Delivery of 3 more advanced #US-made sub-hunting aircraft boosts #India's plans to take on #China at sea. #Pakistan #Quad https://news.yahoo.com/delivery-3-more-advanced-us-164643608.html?s... via @YahooNews

The US delivered two helicopters and a new maritime patrol plane to India earlier this month.

The aircraft are some of the best sub-hunters available and will boost the Indian navy's capabilities.

The deliveries come amid heightened tensions with China in the Indian Ocean region.

India received US-made helicopters and a patrol plane this month, boosting that country's navy and advancing US-India ties as both seek to counter China's growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

On July 13, Boeing announced the delivery of another P-8I Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to India, the 10th since India became the first non-US buyer more than a decade ago.

On July 16, India's navy inducted the first two of 24 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters in a ceremony with US Navy officials in San Diego on July 16.

India's ambassador to the US called the induction an "important milestone" in US-India defense ties.

John Kirby, the Pentagon's chief spokesman, congratulated India on both deliveries this week, saying the aircraft "will substantially enhance maritime security and strengthen cooperation and interoperability between our two navies."

The MH-60R and P-8 both have anti-submarine warfare as a primary mission - Lockheed Martin says the MH-60R is the world's "most capable and mature" helicopter for ASW, and Boeing calls the P-8's ASW capabilities "unmatched" - and their delivery reflects India's concern about Chinese naval activity, particularly submarine activity, in the Indian Ocean.

That Chinese presence, coupled with the increasing age of the Indian navy's own rotary aircraft, "has been a cause of growing concern" for Indian navy leaders, who have urged expedited procurement of new aircraft, said Abhijit Singh, a former Indian naval officer and head the Maritime Policy Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation, a think tank.

"The delivery is a definite boost for the Indian navy. The multi-role helicopter deal is one the most eagerly awaited naval procurement programs in recent years," Singh told Insider.

India's navy believes the MH-60Rs will augment its "crucial" search-and-rescue, anti-submarine warfare, and anti-surface warfare capabilities, Singh added.

Rotary and fixed-wing aircraft are only two new platforms India's navy is seeking to bolster its fleet amid heightened tensions with Beijing, which has the world's largest navy.

India expects to add a second aircraft carrier within the next few years and is pursuing other new surface ships as well as new ballistic-missile and attack submarines. India this week issued a nearly $7 billion tender for its advanced Project 75I subs, though they will still take years to build.

India has also developed or is working on an array of ship- and sub-launched ballistic and anti-ship missiles.

New Delhi is also bolstering its presence around the Indian Ocean, building new bases and other facilities to improve its maritime awareness and capitalize on its advantageous position in strategically important areas. (India's contentious land borders with China and Pakistan are likely to remain its military's focus, however.)

How will #Pakistan Kill #India’s New Aircraft Carriers? It has several means to attack Indian carriers — with near-undetectable #submarines & anti-ship #missiles — which must also operate relatively far from India itself in #ArabianSea. #SouthAsia https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/how-pakistan-preparing-kil...

To directly threaten Pakistan, the small-deck carriers will have to maneuver nearer to shore — and thereby closer to “anti-access / area denial” weapons which could sink them. And even with a third carrier, the threat of land-based Pakistani aircraft will force the Indian Navy to dedicate a large proportion of its own air wings to defense — perhaps half of its available fighters, according to 2017 paper by Ben Wan Beng Ho for the Naval War College Review.

“Therefore, it is doubtful that any attack force launched from an Indian carrier would pack a significant punch,” Ho writes. “With aircraft available for strike duties barely numbering into the double digits, the Indian carrier simply cannot deliver a substantial ‘pulse’ of combat power against its adversary.”
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To see why Vishal is a big deal for the Indian Navy, one needs only to look at her proposed air wing — some 57 fighters, more than Vikramaditya — 24 MiG-29Ks — and Vikrant‘s wing of around 30 MiG-29Ks. While below the 75+ aircraft aboard a U.S. Navy Gerald R. Ford-class supercarrier, Vishal will be a proper full-size carrier and India’s first, as the preceding two are really small-deck carriers and limited in several significant ways.

The Indian Navy is also looking at an electromagnetic launch system for its third carrier, similar to the one aboard the Ford class. India’s first two carriers have STOBAR configurations, in which aircraft launch with the assistance of a ski-jump, which limits the maximum weight a plane can lift into the air. Typically this means that fighters must sacrifice weapons, or fuel thus limiting range, or a combination of both.

The Indian Navy is searching for a foreign-sourced twin-engine fighter for the Vishal, with the U.S. F/A-18 and French Rafale in the running, and India has already ordered 36 multi-role Rafales for its air force. This is a blow to advocates of an Indian-made fighter for the carrier such as naval version of the delta-wing HAL Tejas, which is too heavy for carrier work

But regardless of what kind of fighters Vishal uses, the question is whether India really needs a third carrier, which will cost billions of dollars over its lifetime. To be sure, a third and much larger carrier will free up the burden on the Vikramaditya and Vikrant, only one of which is likely to be battle-ready at any given time.

These smaller carriers probably have fewer operational fighters than they do on paper, given that the air wings likely have serviceability rates below 100 percent. Vikramaditya by itself could have significantly less than 24 MiGs capable of flying — and fighting.

Now imagine a scenario in which these carriers go to battle.

Most likely, India would attempt to enforce a blockade of Pakistan and use its carriers to strike land-based targets. But Pakistan has several means to attack Indian carriers — with near-undetectable submarines and anti-ship missiles — which must also operate relatively far from India itself in the western and northern Arabian Sea. China does not have a similar disadvantage, as the PLAN would likely keep its carriers close and within the “first island chain” including Taiwan, closer to shore where supporting aircraft and ground-based missile launchers can help out.

Thus, Indian carriers would be relatively vulnerable and only one of them will have aircraft capable of launching with standard ordnance and fuel. And that is after Vishal sets sail in the next decade.

1st of 3 ‘Sea Sultan’ Maritime Patrol Aircrafts Joins #Pakistan #Navy. Based on Embraer’s Lineage 1000E, it has 8,500 km range & equipped for anti-surface & anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and intelligence surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR) https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/09/first-sea-sultan-marit... via @navalnewscom

First ‘Sea Sultan’ Maritime Patrol Aircraft Joins Pakistan Navy
The Pakistan Navy inducted its first of three modern maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) dubbed locally as "Sea Sultan" and designated "Long Range Maritime Patrol jet".
Xavier Vavasseur 06 Sep 2021

Pakistan Navy press release

Karachi, 02 Sept 21: Induction ceremony of Pakistan Navy’s first modern Long Range Maritime Patrol twin engine jet aircraft was held at PNS Mehran, Karachi. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi graced the occasion as chief guest. Upon arrival at Mehran base, the Chief Guest was received by Commander Pakistan Fleet Rear Admiral Naveed Ashraf.

The newly inducted twin engine jet aircraft is a variant of Brazilian built state of the art Embraer Jet aircraft globally utilized in air operations. Two more aircraft of the series have also been contracted by Pakistan Navy. These aircraft will be equipped with latest weapons and sensors to undertake Maritime Air Operations.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief of the Naval Staff paid rich tribute to Veteran Kashmiri Huriyat Leader Syed Ali Geelani and expressed condolence on his demise.

Later the Naval Chief commended remarkable transition of Pakistan Navy Air Arm from prop to jet age of Long Range Maritime Patrol Operations. He reassured the nation that Pakistan Navy is fully cognizant of prevailing challenges and is committed to upgrade its combat inventory to generate swift response. He also highlighted that Pakistan Navy is effectively contributing towards Government’s policy of promoting peace and stability in the region as a responsible maritime nation. He further underscored that Pakistan Navy is committed to safeguard its sea
fronts while ensuring conducive maritime environment in the region.

Earlier during his welcome address, Commander Pakistan Fleet Rear Admiral Naveed Ashraf highlighted capabilities of the new aircraft and expressed hope that addition of this potent aircraft will enhance PN capabilities to protect Maritime interests of Pakistan.

Later, Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Amjad khan Niazi handed over aircraft documents to Commanding Officer of the concerned squadron. The ceremony was attended by senior serving and retired PN officers and CPOs/Sailors.

-End-

Naval News comments:

The Sea Sultan is based on Embraer’s Lineage 1000E business jet, which is a variant of the Embraer 190 regional airliner. The Lineage 1000E has a range of 8,500 km, a maximum speed of Mach 0.82, a service ceiling og 41,000 ft and a 120,000 lb MTOW. According to Defense News, Italy’s Leonardo was in charge of the conversion of three aircraft, but a follow-on contract is expected to bring the total number of Sea Sultans MPA to 10.

Details on the mission payload and sensor systems have not been disclosed but the latest MPA of the Pakistan Navy are fitted to conduct a wide range of missions such as anti-surface warfare (ASuW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), electronic intelligence (ELINT), electronic support measures (ESM), command and control (C2) and search and rescue (SAR).

The Pakistan Navy currently operates a fleet of modern ATR72 Sea Eagles and ageing P-3C Orions (set to be replaced by the Sea Sultans) for maritime patrol missions.

Did #Pakistan drop Leonardo as lead for Sea Sultan conversion of #Brazil made Embraer Lineage 1000 jet to replace #US made P-3C Orion? #SouthAfrica's Paramount Group is the lead contractor, with #Italy's Leonardo #Aerospace relegated to supplying hardware. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2021/09/09/did-pakistan-drop-leonar...


ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s Navy has inducted into service its first Embraer Lineage 1000 jetliner, which is to be converted into the “Sea Sultan” design under the country’s long-range maritime patrol aircraft program. However, there remain unanswered questions surrounding the selection of a prime contractor and which company will carry out the conversion.

The Sept. 2 induction ceremony took place at PNS Mehran naval air station, where the P-3C Orion aircraft — which will be replaced by the Sea Sultan — operates.

A Navy release stated two more Lineage 1000 aircraft are under contract to “be equipped with the latest weapons and sensors to undertake Maritime Air Operations.”

Defense News reported in October that Pakistan selected the Brazilian-made Lineage 1000 for the program.

Pakistan previously hired Italy’s Leonardo as the prime contractor for the program, Defense News reported in July, and South Africa’s Paramount Group was to prepare the aircraft for conversion. But a source with knowledge of Pakistan’s defense programs told Defense News that Paramount Group is the lead contractor, with Leonardo relegated to supplying hardware.

