The prominent advertisement in Sunday’s edition of Helsingin Sanomat is not the first item of defence property to be posted for sale in recent times.
On Wednesday the state realtor Senate Properties advertised the sale of the Kauhava flight school for an undisclosed sum. The school is due to be shuttered at the end of 2014 as part of a defence reform programme.
Sunday’s announcement shone the spotlight on three 49.5-metre marine patrol vessels built in 1999, 2002 and 2004, called Tellkä, Tavi and Tiira respectively. Each of the vessels boasts nine cabins and 18 bunks for crew accommodation.
The ships are also advertised for sale on the website of the Finnish Border Guard, which recommends the unarmed vessels for SAR (Search and Rescue), patrol or oil recovery missions.
The boats are being sold halfway through their expected life spans.
“If we consider that the life span of a vessel is 25 – 30 years, then these are just about halfway through their life spans,” said Commodore Jukka Jaakkola.
Commodore Jaakkola said that the boats are beign sold partly because of changes in the Border Guards operations. Savings targets set by the previous government are also driving the sale.
“There have been such big operational changes since the time that the boats were sold to us, that they are no longer needed,” the commodore explained.