Turva

''Turva'' is a Finnish offshore patrol vessel. Built in 2014 by STX Finland Rauma shipyard for the Finnish Border Guard, she is the largest vessel of the fleet as well as the first patrol vessel in Finland powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Development and construction

In the second supplemental budget of 2009, the Government of Finland reserved 57 million euro for the procurement of a new offshore patrol vessel for the Finnish Border Guard.Sisäasiainministeri Anne Holmlund: Lähivuosina panostetaan erityisesti Itämeren turvallisuuteen ja merellisen ympäristön suojeluun
Sisäasianministeriö, 15 September 2009. In addition, a further 10.4 million euro was reserved for the design and development of the new vessel in 2009–2010. However, it was found out that the allocated funds would not be enough to purchase a vessel that would fulfill the requirements, so in the third supplemental budget of 2011 the funding was increased by 70 percent, bringing the price of the vessel to 97 million euro and making her the most expensive patrol vessel ever constructed in Finland.Uusi ulkovartiolaiva on kallein vartioalus koskaan
Turun Sanomat, 23 November 2011.

The development of the new offshore patrol vessel was carried out in close co-operation with the Finnish Environment Institute and STX Finland Rauma shipyard which presented the ''UVL10'' (''Ulkovartiolaiva 2010'',Tavi on kaupan Katajanokan laiturissa
Helsingin Sanomat, 28 January 2013. Finnish for "offshore patrol vessel 2010") concept to the public in October 2011.Rajavartiolaitokselle uuden sukupolven ulkovartiolaiva
Rajavartiolaitos, 7 October 2011. As part of the design process, model tests were carried out by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Aker Arctic. On 21 December 2011, the Finnish Border Guard officially awarded the contract for the construction of the new offshore patrol vessel, which would provide over 400 man-years of work to the builder and had a domestic content of about 90 percent, to STX Finland Rauma shipyard with the initial delivery date set in November 2013.Rajavartiolaitos ja STX Rauman telakka ovat sopineet uuden sukupolven ulkovartiolaivan rakentamisesta
Rajavartiolaitos, 21 December 2012. STX Finland and the Finnish Border Guard sign an agreement on offshore patrol vessel
STX Finland, 21 December 2011. The shipyard had an option for a sister vessel, but no funding was secured for the second offshore patrol ship.

The steel cutting ceremony, which marks the official start of production, was held in Rauma on 22 October 2012Rajavartiolaitoksen ulkovartiolaivan tuotannonaloitus STX Rauman telakalla
Rajavartiolaitos, 22 October 2012. and the keel of vessel, identified by its yard number as "newbuilding 1385", was laid on 25 February 2013.Uuden ulkovartiolaivan kölinlasku STX Finlandin Rauman telakalla
Rajavartiolaitos, 25 February 2013. A naming contest was also announced by the Finnish Border Guard.Rajavartiolaitoksen ulkovartiolaivan nimikilpailu päättynyt
Rajavartiolaitos, 4 June 2013. On 2 August 2013, the ship was launched and her sponsor, Minister of the Interior Päivi Räsänen, gave her the name ''Turva'', Finnish for "protection" or "security".Ulkovartiolaivan kastetilaisuus ja vesillelasku STX Finlandin Rauman telakalla
Rajavartiolaitos, 2 August 2013. The name was chosen out of 1,358 proposals and has previously been used for a 1977-built patrol vessel that was sold to a private owner in 2007. The construction of the new offshore patrol vessel was slightly delayed and ''Turva'' began her first sea trials on 25 February 2014. About a month later, on 21 March, the vessel left for the second sea trials. ''Turva'' was completed and handed over to the Finnish Border Guard on 9 May 2014. However, her departure from Rauma was slightly delayed due to damage to one of her tanks during commissioning.

''Turva'' replaced three smaller vessels: 1999-built '' Telkkä'' (sold to Norwegian interest), 2002-built ''Tavi'' (sold to UK Border Force and renamed HMC ''Protector'') and 2004-built '' Tiira'' (sold together with ''Telkkä''). The old vessels were not strengthened for navigation in ice and their oil spill prevention and response capability was not deemed adequate for dealing with the increased traffic in the Gulf of Finland.

On 16 September 2013, STX Finland decided to close the shipyard in June 2014 and for a while it looked like ''Turva'' would be the last new vessel built in Rauma where ships have been constructed for over 300 years. However, a new shipbuilding company, Rauma Marine Constructions, took over the shipyard in the summer of 2014.

In December 2020, the Finnish Government authorized the Border Guard to order two new offshore patrol vessels. The new vessels will be similar in size to ''Turva'' and enter service by 2025. On 16 August 2021, the Border Guard signed a letter of intent with Meyer Turku for the construction of the new vessels.