He said Leonardo seems to have accepted this, knowing it could gain the experience to eventually independently offer a Lineage 1000 conversion. It’s unclear why Paramount Group was given the lead role.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the program, added that the first Sea Sultan will likely be used for training and liaison missions.

Former Australian defense attache to Islamabad and independent analyst Brian Cloughley described the Sea Sultan program as uncharacteristically quick by Pakistani standards.

“Acquisition of the new patrol aircraft is a welcome development for the PN, but it is intriguing that the usually lengthy contract process has taken such a short time. Apparently there were no competing tenders, and it is not known, indeed, if conventional procedures were followed,” he said.

Pakistan’s military has good working relationships with Leonardo as well as Germany’s Rheinland Air Service and Turkish Aerospace Industries, and those firms have considerable experience relevant to the Sea Sultan program. Paramount Group does not appear to have the same level of experience.

There is also no indication the Lineage 1000′s manufacturer, Embraer, is involved in the program. Analyst Alexandre Galante, who previously served in Brazil’s Navy, believes the company could have contributed its know-how, as it previously converted the E190 (from which the Lineage 1000 is derived).

“Embraer carried out studies a few years ago of a maritime patrol version of the E-Jet E190, but the project did not go ahead” he said, citing a lack of financial resources to invest in new equipment, as the military budget is mainly consumed by pay and pensions. “For this reason, the Brazilian Air Force purchased used P-3A aircraft and hired Airbus to modernize them.”

Today, Pakistan’s Naval Air Arm also operates three shorter-range Franco-Italian ATR-72 twin-turboprop maritime patrol planes, and sixteen Mi-14, Sea King, and Z-9EC anti-submarine capable helicopters. However, the Orions and forthcoming Sea Sultan have significantly greater range, payload, and endurance than these other platforms.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/will-pakistan%E2%80%99s-new-...

In a speech in October 2020, former Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi stated that Pakistan was developing “…in the hypersonic domain, the ship-based, long-range, anti-ship and land-attack P282 ballistic missile.” He described it as an effort to “leapfrog” Pakistan to capabilities similar to India’s supersonic Brahmos cruise missile.


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Pakistan’s Orions have had an eventful service life, employed in combat against Taliban insurgents in Swat Valley, performing signals-intelligence gathering, surveillance, and bombing missions. But in 2011, insurgents raided Mehran and destroyed two P-3s based there, though the United States replaced the aircraft. A third P-3C was lost off the coast of Balochistan in 1999 in an accident that killed all twenty-one onboard.

As the future of U.S.-Pakistan relations remains murky, Islamabad explicitly sought a P-3 replacement that wouldn’t be subject to U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Thus the Sea Sultan is based on Brazilian Lineage 1000E regional jetliners purchased second-hand rather than directly from manufacturer Embraer. South African company Paramount Group is installing torpedo launchers and SeaSpray radars made by Italian firm Leonardo into the four-engine regional airliners.

The basic Lineage 1000 airliner has a comparable maximum range to a P-3C but is roughly fifty percent faster at cruising and maximum speed (629 and 543 miles per hour) and has a much higher maximum altitude too. Although the performance of a fully-equipped Sea Sultan is unknown, Pakistan’s tender specified a range of 4,600 miles and a maximum takeoff weight of sixty to seventy tons.

The SeaSpray AESA X-Band multi-mode radar may represent the most important change from the Orion. The 360-degree radar incorporates a Moving Target Indicator for tracking vehicles and synthetic-aperture mode which can provide detailed scans of ships or other surface targets. The SeaSpray 7500V2 model has a maximum range of 368 miles, but the somewhat shorter-range 7300E model, already in use on Pakistani ATR-72 patrol planes and Sea King helicopters, may be installed instead.


Even the 7300E, however, reportedly has high enough resolution to detect life rafts and ship-wrecked humans in inclement weather at a significant distance. Such resolution might also suffice to detect the protruding snorkel of a diesel-electric submarine sucking in air to recharge its batteries.

Like the Orion, Sea Sultans are planned to have electromagnetic and signals intelligence sensors (ESM and ELINT), sonar buoys, and an acoustic analysis station for submarine hunting, a satellite communications link, and flare/chaff dispensers to decoy missiles. They will also carry homing torpedoes for sub-hunting, and likely anti-ship missiles for surface warfare.

Pakistan’s Navy is focused on denying India’s larger fleet access to its littoral waters. Maritime patrol planes thus improve the Pakistani Navy’s awareness of ships and submarines approaching said waters, limiting the risk of surprise attack (like the Indian Navy’s successful missile attack on Karachi in 1971) and enabling coordinating response by other assets. Furthermore, they can attack maritime targets, conduct search and rescue missions, and scoop up electronic intelligence data on other militaries operating in the region.

MELBOURNE, Australia, ISLAMABAD, NEW DELHI, and WASHINGTON — A number of countries in the Asia-Pacific region are caught up in the global hypersonic and directed-energy weapons race, with these regional powers having either developed or publicly stated intentions to develop such technology.

Defense News has contacted regional government and military officials, businesses, and analysts to find out who is keeping pace in the worldwide contest.


https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2021/03/15/hyperson...


Whether Pakistani warships have sufficient power-generation capacity to operate directed-energy weapons may be inferred from Chinese and Turkish programs. Pakistan has ordered Type 054A/P frigates (similar to those in Chinese service) and Milgem corvettes (similar to Turkey’s Ada class), and is designing the related Jinnah-class frigate (possibly similar to Turkey’s Istanbul class).

Chinese destroyers have had an operational directed-energy capability since at least 2018, but frigates are not similarly equipped. However, an expert on China’s military believes this will change.

“Based on my interviews with Chinese sources, I conclude that China will be pacing most U.S. directed-energy weapon developments, be they solid-state lasers or microwave weapons,” said Richard Fisher, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center. “They were marketing a 30-kilowatt, mobile, solid-state laser weapon five years ago, so it is reasonable to expect they will soon have much more powerful land-, sea- and air-deployable laser weapons.”

Similarly, the installation of the Roketsan-made Alka laser weapon on Turkish warships would infer Pakistan receiving a similar setup. Roketsan literature indicates the Alka can be fitted to warships to destroy or disable drones and similar targets. The company says the system can destroy a target with a laser at 500 meters, and destroy a target at 1,000 meters with its electromagnetic weapon.

STM and fellow Turkish contractor Afsat signed an agreement “on engineering solutions for supplying and integrating the main propulsion system” for Pakistan’s corvettes in June 2020. Their propulsion/power-generation system was previously a CODAD (combined diesel and diesel) system before the U.S. cleared the export of gas turbines, allowing a CODAG (combined diesel and gas) system similar to the Ada corvettes to be fitted.

When asked, STM would not say whether this could produce sufficient power to support a directed-energy weapon.

Given the delivery timetable for Pakistan’s new frigates and corvettes, a directed-energy capability may be reality by mid-decade, but Ahmed, the expert at the Center for International Strategic Studies, believes the hypersonic program is more urgent. He said hypersonic technology is part of Pakistan’s “emerging menu of long-range [anti-access, area denial] capabilities that are increasingly going to be needed for maintaining a credible deterrent” against India’s Navy.

This is backed by reports that an Azeri surface-to-air Barak-8 missile system — a weapon also installed on some of India’s destroyers — downed an Armenian Iskander tactical ballistic missile last year, potentially rendering Pakistan’s present subsonic anti-ship missile arsenal vulnerable to interception.

Though Pakistan has acquired CM-302/YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship missiles for its Type 054A/P frigates, Ahmed said the hypersonic P282 will enable Pakistan to “leapfrog” to a similar level of capability to India, which already has different BrahMos supersonic missile variants and is developing the hypersonic BrahMos II.

Irrespective of whether the P282 will be a wholly indigenous or collaborative effort, Ahmed views it as a critical program that will spawn land and air weapons potentially “deployed across a variety of platforms.”

#Turkey begins constructing 4th warship for #Pakistan Navy. The keel-laying ceremony was held at the #Karachi Shipyard. It will have state-of-the-art #weapons & sensors, including surface-to-surface & surface-to-air missiles, & anti-submarine weapons http://sabahdai.ly/_103w

keel-laying ceremony beginning the construction of a MILGEM (National Ship) Ada class corvette tailored for the Pakistan Navy was held in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi Friday.

The ceremony at the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW) – Pakistan Navy's specialized shipbuilding division – was attended by Naval Chief Adm. Amjad Khan Niazi, Pakistan Navy officers and representatives of Turkey's state-run defense firm ASFAT, said an official statement.

Addressing the ceremony, Niazi said the production of indigenous modern warships with the help of Turkey is a proud moment for Pakistan.

The joint venture, he said, will open new avenues of cooperation between Ankara and Islamabad in the field of defense production.

Induction of the MILGEM-class ships, the statement added, would significantly increase the operational capabilities of the Pakistan Navy.

The ships are being constructed according to modern naval ship class standards and will be equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, including surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, and anti-submarine weapons, the statement added.

In July 2018, the Pakistan Navy signed a contract with ASFAT for the acquisition of four MILGEM-class ships. According to the plan, two corvettes will be built in Turkey and the next two will be built in Pakistan, which also involves technology transfer.

MILGEM vessels are 99 meters (325 feet) long with a displacement capacity of 24,000 tons and can move at a speed of 29 nautical miles. The anti-submarine combat frigates can be hidden from radar.

In October 2019, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, along with then-Chief of Pakistan Navy Adm. Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, had cut the metal plate of the first MILGEM Ada class corvette during a ceremony in Istanbul.

Turkey is one of the 10 countries in the world that can build, design and maintain warships using its national capabilities.

Shen Shiwei沈诗伟
@shen_shiwei

China state-affiliated media
Introducing PNS Tughril Flag of Pakistan - Most advanced Type 054-A/P guided-missile commissioned into
@PakistanNavy
service at a ceremony held at HZ Shipyard, Shanghai, China.Flag of China

https://twitter.com/shen_shiwei/status/1457677204251295745?s=20

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The PNS Tughril is the first hull of four Type 054 frigates being constructed for the Pakistan Navy, the Pakistan Navy said, noting that the ship is a technologically advanced and highly capable platform with enormous surface-to-surface, surface-to-air and underwater firepower, besides extensive surveillance potentials.

