First-of-class undergoes extensive tests, while ship three heads for sea trials in 2013The Finnish Navy accepted its second Katanpää-class mine countermeasures (MCM) vessel from shipbuilding company Intermarine, in a ceremony on 20 August in La Spezia, Italy.
With support from the Italian Navy, the 680 ton (full load) Purunpää has conducted more than 60 days of sea trials to date. Under current plans, the vessel will be transported to Finland by ship in early September, arriving later in the month or early in October.
Purunpää faced many unexpected issues in build, including heavy floods at Intermarine's shipyard and the challenge of integrating a complex mine-hunting system, said the Finnish Navy's commander-in-chief Rear Admiral Veli-Jukka Pennala at the ceremony.
In the year since its arrival in Finland, first-of-class Katanpää has been undertaking further platform trials, including shock-testing and operational evaluation in extreme environmental conditions such as heavy ice. In terms of ice capability, "this is the only ice-going mine-hunter in the world," but one which has "fulfilled the Finnish Navy's expectations", said Adm Pennala. The vessel was able to navigate through ice up to 10 cm thick, using both its own propulsion system and following a tug through broken ice, he added.
Commander Kristian Isberg, chief of the project section in the MCMV 2010 programme, said that Katanpää had also undertaken vessel signature trials and live explosive charge tests, to verify hull and onboard system responses to mine explosions. According to Intermarine, this was the first time its MCM vessels had been subjected to such tests at sea.
With Katanpää 's trials programme moving on to MCM equipment testing, Cdr Isberg noted: "We expect to test and operate the MCM equipment and command-and-control system in ice conditions next winter [2013-14]."
Upon arriving in Finland, Purunpää will undertake further trials until the end of 2013, when the crew will commence full training.
Third-in-class Vahterpää is currently conducting harbour acceptance activities, with sea trials - including MCM testing - expected to begin before the end of 2013. Delivery is expected in the early summer of 2014, said Cdr Isberg.
Adm Pennala confirmed his "full confidence that all the requirements will be met in the coming months, delivering to the Finnish Navy a modern and fully operational squadron of MCM [vessels] by 2017".