Design

General characteristics

''Turva'' is long and wide, making her the largest vessel ever commissioned by the Finnish Border Guard as well as longer than any existing or past vessel commissioned by the Finnish Navy. Fully laden, she draws of water. At design draught, the vessel has a deadweight tonnage of 660 tonnes while her maximum deadweight is around 1,800 tonnes. Her complement will be approximately 30.

The main purposes of the new offshore patrol vessel are open sea patrol and ensuring border safety. ''Turva'' carries a rigid-hulled inflatable boat and a larger patrol boat, both stowed in covered recesses, that can be used to carry a vessel inspection teams to intercepted ships. While the vessel does not have a hangar, the forward helipad with folding "wings" is large enough for receiving and refueling a Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma, the largest type of helicopter operated by the Finnish Border Guard, during search-and-rescue operations at sea. ''Turva'' is the first Finnish patrol vessel fitted with such capability. For surveillance, ''Turva'' has a Cassidian TRS-3D radar—the same used in the ''Hamina''-class missile boats and ''Hämeenmaa''-class minelayers of the Finnish Navy—and extensive command and control systems which allow the ship to direct large rescue operations both in the air and on the surface.Perjantaina nimen saanut Rajan ulkovartiolaiva Turva on kopteritukialus
Lentoposti.fi, 2 August 2013. Although no details have been released, the vessel is also fitted with underwater surveillance systems.

''Turva'' is also equipped for rescue operations, firefighting, emergency towing and demanding environmental duties. She can perform mechanical recovery of spilled oil with built-in recovery systems in open water, either by using conventional outriggers and booms in calm seas or a stiff steel boom and a special wave-dampening channel in heavy weather. The oil recovery system has been manufactured by the Finnish company Mobimar which has also provided equipment for other Finnish patrol vessels. Furthermore, the vessel is also fitted for but not with equipment capable of recovering oil in ice conditions. The internal storage tanks are dimensioned for of recovered oil and of recovered chemicals. The open aft deck is covered with tropical hardwood, Iroko. For diving support and oil recovery tasks, ''Turva'' carries a small workboat.Vko 40: Työvene tuli Norjasta
Rajavartiolaitos, 17 December 2013.

Like all Finnish offshore patrol vessels, ''Turva'' can be armed and used for national defense purposes in a crisis. However, during peacetime the vessels carry only small arms.

The blue-and-white colouring, inspired by the flag of Finland, is a departure from the traditional green hull utilized by Finnish Border Guard. Following the construction of ''Turva'', it became the standard for all Finnish patrol vessels.

Power and propulsion

''Turva'' is powered by three environmentally friendly Wärtsilä 34DF series dual-fuel engines capable of burning both diesel fuel as well as liquified natural gas (LNG). For redundancy and safe return to port, the engines are arranged in two independent engine rooms divided by a watertight bulkhead. In the aft engine room, a 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 12V34DF producing is mechanically coupled to a controllable-pitch propeller. In the forward engine room, two 6-cylinder 6L34DF generating sets with an output of each produce power for two electrically driven Rolls-Royce Azipull AZP120CP Z-drive azimuth thrusters. If the forward engine room is damaged, the shaft generator coupled to the bigger engine can be used to produce electricity for the azimuth thrusters, which are required for steering the vessel as she has no separate rudders, and other onboard systems.Monikäyttöinen Turva
Reserviläinen 6/2013, page 14
Since the azimuth thrusters are powered by electric motors and the centerline shaft is mechanically coupled to the main engine, the propulsion system as a whole could be referred to as "combined diesel-electric and diesel" (CODLAD). ''Turva'' is the first ship fitted with this type of propulsion arrangement—two azimuth thrusters and a centerline shaft—which was originally developed for icebreakers and icegoing LNG carriers.Niini, M. (2013)
Last year's achievements and the way ahead
Aker Arctic Technology. For maneuvering and DP2 class dynamic positioning, the ship has a transverse bow thruster and a retractable azimuth thruster in the bow.

''Turva'' is the first LNG-powered offshore patrol vessel as well as only the second LNG-powered ship (after ''Viking Grace'') to enter service in Finland. Unlike in the ferry, which has two deck-mounted LNG storage tanks, the single fuel tank in ''Turva'' is built inside the vessel.

The service speed of the vessel will be and despite her bulbous bow she will also be capable of breaking level ice up to in thickness. With a bollard pull of approximately 100 tonnes, ''Turva'' is capable of towing even the largest tankers regularly sailing in the Baltic Sea.

Incidents

On 20 June 2020, ''Turva''s Watercat 1000 Patrol daughter craft sank after running aground off Loviisa on the Midsummer Day evening. Two members of the three-strong crew managed to escape the rapidly sinking boat while the third person was trapped in the cabin and later died in the hospital. According to initial reports, the boat took a shortcut on the wrong side of a fairway mark and hit an underwater rock at high speed.

References

{{Reflist

2013 ships
Ships built in Rauma, Finland
Patrol vessels of Finland