Being equipped with state-of-the-art combat management and an electronic warfare system along with modern self-defense capabilities, the Type 054A/P frigate can simultaneously execute a number of naval warfare missions in a highly intense multi-threat environment, the Pakistani statement said.

The frigate is the largest and most advanced warship China has ever exported, CSSC said.

The completion and the delivery of the vessel is another major achievement of China-Pakistan friendship, and will further enhance the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, the Chinese shipbuilding company said in the statement.

Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque said that the commissioning of the PNS Tughril ushers in a new chapter in Pakistan-China friendship that has matured through the test of time and remained steadfast in all domains, according to the statement from the Pakistan Navy.

In the context of the overall security paradigm of the region, Tughril-class frigates will strengthen Pakistan Navy's capabilities to respond to maritime challenges to ensure seaward defense, maintain peace, stability and balance of power in the Indian Ocean region, the ambassador said, who also praised the concerted efforts made by China for the landmark achievement by the timely delivery of the well-equipped and potent frigate despite the global pandemic.

The Vice Party Secretary and Director of the Board at CSSC Du Gang also applauded the timely construction of PNS Tughril while emphasizing that the commissioning of the ship is a major milestone and a testimony of the China-Pakistan long-lived friendship, as both countries are bound by the affinity of trust, compassion and commonality.

The head of the Pakistan Navy Mission overseeing construction of the 054A/P frigate, Commodore Rashid Mehmood Sheikh, said that the PNS Tughril, being a multi-mission capable frigate, will form the mainstay of the Pakistan Navy fleet while bolstering the Pakistan Navy's maritime defense capabilities, according to the Pakistani statement.

The delivery of the frigate also serves as a milestone in expanding the influence of Chinese vessels as products and boosting their competitiveness in the international market, CSSC said.

Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the PLA Naval Research Academy, told the Global Times in a previous interview that the Type 054A, on which the Type 054A/P is based, is China's most advanced frigate.

Compared to previous Chinese frigates, the new ship has better air defense capability, as it is equipped with an improved radar system and a larger amount of missiles with a longer range, Zhang said, noting that the Type 054A frigate also has world-class stealth capability.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202111/1238452.shtml

The Tughril is the first of four frigates that China built for Pakistan under an agreement signed in 2017. Frigates are multi-role warships that are capable of carrying out anti-aircraft, anti-ship and anti-submarine missions.

https://www.theweek.in/news/world/2021/11/09/pakistan-inducts-most-...

The Tughril, which displaces around 4,000 tonnes, is a derivative of the People's Liberation Army Navy's Type 054A class frigate. Analysts have considered the Type 054A the workhorse of the PLAN. The US Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) estimated in 2020 that at least 30 Type 054A frigates entered service with the PLAN since 2008.

The frigates being built for Pakistan were designated Type 054A/P and feature more advanced radars than the ships in Chinese service. Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the PLA Naval Research Academy, told the Global Times the Tughril has better air defence capability compared with the Chinese ships and has a "larger amount of missiles with a longer range". China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC), the ship's builder, was quoted by Global Times as saying "the frigate is the largest and most advanced warship China has ever exported".

According to reports, the Tughril and her sister ships will be armed with the Chinese-made HQ-16 surface-to-air missile that can destroy aircraft and anti-ship missiles to a range of around 70km. It also carries anti-ship cruise missiles and anti-submarine torpedoes.




Vertical launch advantage

The Tughril will be the first Pakistan Navy ship equipped with a vertical launch system for surface-to-air missiles. In comparison with mechanical launchers, which can only fire a maximum of one or two missiles at once, a vertical launch system can simultaneously fire multiple missiles as the weapons are stored in a ready-to-fire cell. Vertical launch systems are considered more suitable to deal with large-scale air attacks.

The Tughril is estimated to have a vertical launch system equipped with 32 missile-launching cells.

A Pakistan Navy statement issued at the commissioning emphasised the "PNS Tughril, being a multi-mission capable frigate, will form the mainstay of the Pakistan Navy fleet while bolstering the Pakistan Navy's maritime defence capabilities."

The Type 054AP is one element of the Pakistan Navy's ongoing fleet modernisation initiative. Pakistan is also acquiring smaller corvettes from Turkey and up to eight diesel-electric submarines from China.

Richard Fisher, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, told Defense News the speculation can be put aside with the unveiling of a Pakistani ship-launched ballistic missile, dubbed P282.

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2021/11/09/pakistan-receives-new-...

“Imagery revealed during the commissioning of Tughril confirms that the ‘P282′ is the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) CM-401 hypersonic-speed capable anti-ship ballistic missile,” Fisher said. The CM-401 is a short-range ballistic missile that can maneuver to avoid interception and can allegedly travel at Mach 6.


Highlighting the flexibility of the Type 054A/P, Fisher said the Tughril is the “first Chinese export warship to feature a 32-cell vertical launch system that can be armed with an array of anti-aircraft missiles, ship and land-attack cruise missiles and anti-submarine missiles, as they are on PLA Navy Type 054A frigates.”

The Type 054A/P also carries HHQ-16 medium-range air defense missiles that provide an area defense capability. Pakistan has experienced a capability gap since its lease ran out with the United States for four American Brooke-class frigates in 1994.

Pakistan’s four F-22P Zulfiquar (Type 053H3-derivative) frigates are incapable of dealing with modern missile threats, but might receive upgrades with the fielding of the Type-054A/Ps.

Tom Waldwyn, a naval expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the Type 054A/P ships “will be a considerable improvement … particularly in terms of [anti-submarine warfare] capability” over the 1970s-era ex-British Type 21 frigates that Pakistan acquired in the 1990s. The Type 21s will now undergo decommissioning.

However, he added, India’s Navy “maintains a significant numbers and capability advantage over Pakistan” despite its own programs having suffered “significant delays” and the service’s spread-out deployment among several coastal areas.

Furthermore, the “potentially more lucrative Indian market” had lured European, Russian and American firms away from supplying Pakistan, essentially forcing Islamabad to rely on Beijing for defense equipment, he said.

Though this may have hampered Pakistan’s ability to acquire cutting-edge defense equipment, Waldwyn said the delivery of eight Type 039B Yuan/Hangor II-class submarines will “enlarge the fleet and be a significant capability improvement, particularly if they are fitted with long-range cruise missiles.”

Citing Pakistan’s tests of the submarine-launched Harbah nuclear-capable cruise missile, he said their service entry “would be far more significant to the strategic balance than a handful of new frigates.”

Aselsan’s Zargana to protect Pakistan’s Agosta 90B submarines against torpedoes


ZARGANA System uses ZOKA Acoustic jammers and decoys. Acoustic jammer is a broadband high power acoustic noise generator that covers all operating frequency bands of both classical and modern acoustic homing torpedoes operating in passive, active, or combined homing modes. As a softkill measure, acoustic decoys are aimed to deceive incoming torpedoes by emulating dynamic and acoustic behaviors of the submarine.

Zargana system was fitted Turkish Navy’s PREVEZE-class (Type 209/1400) submarines, which was spotted by Yoruk Isik and released on Twitter in January 2021.

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Turkey's leading defence company Aselsan has completed factory acceptance tests (FAT) of the Zargana Torpedo Countermeasure System for the Pakistan Navy's Agosta 90B-class submarines mid-life upgrade (MLU) project.

The tests of Zargana were attended by Pakistan’s Attachee, a Pakistan Navy representative, and STM Defence officials, according to Aselsan’s most recent bulletin. The FATs were also carried out as part of Zargana’s integration with Indonesian submarines.

Aselsan made the initial announcement of the export of the Zargana torpedo countermeasure system to Pakistan in May 2019. The contract is part of the Pakistan Navy’s Agosta 90B MLU program, which includes the modernization of three Agosta 90B submarines under a contract signed in 2016 with the Turkish STM Company as the prime contractor. STM officials revealed during the Naval Systems Seminar held in Ankara on 15 and 16 November that they delivered the first modernized submarine, PNS Hamza. According to multiple OSINT reporters, the second submarine’s upgrade is complete.

Because officials did not disclose relevant information, it is unknown when the next trials will take place or which submarine will be equipped. The best option appears to be outfitting the third Agosta 90B-class submarine, PNS Saad (S-138), which is currently being modernized.

In the same bulletin, Aselsan announced that it had completed the FAT of its MITOSTM WECDIS (Warship Electronic Chart Display), an electronic map-based navigation system that assists navigation by providing information compatible with current electronic maps and provides route planning and route tracking capability to navigation personnel, for the Pakistan Navy’s first Babur-class corvette.

The defense industry collaboration between Turkey and Pakistan has grown year after year. Aside from the MLU of Agosta 90B submarines, Turkey is building four Babur-class (PN MILGEM) corvettes for the Pakistan Navy. Though officials did not provide any details regarding Pakistan’s Jinnah-class frigate project, officials from KUASAR Marine, a Turkish engineering firm, informed Naval News in an interview that they will be in charge of the frigate’s design.

Turkish Aerospace, Pakistani institution to jointly produce UAV parts

https://www.dailysabah.com/business/defense/turkish-aerospace-pakis...

One of Turkey’s leading unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) producers, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), has inked a contract with Pakistan's National Engineering and Science Commission (NESCOM) to produce components for TAI's medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) combat drone, Anka.

TAI and NESCOM will be jointly responsible for employment, resource and technology transfer within the scope of the agreement that was inked to expand the markets for the Turkish drones, an Anadolu Agency (AA) report said Saturday.

TAI General Manager Temel Kotil said, “The contract we made with Pakistan within the scope of our Anka UAV systems will provide significant gains to the UAV industry. This acquisition, especially with Pakistan’s National Engineering and Science Commission, will strengthen our UAVs.”

The Anka UAV performed its maiden flight in September 2016 and entered serial production in 2017.

The drone, which is manufactured locally, is currently in active use by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), the Gendarmerie General Command and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT).

Anka can stay in the air for more than 24 hours at an altitude of 30,000 feet (9,144 meters) with a payload capacity of 250 kilograms (550 pounds).

