The Hämeenmaas were acquired from the Soviet Union in the mid-1960s, to be used as gun training ships.

They formed the "Escort Flotilla" (Finnish: Saattajalaivue) together with the Nuoli-class fast gunboats.

The commissioning of Turunmaa and Karjala in the late 1960s led however to personnel shortages in the Finnish Navy (Finland had a naval manpower restriction after World War II) and the navy was forced to limit the use of its two Hämeenmaa frigates.

The sister ship Uusimaa was decommissioned in 1979 and cannibalized for spare parts for Hämeenmaa.

Both ships had already served a few years in the Soviet Navy before sale to Finland.