The R-class patrol boats was a class of Finnish

patrol boat A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and th ...

s, originally constructed as coastal

minesweeper A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...

s. They were modified into patrol boats by the end of the 1960s and transferred to the Patrol Flotilla and later to the 7th Missile Flotilla. They were then used for sea patrol and as anti-submarine warfare vessels. They were stricken from the

Finnish Navy The Finnish Navy ( fi, Merivoimat, sv, Marinen) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS", short f ...

list in the 1990s. The three later vessels, ''Ruissalo'', ''Raisio'' and ''Röyttä'', were somewhat larger and the vessels are therefore sometimes referred to as the ''Rihtniemi'' and ''Ruissalo'' classes. However, the Finnish Navy used the designation R class for all five vessels. The R class was much liked in the Finnish Navy, due to their low fuel consumption and their good seagoing qualities. They were in principle unsinkable (the vessels could have a list of 115 degrees without sinking and still return to upright position).

Vessels of the class

* ''Rymättylä'' (51) / ''Suurop'' (P 421): Ordered in July 1955 from

Rauma-Repola Metso Oyj was a Finnish industrial machinery company focusing on providing technology and services for mining, aggregates, and oil and gas, recycling, pulp and paper and other process industries. On 30 June 2020, Metso's partial demerger a ...

in Rauma, launched in 1956, and entered service on 20 May 1957. She was sold to the

Estonian Navy The Estonian Navy ( et, Merevägi) are the unified naval forces among the Estonian Defence Forces. With only six commissioned ships and displacement well under 10,000 tonnes, the Estonian navy is one of the smallest navies in the world. Its sh ...

in 1999 as the EML ''Suurop''. * ''Rihtniemi'' (52) / ''Ristna'' (P 422): Ordered in July 1955 from Rauma-Repola in Rauma, launched in 1956, and entered service on 21 February 1957. She was sold to the

in 1999 as the EML ''Ristna''. * ''Ruissalo'' (53): Ordered from

Laivateollisuus Oy Laivateollisuus Ab (LaTe) was a Finnish shipbuilding company located in Pansio, Turku. The company was founded in 1945 to serve Finnish war reparation industry and focused on wooden ships. The first vessels were a series of schooners, which ...

, Turku. Taken into use on 11 August 1959. Scrapped in the early 2000s. * ''Raisio'' (54): Ordered from Laivateollisuus, Turku. Taken into use on 12 September 1959. Sold on the private market. Vartiovene 55 from the side

* ''Röyttä'' (55): Ordered from Laivateollisuus, Turku. Taken into use on 14 October 1959. ''Röyttä'' was transferred to the marine reserve training units in 2000 and is used for training. She was renovated in both 1980 and 2000. She was later sold to a private adventure company in Tampere. She currently operates as the commercial cruise ship ''

Vartiovene 55 ''Vartiovene 55'' is a former Finnish Navy R-class patrol boat bought into private ownership and converted into a commercial cruise ship. It can be rented for private pleasure trips on the Baltic Sea. History Originally named ''Röyttä'', the s ...

'' in Helsinki. * ''Carlos Alban'': Built in 1971. In use 1971-1997. ''Ruissalo'' class patrol boat, operated by the Colombian Coast Guard. * ''Nito Restrepo'': Built in 1971. In use 1971–1990. ''Ruissalo'' class patrol boat, operated by the Colombian Coast Guard. * ''Jorge Soto del Corval'': Built in 1971. In use 1971–1984. ''Ruissalo'' class patrol boat, operated by the Colombian Coast Guard.

Operators

* : Three ''Ruissalo''-class patrol boats * : Two ex-Finnish ''Rihtniemi''-class patrol boats * : Two ''Rihtniemi'' and three ''Ruissalo''-class patrol boats

External links

''Röyttä''

The Finnish Navy reserves web page on the ''Röyttä''.
{{in lang, fi Ships of the Finnish Navy