Anka has three configurations. The Anka-S configuration has Beyond Line Of Sight (BLOS) capability through satellite links and is being used by the TSK and the Gendarmerie units. The Anka-B configuration can use Link Relay capabilities and is also used by the TSK and the Gendarmerie The Anka-I, which is the configuration that performs signal intelligence, is used by the MIT.

#Pakistan S-139 #sub sinks frigate with a single torpedo shot. During #SEASPARK-2022 exercise, guided missiles and torpedoes were fired at various targets. One shot was fired by the PNS/M HAMZA submarine [S-139] that sank decommissioned frigate @BGMilitary https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2022/03/19/watch-pakistan-s-139-sub-s...

Agosta-class 90B submarine PNS/M HAMZA [S-139], upgraded by Turkey’s STM for the Pakistani Navy, managed to hit and sink a decommissioned frigate with a single torpedo shot, learned BulgarianMilitary.com, citing the Turkish online portal savunmasanayist.com.

During the tactical exercise SEASPARK-2022, which is held two years after the command of the Pakistani Navy and held between February 17 and March 13, 2022, this year, guided missiles and torpedoes were fired at various targets.

One of the actual shots was fired by the PNS/M HAMZA submarine [S-139], which was upgraded as part of the Pakistani submarine modernization project Agosta-class 90B [Padyom] and delivered to the Pakistani Navy on 29 April 2021.

The target is destroyed with one torpedo shot!
PNS/M HAMZA [S-139], equipped with Turkish engineering solutions from STM, destroyed a Tariq-class ship [frigate Type 21], decommissioned with a single torpedo shot, model DM-2A4. Military delegations invited to the demonstration followed the exercise from the Pakistani marine supply tanker PNS Moawin, which was designed and built by STM and delivered in 2018.

PNS Hamza was designed and constructed by the KSEW Ltd. under the technology transfer agreement with France in 1994. The Turkish company STM has modernized this submarine. The submarine has an integrated underwater command and control system [IUCCS & C2IS], weapons control system [WCS], sonar systems, periscopes [attack and navigation], electronic warfare, radar, data distribution system, electronic map system, and information system STMDENGİZ.

STM and Pakistani submarines
STM won the tender of the Pakistani navy for medernization of the sub years ago, beating French rivals in the field. In 2016, Turkey outsourced for the first time the local development and engineering of a weapons system in an area that requires advanced technology. Turkey is intensively developing its engineering and technological development in the field of naval combat weapons systems, including submarines.

STM is currently upgrading two other Agosta-class submarines, again the Pakistani Navy.

Indian View of PNS Haibat:

Will Pakistan’s indigenous ‘PNS Haibat’ prove to be a gamechanger for its defence industry or the dragon’s proxy?
Security columnist and analyst Rear Admiral Vineet Bakhshi (Retd) highlighted the Pakistani industry’s collaborative effort with Beijing.

https://www.financialexpress.com/defence/will-pakistans-indigenous-...

By Aritra Banerjee & Shreya Mundhra

The Pakistan Navy commissioned its first indigenous Fast Attack Craft Missile FAC (M) PNS Haibat. Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a statement announcing the commissioning of the country’s indigenous vessel: “PNS Haibat is the first project designed by Maritime Technologies Complex and constructed by Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW) without any foreign technical assistance.”

The indigenous aspect of this development and its regional and global significance seems to be a divisive subject. Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, a senior fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies is of the opinion that the commissioning of PNS Haibat is not particularly geopolitically worthwhile, given that that requires the weapon systems and the electronics to be indigenous. “In this case, the guns seem to be Turkish, the missile seems to be Chinese and the propulsion seems to be Franco-German. So, the possibility of re-export or rather export-export using a re-export licence-from these three suppliers seems unlikely,” he stated.

The Chinese involvement seems to have cast an ominous shadow on the development, too. In a scathing review, Captain DK Sharma (Retd), a former Indian Navy Spokesperson, notes that “Pakistan on its own cannot make anything. So now it is a kind of proxy accretion of assets positioned by China; they are slowly and steadily building up their force. Over the past few years, they have been giving them submarines, including the latest AIP submarines. Four are being built in China, and four are being constructed in KS&EW. They have also given them the latest frigates. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is being augmented by various J-10 series nomenclature.” Capt. Sharma believes that the building of this craft points towards Beijing making a “colony”, following the trend it set by laying a debt trap for Sri Lanka.

However, analysts based in Pakistan view the development differently.

“The ship will enhance the coastal defence capability of the Pakistan Navy. Armed with locally developed ‘Harbah’ Anti-Ship and Land Attack cruise missiles, this Fast attack craft will play its part in coastal defence. This ship is completely designed and manufactured by the Pakistan Navy,” noted Umair Aslam, Founding Editor of Global Defence Insight (GDI) – a Rawalpindi-based strategic affairs think tank. “In the current geopolitical context, Pakistan appears to be concentrating on its naval capabilities. China is supplying it with new frigates. Turkey has also been supplying Milgem class corvettes and other naval vessels. PNS Haibat’s induction is also one of Pakistan’s naval modernisation goals. This indigenisation effort will enable the Pakistan Navy to pursue more advanced programmes in the future, such as frigates and corvettes,” he commented.

Referring to indigenisation of Pakistan’s defence industry, Syed Ali Abbas Bukhari, Co-Founding Editor of GDI said that “the country is already working on it, having developed state-of-the-art fighter jets like the JF-17, Super Mushak training jets, and Khalid Main Battle Tanks, to name a few.” Bukhari also noted that the Pakistan Navy has taken this significant step, “demonstrating its trust in its own capacity” to carry out such initiatives.

Should India insist on large warships after sinking of Russia’s Moskva?

Moskva rests at the bottom of the Black Sea and its loss could animate India’s maritime debate involving large naval ships. But the warning sign that must hang over it, is that its relevance to the Indian context can be different.

https://theprint.in/opinion/should-india-insist-on-large-warships-a...

The loss of a key surface naval asset to cruise missiles provides fodder to buttress some arguments in an ongoing global debate within maritime powers. The debate is an offshoot of a larger debate on the survivability of large platforms like aircraft carriers due to their vulnerability to precision-guided munitions like cruise missiles. It is a debate that is particularly relevant to India and one that continues to animate the Indian Navy’s insistence on the continued relevance of the aircraft carrier.

Technological advancements in surveillance capabilities that are networked with missiles based on air, land, and sea platforms have certainly increased the vulnerability of surface naval assets. Accuracy is significantly improved by using a combination of Global Positioning Signals (GPS), laser guidance and inertial navigation systems. Simultaneously, the development of countermeasures also reduces the vulnerability factor. It is a cat-and-mouse game in technology development that mostly tends to favour the attacker over the defender. The obvious route for the attacker is to overwhelm the defender’s ability by firing a large number of missiles simultaneously on the same target. Also, the pace of development and cost of missiles that can penetrate the defender’s missile shield is quicker and cheaper than developing and fielding missile defences.

ANALYSIS: PAKISTAN’S JINNAH-CLASS FRIGATE PROGRAM

https://quwa.org/2022/02/20/analysis-pakistans-jinnah-class-frigate...

Initiated in 2015, the Pakistan Navy’s (PN) wide-reaching fleet modernization and expansion efforts are now fully underway. The PN has begun to (or will) induct new frigates, corvettes, submarines, jet-powered maritime patrol aircraft, and additional helicopters as well as drones.

However, the PN’s vision to build a 50-strong surface fleet (inclusive of 20 “major surface vessels”) offers the most interesting glimpse of this service arm’s evolution.

One can expect Pakistan to double-down on anti-access and area-denial (A2/AD) projects, like submarines (and it has), but growing the surface fleet to over 20 ‘large’ warships was an intriguing turn. It indicates that the PN is more focused than ever on securing Pakistan’s sea-lanes with an overt presence, as opposed to strictly secretive or less observable elements, like submarines and aircraft.

One of the keystone ingredients of the PN’s surface fleet growth plans is the Jinnah-Class Frigate (JCF), an original warship that Pakistan is designing in collaboration with Turkey. Based on its specifications and its expected capabilities, the JCF is the blueprint of its future, workhorse warship.

Background
The JCF is a key part of the PN MILGEM program. Under this program, the PN ordered four new customized multi-mission corvettes based on the Turkish Ada design. However, it also signed onto a joint-project with the principal contractor, ASFAT Inc. (Military Factor and Shipyard Management), to design, develop, and build an original frigate tailored for the PN’s requirements.

This frigate is the JCF. PN officials have only recently begun to discuss the JCF in detail.[1] It seems that the JCF is an elaborate project. It involves the transfer of intellectual property (IP) of the JCF to Pakistan while also supporting an upgrade of KSEW to support the project.

The original design expertise and IP are crucial pieces. Traditionally, when the PN ordered ships based on ‘transfer-of-technology’ (ToT) agreements, the OEM would supply kits-of-materiel. In most situations, the OEM likely determined the selection of critical inputs, such as steel and propulsion.

However, with the JCF, Pakistan might gain the ability to control more of the cost by choosing the critical input suppliers. So, in theory, it could source the steel through a competitive bidding process, for example. By controlling the design/IP, the PN could potentially even open the tender to domestic suppliers, thereby incentivizing the private sector to develop indigenous alternatives…

ASFAT Selects SSI For Pakistan’s Jinnah Class Frigate

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/04/asfat-selects-ssi-for-...

ASFAT (Askeri Fabrika ve Tersane İşletme A.Ş.), a state-owned leading Turkish defense contractor, has selected SSI ShipConstructor as the engineering and detailed design solution as part of their design support for the Pakistani Navy Jinnah Class Frigate program.

Founded in 2018 as part of the Turkish Ministry of National Defense, ASFAT is responsible for developing, managing, and utilizing the public naval shipyards in Turkey and providing design, construction, sustainment, and training for both Turkish and foreign navies.

“We’re excited to be working with a leader in the Turkish defense industry. ASFAT has previously demonstrated its commitment to innovative technologies. By choosing SSI’s solution, they can take advantage of the latest innovations, reduce costs, and eliminate many of the typical change management risks present in naval projects.”

The Jinnah class frigate project’s needs demanded a solution that could be implemented quickly and return value as soon as possible. The use of SSI’s solutions also aligns ASFAT with global leaders from the US, Canadian, and other naval and coast guard shipbuilders currently designing, constructing, and delivering vessels for navies.

