The keel of the fourth Pohjanmaa-class corvette was laid on 4 August 2026, bringing all four vessels in Finland’s Squadron 2020 programme into construction. Production of the first U.S. Arctic Security Cutter is also under way, giving the yard simultaneous naval combatant and icebreaker workloads.
RMC has modernised its production model alongside the physical investment, with greater emphasis on industrialised series production and closer integration between project management and manufacturing. The company has also introduced a 3D design environment and renewed its enterprise resource planning, project management and task-tracking systems.
The centrepiece of the yard investment is a 186-metre multi-purpose construction hall capable of accommodating two corvette-sized vessels simultaneously in a security-controlled indoor environment. RMC also operates steel-processing capacity of 15,000 tonnes a year, a permanent dry dock, three outfitting quays and an 11,000-tonne submersible barge used for launching and docking operations.
RMC’s workforce has almost doubled over the past three years to about 400 employees, while its subcontractor network involves more than 1,500 workers. The company said its vertically integrated production model covers the process from steel production through delivery of the completed vessel.
The Pohjanmaa class provides a central reference for RMC’s Arctic and naval capability, with the vessels designed for year-round service in demanding Baltic conditions. Ice class 1A allows independent operation in 0.5 metres of solid ice, while the ship systems are dimensioned for environments ranging from Arctic cold to tropical climates.
The corvettes are designed for anti-submarine warfare, surface and air defence, electronic warfare and mine-laying missions. RMC said experience from the first vessel has been transferred directly into later ships in the series, improving the production flow across the programme.
RMC’s government-vessel portfolio also includes the Finnish Border Guard offshore patrol vessel Turva, delivered in 2014 with ice class 1A and Polar Code PC 4 classification. The vessel combines border surveillance with maritime search and rescue and oil-spill response capabilities.
The company’s international expansion accelerated in June 2026 when it signed a contract to build two Arctic Security Cutters for the U.S. Coast Guard under the ICE Pact cooperation framework between Finland and the United States. It marked the first time the U.S. Coast Guard had ordered vessels from a Finnish shipyard, with both ships scheduled for delivery during 2028.
The cutters are based on the Multi-Purpose Icebreaker concept developed by Aker Arctic and Seaspan Shipyards. RMC said it was selected on the basis of delivery schedule certainty and its Arctic construction expertise.
The wider U.S. programme covers up to 11 Arctic Security Cutters, including four planned for construction by Bollinger Shipyards in cooperation with RMC. The Finnish company said its combination of corvette production, ice-going vessel experience and modernised infrastructure gives it a competitive position in the international market for Arctic government vessels.
