Archipelago Sea

Archipelago Sea

Archipelago Sea is a part of the Baltic Sea between the Gulf of Bothnia, the Gulf of Finland and the Sea of Åland, within Finnish territorial waters...

 Naval Command is a Finnish Navy

Finnish Navy

The Finnish Navy 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" simply short for "Finnish Navy Ship"...

 unit headquartered in Pansio

Pansio

Pansio is a district and a suburb of the city of Turku, Finland. It is located in the western part of the city. It has a population of 2,809 , and an annual population growth of -3.83%....

, Turku

Turku

Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...

. Its main operating area is the Archipelago Sea

Archipelago Sea

Archipelago Sea is a part of the Baltic Sea between the Gulf of Bothnia, the Gulf of Finland and the Sea of Åland, within Finnish territorial waters...

. Archipelago Sea Naval Command was formed in 1998 by combining the Archipelago Sea Fleet and Turku Coastal Regiment

Turku Coastal Regiment

Turku Coastal Regiment was a Finnish coastal artillery unit operating in the Turku area and Archipelago Sea. It was formed on 10.9.1939 as Turku Sector as part of the neutrality guard and later Winter War coastal sector system from a peace time 1st Independent Coastal Artillery Battalion...

.

The main duty of the Archipelago Sea Naval Command during normal condition is the surveillance of Finnish territorial waters

Territorial waters

Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most from the baseline of a coastal state...

 and maintaining territorial integrity. In addition, the Command trains conscripts to fulfil duties in the crisis-time organization of the Command. The Command is always at the state of enhanced readiness, prepared to repel unauthorized incursions to Finnish waters using force. In a crisis, securing the sea lanes for the use of Finnish commercial shipping would be the main duty of the Command.

Turku Coast Battalion's Sea Company (Merikomppania, MERIK) has an NCO School with Navy and Military Police lines, as well Marine Engineer Platoon. ASNAC does not give basic training for conscripts anymore, as all Finnish Navy conscripts are initially trained at Gulf of Finland Naval Command

Gulf of Finland Naval Command

Gulf of Finland Naval Command is a Finnish Navy unit headquartered in Upinniemi, Kirkkonummi.The main duty of the Gulf of Finland Naval Command during normal condition is the surveillance of Finnish territorial waters and maintaining territorial integrity. In addition, the Command trains...

's Navy Training Centre at Upinniemi

Upinniemi

Upinniemi is a village in the municipality of Kirkkonummi in southern Finland. It is located approximately 12 km south of the municipal centre....

 before being transferred to other units for advanced training.

Organization

• 6th Missile Squadron (6. Ohjuslaivue), operating Rauma class Fast Attack Crafts and Hämeenmaa minelayers
• 4th Mine Warfare Squadron (4. Miinalaivue), Pansio class minelayer
  Pansio class minelayer
  The Pansio class minelayers is 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...
  
  s, Kuha
  Kuha class minesweepers (1974)
  The Kuha class minesweepers is a series of six inshore minesweepers of the Finnish Navy. The ships were constructed in 1974-1975. All the vessels of the class were modified and modernized in the late 1990s. This included e.g. a lengthening of the hull....
  
   and Kiiski class minesweeper
  Kiiski class minesweeper
  The Kiiski class minesweepers are a series of seven small minesweepers of the Finnish Navy. The ships were constructed in 1975 and were modernized in the 1990s.-Vessels of the class:Kiiski 1 Kiiski 2 Kiiski 3 Kiiski 4 Kiiski 5...
  
  s.
• Turku Coast Battalion (Turun Rannikkopataljoona), responsible for providing logistics, force protection and coastal artillery
  Coastal artillery
  Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
  
  support for the command. The unit is also responsible for the surveillance of territorial waters.
• Logistics Centre (Huoltokeskus)
• Navy Band (Laivaston Soittokunta)