Gulf of Finland Naval Command ( fi, Suomenlahden meripuolustusalue, sv, Finska vikens marinkommando) was a

Finnish Navy The Finnish Navy ( fi, Merivoimat, sv, Marinen) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS", short f ...

unit headquartered in

Upinniemi Upinniemi ( sv, Obbnäs) is a village in the municipality of Kirkkonummi in southern Finland. It is located approximately 12 km south of the municipal centre. Upinniemi is dominated by the naval base (formerly the Porkkala Naval Base), whi ...

Kirkkonummi Kirkkonummi (; sv, Kyrkslätt, , Sweden ) is a municipality of inhabitants () in southern Finland. The literal meaning of the words "''Kirkkonummi''" and "''Kyrkslätt''" in English is "church heath". Geography The municipality is located just ...

. The main duty of the Gulf of Finland Naval Command during normal condition was the surveillance of Finnish territorial waters and maintaining territorial integrity. In addition, the Command trained conscripts to fulfill duties in the war-time organisation of the Finnish Defence Forces. The readiness fortresses and particular other units of the Command were permanently in a state of high readiness. The Command was succeeded in 2015 by the Coastal Brigade.
Merivoimat, 11 December 2014.

Organisation

* 7th Missile Squadron (''7. Ohjuslaivue''), operating Hamina class missile boat, Hamina class fast attack craft and Kiisla class patrol vessels. * 5th Mine Warfare Squadron (''5. Miinalaivue''), operating

Pohjanmaa Pohjanmaa ( sv, Österbotten, links=no, en, Ostrobothnia) is a Finnish word meaning "lowlands", and may refer to: Former entities * Pohjanmaa, former name of Ostrobothnia (historical province), comprising a large western and northern part of mode ...

and

Pansio class minelayer The ''Pansio''-class minelayers are a three-strong class of mine warfare vessels used by the Finnish Navy, built between 1991 and 1992. The vessels can also be used for transport or to supply the naval forts. The vessels can carry a 100-ton load. ...

s. The squadron also includes the Finnish Navy Diving School, training conscripts and career personnel as combat and work divers. * Suomenlinna Coastal Regiment, responsible for continuously keeping Isosaari fortress in state of readiness. *

Kotka Kotka (; ; la, Aquilopolis) is a city in the southern part of the Kymenlaakso province on the Gulf of Finland. Kotka is a major port and industrial city and also a diverse school and cultural city, which was formerly part of the old Kymi parish ...

Coast Battalion, responsible for the surveillance and defence of

Kymenlaakso Kymenlaakso ( sv, Kymmenedalen; " Kymi/Kymmene Valley") is a region in Finland. It borders the regions of Uusimaa, Päijät-Häme, South Savo and South Karelia and Russia (Leningrad Oblast). Its name means literally ''The Valley of River Kym ...

coast, including the major ports of Hamina and Kotka. The Battalion mans the Haapasaari Marine Surveillance Station and the maintains the fortress of Kirkonmaa at high readiness. *

Porkkala Porkkalanniemi ( sv, Porkala udd) is a peninsula in the Gulf of Finland, located at Kirkkonummi (Kyrkslätt) in Southern Finland. The peninsula had great strategic value, as coastal artillery based there would be able to shoot more than hal ...

Coast Battalion (''Porkkalan Rannikkopataljoona''), responsible for providing logistics, force protection and

coastal artillery Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications. From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of ...

support for the command headquarters in Upinniemi. In conscript training, the Battalion specializes in producing marine reconnaissance units of the Finnish Navy *Navy Training Center (''Merivoimien Koulutuskeskus''), a unit responsible for the induction and basic training of most Finnish Navy conscripts. The Center also operates a large NCO school and provides training for rank-and-file logistics specialists. From time to time, the Center produced coastal infantry units. * Logistics Centre (''Huoltokeskus'')

External links

Command site

References

{{reflist Naval units and formations of Finland Military units and formations established in 1998 Military units and formations disestablished in 2015