Tuima-class vessels, as well as the engines and generators on board, and other installed equipment. Exported by Patria Aviation Oy Engines and purchased by Egyptian Armed Forces at Korby El Kobba, Cairo. Patria acted as an intermediary in the transaction. The vessels are still owned by GS113 Warbird Consulting Oy, owned by Markku Lehti, who had an office at Malmi Airport, which bought the vessels from the Navy in 2003.

By October 2006 the missile boats Tuima, Tuuli, Tyrsky and Tuisku had already been transferred to Valko, where they were being prepared for shipping. The Danish cruiser Passat, which specializes in heavy transport, is expected to arrive in Valko. The ship was equipped with a heavy crane, which was expected to lift 180 tons of missile boats. Two missile boats are lifted onto the ship's hold and two are secured to the deck. One missile boat weighs as much as three heavy-duty locomotives. DHL companies commissioned the work on lifting missile boats and securing the vessels from Fors-Mek Oy in Loviisa and Nostokuljetus Hewi Oy, a specialist in heavy lifting. Divers lifted belts under the missile boat, after which the 180-ton vessel began to be lifted from the sea.