ASFAT was aided in making its decision by SSI’s Turkish Partner, TECNOR, whose local industry knowledge, shipbuilding experience, and sales and technical support will help ensure a smooth transition for ASFAT.

Pakistan to launch 3rd Babur class guided missile heavy corvette this month

https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/13-May-2022/pakistan-to-launch-3rd-...


According to the Pakistan Strategic Forum, "The class of four Babur corvettes are being built under the joint venture MILGEM project between Pakistan and Turkey, with 2 ships being built in Istanbul, Turkey and 2 in Karachi, Pakistan at a cost of around $1.5 Billion to the Pakistan Navy. The Babur Class Corvettes are 3,000 tonne multi-mission platforms, equipped for anti-ship warfare (AShW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW) as well as anti-air warfare (AAW).

"In the Anti-Surface category, the corvettes will be armed with ATMACA anti-ship missiles, with two four-cell launchers. ASuW helicopters can also be deployed from the ship, carrying anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons.

"In anti-air warfare, the corvettes have a 12 cell GWS-26 vertical launch system (VLS) that carries the MBDA Albatros NG/Common Anti-Air Modular Missile-Extended Range (CAMM-ER) surface-to-air missile (SAM) with a range of between 50-65 kilometres. The Babur-class will also use an Aselsan Gökdeniz dual 35 mm close-in-weapon-system (CIWS) with Aselsan ATOM airburst ammunition for terminal and point air defense.

"In Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), the corvettes have two 3-cell 324 mm lightweight torpedoes launchers as well as the Yakamos hull-mounted sonar and a HIZIR towed array sonar system as well as decoy. ASW helicopters can also be deployed from the ship with submarine hunter-killer capabilities.

"Other weapons systems include a 76 mm OTO Melara Super Rapid main naval gun and two Aselsan STOP 25 mm machine guns. The ships will also have a 10-ton capacity helicopter hangar and deck. The warships have a range of 9,300 kilometres and are powered by General Electric LM2500 CODAD engines.

"The electronics suit for the four ships will be supplied by Aselsan at a cost of 215 million dollars which includes a main 3D AESA S-band naval radar, ASELSAN ALPER LPI Surface Radar, AKREP (AKR-D Block B-1/2) Fire Control Radar, SATCOM, a new network-oriented battle-management system, ARES-2NC ESM modules, ELINT and SIGINT modules, Electronic Warfare (EW) modules, SeaEye-AHTAPOT EO Reconnaisance and Survellience System, ASELSAN Piri (Infrared Search and Track) IRST system, as well as the Yakamos hull-mounted sonar system and HIZIR torpedo countermeasure system. The HIZIR is a complete suite consisting of a towed array, decoy array and expendable decoys."

Is Indian Navy's aircraft carrier a big threat to Pakistan Navy?

https://cscr.pk/explore/themes/defense-security/is-indian-aircraft-...


The possession of an aircraft carrier is of significant value for any navy. The idea behind the development of an aircraft carrier is to project power at a long distance in peacetime and achieve air dominance at sea during a war. It restricts the adversary warships outside of a designated area, acts as a coercive tool, protects interests at sea, and exercises influence over an area. All major powers having interests outside of their territories have developed them, especially after World War II when the potential of carriers to strike targets accurately at a long-distance using aircraft was effectively demonstrated. India operates one aircraft carrier; another is under sea trials, and the third one is planned. The possession of these carriers lifts India as a major power in the Indian Ocean Region. However, the possession of carriers may have more utility during peacetime than a full-fledged war due to the growing effectiveness and success of anti-ship capabilities.

Indian Maritime Doctrine and Aircraft Carriers

Indian Maritime Doctrine outlines a large area as an area of interest for the Indian Navy to strengthen its position as a blue water force capable of operating and projecting power beyond its home waters. The doctrine enlists primary, secondary, and “other areas” as areas of interest based on the location of the Indian Diaspora and overseas investments vital for the Indian Navy. It also enlists various enabling concepts to protect interests in these areas like “sea control” and “sea denial.”

The backbone of a blue water navy is the aircraft carrier and the Indian Navy plans to possess three aircraft carriers in total, giving it the flexibility to have two operational carriers all the times. INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier with a displacement of 45,000 tons is the current operational carrier of India. The under-trial carrier is domestically built INS Vikrant and is slated to be commissioned early next year. The construction of follow-on to Vikrant is being debated in India due to the questions on the utility of aircraft carriers in comparison to submarines. It has not been approved by the Indian Government yet. Indian Navy operates two squadrons of MiG 29K carrier-borne multi-role aircraft inducted in 2010. Various operational problems have been observed in the aircraft like engine, airframe, and fly-by-wire system.

Limitations of Indian Aircraft Carriers

While the anti-ship capabilities are becoming common, more advanced, and precise, Indian carriers are not among the most advanced in the world. There are also certain limitations of the Indian carriers to operate and effectively project power against Pakistan. Firstly, Indian carriers have limited displacement and can carry up to 36 mixes of aircraft. The limited displacement also means reduced fuel load and an operational range of aircraft, forcing it to operate near the adversary. Displacement capacity also impacts the weapons load on the aircraft. Secondly, the aircraft on the carriers are allocated defensive and offensive roles. Increasing numbers for one role can have catastrophic implications for the other. Thirdly, take-off and landing on the carrier are totally different from ground-based landing and take-off. Indian carriers use Short Take-off But Assisted Recovery (STOBAR) take-off and landing system, which has a slower take-off rate than the more advanced Catapult Assisted Take-off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) system.

Is Indian Navy's aircraft carrier a big threat to Pakistan Navy?

https://cscr.pk/explore/themes/defense-security/is-indian-aircraft-...

Pakistan’s Counter Options against Aircraft Carriers

Pakistan is beefing up its muscles against the increasing number of Indian warships and capabilities. Part of its efforts is focused on developing anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities. It is developing various anti-ship capabilities to effectively neutralize the Indian advantage of large numbers of warships and aircraft carriers. There are three layers of defence against Indian aircraft if deployed against Pakistan.

Firstly, Pakistan deploys anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM) on its submarines. Pakistan currently operates two Agosta-70 submarines that can fire Harpoon anti-ship missiles, three Agosta 90B submarines that can carry Exocet anti-ship missiles. Eight submarines are on order from China which will also have anti-ship capabilities. Secondly, it has also developed or acquired several ASCMs such as Harba ASCM launched from the ship and the air-launched CM-400AKG anti-ship missile with supersonic speed. The coastal/land-based Zarb ASCM provides the third line of defence in the coastal waters of Pakistan against the intruding carrier. The Navy is also reportedly developing a supersonic cruise missile and an anti-ship ballistic missile. The development of anti-ship ballistic missiles will create a long buffer zone against the Indian carrier depending on the missile’s range.

Indian Navy will seriously consider the growing effectiveness of Pakistan’s anti-ship capabilities for the deployment of its carriers. These capabilities will force Indian carriers to operate from a safer distance making it less useful against the country. Even if trying to carry out a blockade of Pakistan or achieve air dominance against Pakistan in the Arabian sea, it risks its survival against Pakistan’s potent anti-ship capabilities.

Pakistan's 3rd MILGEM corvette 'PNS BADR' launched in Karachi - Naval News

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/05/pakistans-3rd-milgem-c...


Turkish state-owned company ASFAT ceremonially launched the third PN MILGEM corvette for Pakistan Navy (PN), PNS BADR (281), at Pakistan's Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW) on 20 May 2022.


PN MILGEM Program consists of 4 ships, 2 ships will be built in Istanbul Shipyard Command and 2 ships will be built in KSEW. The program started on 11 March 2019. 4 ships are planned to be delivered in August 2023, February 2024, August 2024, and February 2025, respectively.

The exact configuration of the Pakistan Milgem-class ships has not been made public yet. During the Aman Naval Exercise held in February 2019, Admiral Abbasi said that Pakistan ships will be fitted with a 16-Cell VLS behind the main gun. It is expected that the Babur-class corvettes will be armed with MBDA’s Albatros NG air defence system and Harbah Anti-ship and land attack missiles.

The propulsion system for all the MILGEM ships consist of one LM2500 gas turbine in a combined diesel and gas turbine configuration with two diesel engines; total propulsion power is 31,600 kilowatts.

Turkey’s Ada-class are multipurpose corvettes able to conduct a wide a range of missions, including reconnaissance, surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air warfare.

Key data:

Displacement: 2,926 tonnes
Length: 108.2 m
Beam: 14.8 m
Draft: 4.05 m
Propulsion: CODAG
Max speed: 31 knots
Range: 3500 nautical miles
Endurance: 15 days at sea
Crew: 93+40

#India joins as 35th member of #maritime counterterrorism #partnership that includes #Pakistan, #US, #Australia, #Bahrain, #Egypt, #France & #Germany. #PakistanNavy has held the most commanderships of the CTF 150 and CTF 151, at 12 & 9 times, respectively. https://theprint.in/defence/whats-combined-military-forces-bahrain-...

What’s Combined Military Forces-Bahrain? US-backed coalition India joined on Quad sidelines
India is 35th member of the maritime counterterrorism partnership that also includes Pakistan, Australia, Bahrain, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany and Greece, among others.


Established in 2001 with only 12 members, the coalition — then called the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) — was formed as a coalition of regional and international like-minded partners to counter the threat of international terrorism and uphold the international rules-based order.

The United States Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) was tasked with leading the then CMF in 2001.

Today, the CMF-B is primarily tasked with ensuring stability and security across 3.2 million square miles of international waters by acting against illegal non-state actors operating in vital sea lines of communication. Its scope has expanded from just counterterrorism to counternarcotics, countersmuggling operations, and suppressing piracy.

The coalition is headquartered in Bahrain, along with the NAVCENT and the 5th fleet of the US.

Other Asian members include Pakistan, the Philippines, Seychelles, Singapore and Malaysia.

Participation in the CMF-B is voluntary — it’s mandated neither by a political agreement nor a military one.

So far, India has been conducting similar anti-piracy missions on its own.

“With India now joining this grouping, it will operate in coordination with the CMF-B members,” a defence source told ThePrint. “Currently, India has two ships deployed round the clock between the Gulf of Aden and the Persian Gulf for anti-piracy and anti-smuggling operations.”

