SPLIT, CROATIA – The Croatian Army Home in Split hosted the presentation of Helsinki class missile ships, which were purchased in Finland and arrived in Sibenik on Monday.

Croatian Navy Counter Admiral Ante Urlic, Fleet Commander, Ship-of-the-Line Captain Marin Stosic and head of the warship maintenance department, Frigate Captain Zeljko Jakus discussed the techincal detail of the ships. They assessed that the supply of these missile ships initiated the awakening of the Croatian Navy.

Ability to act across Adriatic

Croatian Navy (HRM) Counter Admiral Ante Urlic, pointed out that the Helsinki class ships fulfil the fundamental NATO laws and enable the Croatian Navy to take part in its “Active Endeavour” operation, control the Adriatic Sea and its avenues of approach.

Counter Admiral Urlic especially pointed out that these ships enabled the Croatian Navy to act against submarines, which was previously not possible,

Now, with these ships, we can detect any submarine and locate it; approach it and, if necessary, destroy it, which increases the HRM`s ability to control the sea and preserve the fundamental skills of fighting submarines, he said.

Both missile ships are currently being decorated at the Sibenik shipbuilding site. They are being painted and anti-corrosive protection will be applied. Next month, they will sail into the Split War Harbour Lora, when they will be officially named “Vukovar” and “Dubrovnik”.

Technical specifications

The ships are 48 metres long, 8.8 metres wide, while the draft is 3 metres long.. They reach the speed of 32 knows and have a 28-man crew. The total cost, with transport expenses and additional, valuable equipment, amounts to 9.3 million euros.

When a reporter commented that these ships were manufactured in 1985 and 1986, Counter Admiral Urlic replied that the price of such new ships, with somewhat more modern rocket system, would cost between 60 and 70 million euros, perhaps even more.