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FNS Karjala
Class overview
Name:	Turunmaa
Completed:	2
General characteristics
Type:	Corvette
Displacement:	700 tons (+100 with later modifications) 1,350 tons (full load)
Length:	74 m
Beam:	7.8 m
Draught:	3 m
Propulsion:	3 × MTU; 2,200 kW. Each driving one propeller. 1 × Rolls-Royce Olympus TM1a gas turbine; 16,000 kW, driving pump-jet
Speed:	17 knots (diesel cruising) 37 knots (gas-turbine)
Range:	5,000 nm
Complement:	70 (30 officers, 40 conscripts)
Sensors and processing systems:	Simrad hull-mounted sonar WM22 missile control Argo intercept EW
Armament:	1 × Bofors 120 mm/46 SAK DP 2 × Bofors 40 mm/70 2 × twin ZU-23-2 (modified naval version) 2 × RBU-1200 ASROC launchers 2 × depth charge racks Mine-laying capability
Notes:	Ships in class include: FNS Turunmaa (03) FNS Karjala (04)

Turunmaa photographed through range finding binoculars in 1983.

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

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. FNS Karjala has been berthed since 2002 at the maritime museum Forum Marinum in Turku as a museum ship next to Suomen Joutsen. FNS Turunmaa was been stripped of armaments and served as a floating machine shop and training ship for Satakunta Polytechnics. Currently the 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.

Vessels of the class

• FNS Turunmaa (03)
• FNS 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.