The details of India’s membership have yet to be worked out, the sources said.

“These will be finalised in due course of time,” a source added. “The modalities will map out how many ships India will deploy and whether they will start by deploying personnel.”

CMF-B task forces
The work of the CMF-B is divided into four combined task forces — the CTF 150, CTF 151, CTF 152, and CTF 153.

The CTF 150 focuses on ensuring maritime security in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean.

Participating nations have included Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Spain, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Command of CTF 150 generally rotates between nations on a four-monthly basis. It’s currently being commanded by the Pakistan Navy.

CTF 151 focuses on counterpiracy. The CTF 152 aims to ensure maritime security in the Arabian Gulf (also known as Persian Gulf) and is currently being commanded by the Kuwait Navy.

The CTF 153 — which was established in April 2022 — focuses on ensuring maritime security in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and is currently being commanded by the US Navy.

Pakistan has held the most commanderships of the CTF 150 and CTF 151, at 12 and 9 times, respectively.

As an associate member, India will reportedly not get command of the task forces’ and will also have a limited say in planning operations.

Structurally, the CMF-B is commanded by a US Navy vice-admiral. The vice-admiral also serves as the commander of NAVCENT and the US Navy’s 5th Fleet.

The deputy commander of the CMF-B is a commodore of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy.

#Pakistan boosts #defense budget by nearly 6% in PKR to $7.19 billion in FY 2023. Official figure for #military expenditures amounts to about 2.2% of its gross domestic product — a drop from 2.45% of its #GDP compared to the fiscal 2021-2022 time frame.
https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2022/06/10/pakistan...

Though mainly covering salary increases, some of the extra money is earmarked for infrastructure such as the continued development of Jinnah Naval Base in Ormara, the Navy’s main operational base, and a naval air base in Turbat.

Official figures state the 83 billion rupee (U.S. $412 million) increase pushes the defense budget up to nearly 1.45 trillion rupees (U.S. $7.19 billion). That implies the 2021 defense budget was about $7.49 billion.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a Sweden-based think think, found that Pakistan’s military-related expenditures for 2021 came to $11.3 billion. However, the difference could come down to how the procurement budget is created.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a Sweden-based think think, found that Pakistan’s military-related expenditures for 2021 came to $11.3 billion (including pensions). However, the difference could come down to how the procurement budget is created.


Amid the ongoing threat of domestic terrorism and the need to maintain a credible deterrent against India, the fate of Pakistan’s economy does not bode well, according to Pakistan expert Claude Rakisits, who teaches at the Australian National University.

“Pakistan’s economic situation is in dire straits. This makes it difficult for the government to buy new hardware or even plan ahead for new acquisitions,” he said.

Brian Cloughley, an analyst and former Australian defense attache to Islamabad, has tracked developments in Pakistan for decades, and he doubts the government’s fiscal approach will be different from previous ones that failed to address underlying issues, including the country’s elite effectively ruling for their own benefit, leading to Pakistan’s cycle of economic woes.


“It is likely, however, that there will be announcement of deferment of expenditure plans for at least some acquisitions, if only to try to convince the [World Bank and International Monetary Fund] that their present, fairly benevolent policy on Pakistan should be maintained,” he said.

But he also believes Pakistan can likely rely on its allies and other friendly nations to carry the load. “The Chinese and the Saudis will probably continue to support Pakistan’s military posture and plans, and the current — most serious — economic crisis will have little effect on the military overall.”

Rakisits agreed that Pakistan might rely on China, although Beijing will likely step in for its own benefit.

“China has a vital interest in ensuring that not only does Pakistan’s economic situation not get worse, which could threaten the overall stability of the country and the viability of its CPEC project, but that it is in a position to maintain its defense capability,” Rakisits said, referring to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is meant to improve infrastructure to strengthen trade between the two countries.

“Accordingly, It’s almost certain that Beijing will assist Pakistan financially in one way or another, especially in light of the West’s increased interest in selling military hardware to India,” he added.

China Delivers Its ‘Most Advanced’ Frigate – PNS Taimur – To Pakistan; Navy Says Will Boost Combat Capabilities


https://eurasiantimes.com/china-delivers-its-most-advanced-frigate-...


The Pakistan Navy received the second Type 054A/P frigate (PNS Taimur) from China on Thursday, significantly boosting the country’s ambitions to reinforce its maritime frontiers.

According to the state-run Global Times, PNS Taimur was commissioned at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai, China.

This is the second of the four Type 054 A/P frigates China produced for the Pakistan Navy. In January, the Pakistan Navy Fleet received its first Type 054A/P frigate, the PNS Tughril. The other two are being built in China.

Taimur is a competent and technologically powerful maritime asset equipped with advanced combat management, electronic warfare systems, and high-tech weapons and sensors to fight in multi-threat environments, Pakistan Navy said in a statement.

The ships will provide the Pakistan Navy with a sustainable boost in combat power and allow it to take on new challenges in maritime security and regional peace.

Pakistan Navy's ship 'Taimur' commissioned in China
PNS says frigate equipped with latest combat management, warfare system to fight under multi-threat environment

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2362860/pakistan-navys-ship-taimur-com...


A second of the four Type 054 A/P Frigates, Pakistan Navy ship 'Taimur' was commissioned at the Hudong Zhonghua shipyard in China.

According to an official statement issued on Thursday, the head of the Pakistan Navy Mission in China Commodore Rashid Mehmood Sheikh graced the occasion as the chief guest.


The communique further stated that Taimur is a technologically advanced and highly capable sea asset having hi-tech weapons and sensors, the latest combat management and an electronic warfare system to fight in a multi-threat environment.

These ships, it added, will provide a sustainable boost to the combat capability of the Pakistan Navy and enable it to meet emerging challenges in the domain of maritime security and regional peace.

Speaking on the occasion, Commodore Rashid underlined that induction of the state-of-the-art frigates will significantly enhance the Pakistan Navy's capabilities in strengthening the defence of sea frontiers.

He praised the concerted efforts made by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), China Shipbuilding Trading Company (CSTC), China Ship Development & Design Centre (CSDDC), HZ Shipyard and PLA (Navy) for their "landmark achievement and timely delivery of the well-equipped and potent frigate."

Later, Deputy Director General Military Product Dept China in his address highlighted that Pakistan and China are cognisant of changing geopolitical environment and taking effective measures to deal with the added responsibilities and evolving challenges together.

Head of Pakistan Navy Mission in China handing over the Command Scroll to Commanding Officer PNS Taimur during the commissioning ceremony in China. He underscored that friendship between the two countries is a pillar of peace and stability in the region.

The ceremony was attended by high-level dignitaries from BOMETEC, OIMC, SASTIND, PLA (N) and CSSC besides Chairmen of CSTC & HZ Shipyard, along with prominent figures of the Pakistani community in China.

The first 054 A/P Frigate PNS TUGHRIL has joined PN Fleet in January 2022, while another two frigates of the same class are presently under construction in China.

#China & #Pakistan launch #naval drills to counter #US Indo-Pacific strategy. Focus is on attacking maritime targets, tactical maneuvers, anti-#submarine warfare, reinforcing damaged #ships, anti-#aircraft & anti-#missile operations & replenishment at #sea https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3184897/china-and-...

The Indian Ocean is a vital trading hub, and 80 per cent of China’s oil imports come through the Malacca Strait, the ocean’s busiest “choke point”.

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Lin Minwang, a professor of South Asian studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said the exercise would help China to expand its engagement in the Indian Ocean and counter US efforts to advance its Indo-Pacific strategy, which emphasises India’s “continued rise” and leadership in the region.
“The strengthening of maritime security between India and the United States has led to China’s greater engagement in the Indian Ocean.”
China must strengthen naval cooperation with countries in the region, including Pakistan, Iran, and Middle Eastern countries, Lin said.

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The maritime exercise – the second in the ‘Sea Guardians’ series – will allow Pakistan to test Chinese-made warships
The drills coincide with US-led Rimpac, which has excluded China since 2018

China and Pakistan have launched a joint naval exercise in Shanghai, with an eye on countering the US Indo-Pacific strategy and responding to security threats in the Indian Ocean.

The four-day “Sea Guardians – 2” maritime exercise, jointly held by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy and Pakistan Navy, started at the Wusong military port, state news agency Xinhua reported.

The exercise aims to advance the strategic partnership between China and Pakistan and improve their joint response to maritime security threats, according to Xinhua.

This is the second time China and Pakistan have held a “Sea Guardians” joint maritime exercise. The first was held in January 2020 in the northern Arabian Sea.

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To counter India, it is important for Pakistan to improve its navy by acquiring advanced equipment from Beijing and enhancing its capabilities through these drills, according to Lin.
The drills coincide with the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (Rimpac), a US-led multinational naval exercise joined by 25 other nations. The exercise began in Hawaii in late June and will last until August.
China took part in Rimpac in 2014 and 2016, but was not invited in 2018 or subsequent years as US-China relations worsened under the administration of former US president Donald Trump.


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The Pakistan Navy sent the PNS Taimur – the second of four powerful Type 054A/P frigates built by China – to take part in the exercise. The ship was delivered to the Pakistan Navy in Shanghai on June 23. The first of the frigates, the PNS Tughril, joined the Pakistan Navy fleet in January.
The Chinese vessels and aircraft taking part in the exercise are mainly from the PLA Eastern Theatre Command. They include the guided-missile frigates Xiangtan and Shuozhou, supply ship Qiandaohu, a submarine, an early warning aircraft, two fighter jets and one helicopter.

Venkatesh Kandlikar, defence analyst at GlobalData, told Naval Technology that the INS Vikrant features a significant amount of Indian industrial contribution in the design and manufacturing stage, even using locally sourced steel.

However, the programme was not without its difficulties, with component and equipment delivery and supply chain issues delaying the commissioning by around five years. The programme also suffered from cost overruns, coming in at $3bn more than the initial allocated budget.


INS Vikrant (specifications)
Displacement 43,000t
Speed 28kt
Endurance 7,500nm
Embarked aircraft 30 fixed- and rotary-wing

https://www.naval-technology.com/analysis/ins-vikrant-a-profile-of-...

