This week, the Finnish and Swedish Navies conducted a joint anti-submarine warfare exercise in the Gulf of Finland. Hamina-class fast-attack craft Hamina and Tornio, multi-purpose vessel Louhi and a patrol boat of the Border Guard took part in the exercise. Sweden sent Gotland-class submarine HSWMS Uppland to the exercise.
The Navies trained anti-submarine warfare in the framework of a CBT (Cross Border Training) exercise part of the FISE cooperation carried out between Sweden and Finland. The exercise serves the objective of developing international interoperability, anti-submarine warfare capability training and contributes to the know-how of the personnel.
- The exercise is a part of the close cooperation conducted by Finland with Sweden. Participating in international training activities is important, because it demonstrates, maintains and develops our national defence, says the leader of the exercise, Commander Toni Joutsia.
According to the Government Defence Report (2021), international exercises that cannot be organized or it is not practical to organize nationally are especially important for Finland, as are exercises that include capabilities that Finland does not possess.
- In addition to anti-submarine warfare, provision of host nation support will also be rehearsed this week: HSWMS Uppland attached itself to the side of multi-purpose vessel Louhi for maintenance and supplies in Hanko this morning, Jousia continues.
The Hamina-class fast-attack craft taking part in the exercise have undergone an extensive overhaul which has improved in particular the vessels’ underwater warfare capabilities, i.a. with the integration of torpedoes and Variable Depth Sonar VDS. The air defence and surface warfare capabilities have also been updated.
