Page 57: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2026)

In the Shipyard

From Design to Delivery

RMC and the Pohjanmaa Class Corvettes

For Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC), the year has had a strong start, and recently a signi? cant milestone was reached in the

Squadron 2020 project with the start of production of the fourth multi-purpose corvette and the keel-laying of the third one. This also means that all four multi-purpose corvettes of Pohjanmaa class are now simultaneously under construction at the RMC shipyard.

In addition, preparations are in full swing for the production of the two icebreakers ordered by the United States at the end of 2025.

“We are very pleased to now have all the multi-purpose cor- vettes of Pohjanmaa class under construction at the Rauma Ship- yard. We have industrialized our procedures and construction

RMC processes to meet the requirements of our clients’ demanding projects. This is re? ected in the progress we have made in the basic shipbuilding activities, in other words, hull construction,” said Mika Nieminen, CEO and President, RMC.

The direct employment impact of the Squadron 2020 project is about 3,600 person-years in Finland. RMC is building a total of four multi-purpose corvettes of the Pohjanmaa class to the Finnish Navy. The Pohjanmaa class is one the most capable ves- sel types in the Baltic region. The vessels are designed for year-round operation in all conditions encountered in the Baltic Sea.

USCG Icebreakers Ahead

The icebreaker contract awarded to RMC by the U.S. Coast Guard at the end of 2025 is proceeding towards production start. The projected direct employment impact of the two icebreakers is about 2,000 person-years, and the total impact is expected to be about 5,000 person-years. The icebreakers will be delivered in 2028 for operation in the harshest marine environments in the world. The corvette and icebreaker projects are temporally overlapping.

“Squadron 2020 is a strategic project for Finland, and the icebreaker project opens a whole new dimension for our marine industry. RMC has become a leading supplier of government vessels and military vessels in Finland. Together the projects boost economic activity signi? cantly, particularly in Rauma region and Satakunta,” said Matias Marttinen, Finnish Minister of Employment. “The ef? cient execution of the projects, safeguarding mutual interests, is of crucial importance to the whole of Finland. I believe that RMC will provide interesting job opportunities to numerous professionals also in upcoming years.”

Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) has taken ownership of MV Isle of Islay follow-

MV Isle of Islay MV Isle of Islay ing a handover ceremony at Cemre Marin Endus- tri in Yalova, Turkey, where the vessel was built.

MV Isle of Islay, the ? rst of four ferries being constructed at the yard, will serve Islay and Jura when she enters service, and will be joined by her sister vessel MV Loch Indaal later this year.

The vessel received Maritime Coastguard

Agency (MCA) approval and passenger certi? - cation, and will now be prepared for the repo- sitioning voyage from the Sea of Marmara back to Scotland. This will be undertaken by opera- tors CalMac and is expected to take around two weeks. The new vessel is equipped with the ca- pacity for up to 450 passengers and 100 cars, or 14 commercial vehicles. This boosts vehicle and freight capacity on the Islay routes by 40%, im-

CMAL proving the overall resilience of the wider ? eet.

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