According to Kandlikar, the Indian Navy is expected to field three aircraft carriers in its fleet by the next decade. With Vikramiditya in service and Vikrant now commissioned, India is beginning to plan the build of the future INS Vishal, which is expected to be larger still than existing carriers and feature updated technologies, such as an electromagnetic air-lift systems, also known as EMALS, as being installed on the US Navy’s Ford-class super carriers.

“With the experience gained in the construction of IAC-1, supported by the indigenous ecosystem it is expected that the Indian Navy will soon get a green light from the Indian Ministry of Defence to start designing the third aircraft carrier,” Kandlikar said.

Air wing composition
In terms of embarked aircraft, Kandlikar said the Indian Navy was looking to deploy a new carrier air wing comprising of either F/A-18 Super Hornets or Rafale-M fighters. The Indian Air Force currently operates the conventional Rafale 4.5 generation fighter, which is manufactured by France’s Dassault Aviation, offering a commonality option for the Indian Navy.

Capability-wise, the two aircraft are similar, although the Rafale is the newer aircraft and is being heavily pushed for export. The Super Hornet, meanwhile, is entering the twilight of its naval career. Although it still broadly matches the Rafale in terms of engine thrust it, is slightly slower at Mach 1.6 compared to Mach 1.8, but with a higher payload capacity at 66,000lb (29,937kg) to the Rafale’s 54,000lb.

However, in the near-to-mid-term, India will utilise its fleet of 45 MiG-29K/KUB fighters, acquired from Russia following the signing of separate deals in 2004 and 2010. India is also developing a navalised variant of its LCA/HAL Tejas fighter, although it is not known when the platform will be integrated into the country’s carrier fleet.

The rotary component, vital for search-and-rescue and airborne early warning and surveillance roles, will be fulfilled by the Russian-supplied Kamov 31 helicopter.

3 cheers for INS Vikrant & 3 questions for India’s leadership on naval doctrine

by Shekhar Gupta

https://youtu.be/3GbgmJM4Ygw

Key points:

1. Indian aircraft carrier is powered by American General Electric turbines

2. Russian MIG 29s require a lot of maintenance. These will be replaced with French Rafales or US F-18s in future.

3. Chinese aircraft carriers are totally indigenous (including engines, weapons, and aircraft) are much bigger

4. China has developed "aircraft carrier buster missiles" to deal with hostile nations' Navies.

5. Indian Navy hid its aircraft carriers from Pakistani submarines during 1965 and 1971 wars.

6. Indian-American analyst Ashley Tellis questions the utility of Indian aircraft carriers in the absence of India's geopolitical aims and its Naval Doctrine.

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Ashley Tellis on submarines vs aircraft carriers

https://youtu.be/6BficVBrqls

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The Unusual Carrier Killer Capability Of The Chinese Navy’s Strategic Bomber - Naval News

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/10/the-unusual-carrier-ki...

China’s recent test of a hypersonic ‘Orbital Bombardment System’ has been characterized as a ‘Sputnik moment’. The world is only just waking up to Chinese advances in strategic weapons technologies. Among a raft of new weapons, which increasingly do not have direct equivalents in the West, are anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs). One of these, an air-launched version, appears to include a hypersonic maneuvering missile.

INS Vikrant boosts Indian Navy's firepower but Chinese navy still ahead in numbers

https://www.cnbctv18.com/india/ins-vikrant-india-first-indigenously...

NS Vikrant is the largest indigenous warship built by India and expected to "bolster India's position in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and its quest for a blue water navy". How will it boost India's naval power, especially against rival China?

For starters, the induction of India's first indigenous aircraft carrier means the navy now has two aircraft carriers, including INS Vikramaditya in service boosting the country's maritime defence. Compared to the Indian Navy, China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has three aircraft carriers. India now has two aircraft carriers—INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya. China has three—Fujian, Shandong and Liaoning.

India has now joined the "select group of nations" which have the capability to indigenously design and build an aircraft carrier, say experts.
"There are only 14 countries in the world which have at least one aircraft carrier and only six countries in the world have the capacity and the capability to build an aircraft carrier. India is one of these six," Lt Col JS Sodhi. a Defence and Strategic Affairs analyst told CNBC-TV18.com.
INS Vikrant's importance for India
INS Vikrant "would bolster India's position in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and its quest for a blue water Navy", the government had said in July this year in a press release.
A blue water Navy "operates deep into the oceans", Sodhi added.

This comes at a time when the ties between the two nations are under stress owing to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army's (PLA) movements around India's borders as well as Chinese PLAN's movement in and around the Indian Ocean.
With INS Vikrant's entry, India can deploy an aircraft carrier each on the eastern and western seaboard and expand its maritime presence.

"We will have two aircraft carriers. Because of that, India, having an eastern and western coast and vast oceans on both sides, will be able to utilise one carrier on each seaboard... we'll be able to cover the primary areas of maritime interest," Captain Kamlesh Agnihotri (Retd.), a senior fellow at the National Maritime Foundation (NMF) told CNBC-TV18.com.
The need for an aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier has great operational range, carrying fighter aircraft which are important in any battle to project power and control the sea.
NMF's Agnihotri said, "projecting powers and sea control is the primary purpose of aircraft carriers," while adding, "the aircraft carrier are floating airfields."

"The aircraft carrier adds to the maritime power of the country. It is the most potent weapon of a navy because it has the capacity to operate at a very large distance. It also acts as an air base at the time of conflict," Sodhi said.

India Vs China maritime power
While INS Vikrant adds to the Indian Navy's firepower, Chinese navy or PLAN is ahead in the number of warships and overall seapower. According to the World Directory of Modern Military Warships (2022), China ranks second on the Global Naval Powers Ranking 2022 after the United States — the true global blue water navy, while India ranks seventh.

"Comparing India's carrier INS Vikrant to Fujian is not correct," said Agnihotri. This is because, while INS Vikrant has a ski-jump kind of take-off mechanism, the Chinese Fujian has a catapult type of take-off mechanism.
"With catapult, you are able to launch heavier aircraft carrying more payloads, and more fuels for longer range," he said. It is better to compare Vikrant with Shandong, the second aircraft carrier China owns.
Besides, aircraft carriers, India has INS Arihant, an indigenously built
nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN).

INS Vikrant boosts Indian Navy's firepower but Chinese navy still ahead in numbers

https://www.cnbctv18.com/india/ins-vikrant-india-first-indigenously...

"Comparing India's carrier INS Vikrant to Fujian is not correct," said Agnihotri. This is because, while INS Vikrant has a ski-jump kind of take-off mechanism, the Chinese Fujian has a catapult type of take-off mechanism.
"With catapult, you are able to launch heavier aircraft carrying more payloads, and more fuels for longer range," he said. It is better to compare Vikrant with Shandong, the second aircraft carrier China owns.
Besides, aircraft carriers, India has INS Arihant, an indigenously built
nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN).
Can India counter Chinese navy incursions?
NMF's Agnihotri said, "our strong carrier-based force will be able to counter the challenges." Sodhi, however, said that "India is fast emerging as great naval power but China has an edge."
"We have picked up speed in the defence manufacturing indigenously. We are also slowly matching up," Sodhi added.
Earlier, news agency ANI quoted Southern Naval Command (SNC) Chief Vice admiral MA Hampiholi as saying that the Indian Navy needs three aircraft carriers to deter Chinese presence in Indian Ocean Region.

India is Building a Carrier Fleet, but Pakistan has a Plan to Sink It
To directly threaten Pakistan, the small-deck carriers will have to maneuver closer to “anti-access / area denial” weapons which could sink them.

by Robert Beckhusen

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/india-building-carrier-fle...


Most likely, India would attempt to enforce a blockade of Pakistan and use its carriers to strike land-based targets. But Pakistan has several means to attack Indian carriers — with near-undetectable submarines and anti-ship missiles — which must also operate relatively far from India itself in the western and northern Arabian Sea. China does not have a similar disadvantage, as the PLAN would likely keep its carriers close and within the “first island chain” including Taiwan, closer to shore where supporting aircraft and ground-based missile launchers can help out.

Thus, Indian carriers would be relatively vulnerable and only one of them will have aircraft capable of launching with standard ordnance and fuel. And that is after Vishal sets sail in the next decade.

To directly threaten Pakistan, the small-deck carriers will have to maneuver nearer to shore — and thereby closer to “anti-access / area denial” weapons which could sink them. And even with a third carrier, the threat of land-based Pakistani aircraft will force the Indian Navy to dedicate a large proportion of its own air wings to defense — perhaps half of its available fighters, according to 2017 paper by Ben Wan Beng Ho for the Naval War College Review.

“Therefore, it is doubtful that any attack force launched from an Indian carrier would pack a significant punch,” Ho writes. “With aircraft available for strike duties barely numbering into the double digits, the Indian carrier simply cannot deliver a substantial ‘pulse’ of combat power against its adversary.”

Essentially, this makes Indian carriers’ self-defeating, with the flattops existing primarily to defend themselves from attack rather than taking the fight to their enemy. Carriers are also expensive symbols of national prestige, and it is unlikely the Indian Navy will want to risk losing one, two or all three. Under the circumstances, India’s investment in carriers makes more sense symbolically, and primarily as a way of keeping shipyards busy and shipyard workers employed.

However, this is not to entirely rule out a carrier-centric naval strategy. Ho notes that Indian carriers could be useful when operating far out at sea and in the western Arabian Sea, effectively as escort ships for commercial shipping and to harass Pakistani trade. Nevertheless, this strategy comes with a similar set of problems.

“In any attempt to impose sea control in the northern Arabian Sea and to interdict Pakistani seaborne commerce by enforcing a blockade of major Pakistani maritime nodes, Indian carrier forces would have to devote a portion of their already meager airpower to attacking Pakistani vessels, thereby exacerbating the conundrum alluded to earlier,” Ho added. “What is more, Pakistani ships are likely to operate relatively close to their nation’s coast, to be protected by Islamabad’s considerable access-denial barrier.”

Another possibility is India massing its carriers in the later stages of a war after the Army and Air Force pummel and degrade the Pakistani military.

But this raises the question as to whether India strictly needs carriers at all if it cannot use them during the decisive periods of a conflict — as opposed to, say, less-expensive warships, and more of them, equipped with long-range missiles.

Pakistan opens defence expo IDEAS 2022 with participation from 57 countries
300 exhibitors and hundreds of foreign delegates take part in Karachi event

https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/pakistan-opens-defence-exp...


