Finnish frigate Uusimaa

Uusimaa was a Finnish Riga-class frigate. However the class was called the Uusimaa-class in Finland since the ship had some unique modifications (i.e. British submarine hunting equipment).

History
Soviet Union
Name	Filin
Namesake	Russian word for owl (Филин)
Builder	Yantar, Kaliningrad
Yard number	115
Laid down	27 August 1953
Launched	6 June 1954
Completed	21 December 1954
Fate	Sold to Finland, 1964
History
Finland
Name	Uusimaa
Namesake	Uusimaa region
Acquired	1964
Commissioned	1964
Decommissioned	1979
Stricken	1980
Fate	Scrapped 1980
General characteristics
Class & type	Hämeenmaa class (modified Riga-class frigate)
Displacement	1,260 tons 1,500 tons (full load)
Length	91.5 m (300 ft)
Beam	10.1 m (33 ft)
Draft	3.2 m (10 ft)
Propulsion	steam turbines, 14,900 kW
Speed	28 knots (52 km/h)
Range	2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km) at 15 knots
Complement	175
Armament	three 100 mm two 2 × 37 mm AA two 2 × 25 mm AA two Hedgehog ASW one 3 × 533 mm torpedo tubes

As the Finnish Navy had a manpower restriction after World War II, the navy suffered personnel shortages after the commissioning of the Turunmaa and Karjala. The navy limited therefore the use of its two Hämeenmaa frigates and finally decided to retire them.^[1]

Uusimaa was in Finnish Navy service between 1964–1980. She was decommissioned in 1979 and cannibalized for spare parts for the Hämeenmaa.

See also

• The sister ship Hämeenmaa