IDEAS 2022 will feature advanced military hardware and software with a focus on technologies such as artificial intelligence. Defence manufacturers from Turkey, China, US, UK, European Union, Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa are showcasing their products at the 11th edition of the expo, said Maj. Gen. Mohammad Arif Malik, the head of the country’s Defence Export Promotion Organization (DEPO).

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Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who inaugurated IDEAS 2022, said that “IDEAS is an iconic platform for showcasing the latest defence technologies, and is a regional gateway for international suppliers and manufacturers to explore new avenues of defence cooperation.” He noted that Pakistan’s defence industry has achieved a sufficient level of quality, reliability and competency in the international market.

“Pakistan is now exporting high-level defence products to more than 60 countries”, however, the volume of exports did not reflect the country’s actual potential due to the limited involvement of the private sector and little attention to research and development.

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Pakistan’s longtime allies China and Turkey have the largest representation at the expo. Chinese state-run defence conglomerate China North Industries Group Corporation Limited (NORINCO) displayed missiles and weapon systems including the Red Arrow 9A anti-tank guided missile.

Top Turkish defence companies, including Roketsan, state-run STM and ASFAT, showcased their products ranging from military hardware to modern drones to tactical mini-UAV systems. Turkish Aerospace exhibited the models of the T129 ATAK helicopter, Gokbey multirole helicopter, Gokturk-2 observation satellite, as well as Anka unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and Aksungur medium-altitude long-range endurance (MALE) UAV. “We aim to increase joint cooperation [with Pakistan] on high technologies that will guide the future of the aerospace industry,” said Turkish Aerospace President and CEO Prof Temel Kotil.

Some of Pakistan’s advanced military hardware exhibited at the expo included unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), air defence systems, missile systems, tanks and armoured personnel carriers (APC).

Pakistan’s Shahpar-II medium-altitude long-endurance UAV system, advanced Harbah anti-ship cruise missile by state-owned Global Industrial and Defence Solutions (GIDS) and electronic warfare system by National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation were on display. The locally developed Al-Khalid tanks and modern assault rifles manufactured by Pakistan Ordinance Factories (POF) were also exhibited. Spectators also got a close look at the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) JF-17 Thunder fighter jets. PAF jets are expected to perform aerial manoeuvres and demonstrate the air force’s capabilities on the concluding day of the expo.

Istanbul Naval Shipyard Launches MILGEM Corvette “PNS KHAIBAR” For Pakistan Navy
On Nov. 25, 2022, the PN MILGEM-class corvette PNS Khaibar (282) was ceremonially launched for the Pakistan Navy at Turkiye's Istanbul Naval Shipyard. "Khaibar" is the third corvette under construction but is expected to be the second ship delivered.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/11/istanbul-naval-shipyar...

Three important events took place at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard. The primary event was the launching of the third PN MILGEM corvette for the Pakistan Navy, the future PNS Khaibar (282). Following the ceremony, the keel of the first Hisar-class offshore patrol vessel, the future TCG Akhisar (P-1220), was laid and the first steel of the second OPV (P-1221 – TCG Kochisar) was cut.

The ceremony was attended by high-ranking representatives of both countries. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was the chief guest at the ceremony, while Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sherif and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, as well as high-ranking officers of the two navies, were other guests VIP.

In his speech, President Erdogan highlighted Turkish-Pakistani relations in the field of defense industry in recent years. He also stated that Turkey will realize significant developments in the defense industry within the next year.

President Erdogan also remarked that the 4th corvette of the PN MILGEM project will be delivered to Pakistan in February 2025.

After the launching ceremony, the keel of the lead vessel of the Hisar-class OPV was laid, and the construction of the second OPV has officially begun.

In July 2018, a contract was signed between the Military Factory and Shipyard Management Corporation (ASFAT) of Turkey and the Pakistani National Defense Ministry Ammunition Production and Karachi Shipyard for the construction of four Milgem class vessels based on Turkish Ada-class design. Turkish defence minister at the time, Nurettin Canikli, described the deal as “the largest defense export of Turkey in one agreement.”

The contract entails the construction of two corvettes in Turkey and two at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW). The contract has also provisions for the transfer of design rights and construction know-how from Turkey to Pakistan.

N MILGEM Program consists of 4 ships, 2 ships will be built in Istanbul Shipyard Command and 2 ships will be built in KSEW. The program started on 11 March 2019. The deliveries of the ships, which will be able to perform all kinds of military duties from air defense to submarine defense, are expected to be made at six-month intervals starting from August 2023.

The exact configuration of the Pakistan Milgem-class ships has not been made public yet. During the Aman Naval Exercise held in February 2019, Admiral Abbasi said that Pakistan ships will be fitted with a 16-Cell VLS behind the main gun. It is expected that the Babur-class corvettes will be armed with MBDA’s Albatros NG air defence system and Harbah Anti-ship and land attack missiles.

The propulsion system for all the MILGEM ships consist of one LM2500 gas turbine in a combined diesel and gas turbine configuration with two diesel engines; total propulsion power is 31,600 kilowatts.

Turkey’s Ada-class are multipurpose corvettes able to conduct a wide a range of missions, including reconnaissance, surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air warfare.

Key data:

Displacement: 2,926 tonnes
Length: 108.2 m
Beam: 14.8 m
Draft: 4.05 m
Propulsion: CODAG
Max speed: 31 knots
Range: 3500 nautical miles
Endurance: 15 days at sea
Crew: 93+40

Pakistan PM Sharif, Turkish President Erdogan jointly inaugurate new warship for Pakistani Navy - The Hindu

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/pakistan-pm-sharif-turk...

In response to a question about increased defence cooperation between the two nations, Mr. Niazi noted: "Both militaries are continuously exchanging knowledge and expertise. Construction and upgradation projects such as 17,000 tonne Fleet Tanker, PN-MILGEM and Agosta 90B submarines, Super Mushak trainers, UAV drones, and so on are evidence of this strong friendship and military cooperation." Under the bilateral project, Turkey was tasked to build four corvette warships for the Pakistan Navy — two in Istanbul and two in Karachi.

The first corvette warship for the Pakistan Navy known as PNS Babar was launched in Istanbul in August 2021 while the foundation stone for the second ship PNS Badr was laid in Karachi in May 2022, another report on the inauguration ceremony by the Dawn newspaper said.

Mr. Sharif during the inauguration informed that the fourth warship would be delivered in February 2025.

The new warships have a length of 99 metres, a displacement capacity of 2,400 tonnes, and a speed of 29 nautical miles.

Pakistan launches first locally built assault boat
By Usman Ansari

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2022/12/13/pakistan-launches-firs...

Pakistan’s Bahria Boat Building Yard launched its first 12T marine assault boat on Dec. 5 at its Karachi facility as part of a technology transfer deal with Polish shipbuilder Techno Marine.

The deal represents Techno Marine’s expanding presence in Pakistan; the company previously supplied 30 Chaser TM-1226 rigid inflatable boats for Pakistan’s naval special forces.

The contract for the marine assault boats was signed in 2018, but verifiable public information is limited. Available information notes the delivery in 2019 of two 12T vessels.

However, a spokesman with Bahria Boat Building Yard told Defense News the Pakistan Navy ordered 18 12T boats made up of two types. The Karachi Naval Dockyard is building those powered by outboard engines, and the Navy hired Bahria to make those powered by water jets. Bahria is currently building the remaining three of four vessels it is currently contracted to produce.

The spokesman also said efforts are underway to secure more domestic customers for the Bahria-built boats.

Around the 2003-2004 time frame, Thailand’s Marsun shipyard supplied M-16 fast assault boats — similar to the 12T — and the design for Pakistan’s locally built Jurrat-class missile boats. However, the M-16 vessels no longer meet the Pakistan Navy’s requirements.

The Bahria spokesman said the 12T “is for surveillance, policing purposes and [is] extremely swift in handling, as required, to operate in restricted/Creek areas,” but also around other sensitive areas such as the main naval base in Ormara and the commercial port of Gwadar.

The “Creek areas” refers to the disputed border with India around the Sir Creek, where the land border reaches the Arabian Sea. The tidal estuary is formed of marshland and shifting creeks. Conflicting claims over the border have resulted in a disputed maritime boundary in the Arabian Sea shaped like a large triangle, within which may be subsea energy resources.

Though the Pakistan Marines service patrols the Creeks area with British-built Griffon hovercraft, the 12T would enable a more effective patrolling presence into the disputed area of sea.

The 12T is equipped with twin inboard Cummins-powered Hamilton water jets. It can reach 42 knots (48 mph). It is also equipped with a navigational suite from British company Raymarine, and features ballistic protection by Danish company Scanfiber Composites.

Even as Pakistan’s currency plunges and the country pursues a bailout package to avoid default, the country’s naval officials say its maritime modernization programs remain on track.


https://www.defensenews.com/smr/defending-the-pacific/2023/02/13/ho...

Undersea advancements
Meanwhile, neighboring China is set to deliver to Pakistan the first Chinese-built Type 039B-based Hangor II submarine in 2024, followed by the remainder — three more from China and four produced domestically — at six-month intervals.

It has been unclear whether Germany would approve export licenses for the submarine type’s diesel engines. In 2020, Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence Production, the Navy’s public relations department, the German embassy in Islamabad, and Germany’s Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control all declined to comment on the matter.


(Rick) Fisher (a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center) said China’s submarine customers likely prefer the proven reputation of the German-designed, Chinese-co-produced diesel engines, but Germany’s refusal to grant the necessary clearance means “customers will have to settle for Chinese submarine diesels, or forgo the option of cheap and effective Chinese submarines.”

Nevertheless, submarine expert Aaron Amick, who runs the website Sub Brief, believes the Type 039B “is a good conventional submarine.”

“Most important, and unlike Chinese nuclear submarines, it is very quiet. Pakistan acquiring the Type 039B is a smart decision because it is a powerful, low-cost, short supply chain addition to their Navy,” Amick said. “Incorporating indigenous ship and weapons systems makes these variants uniquely powerful. India should take note that these subs can shoot the Babur-3 nuclear-capable missile up to 280 miles. The combination of stealth and long-range nuclear attack has changed the naval advantage clearly in favor of Pakistan.”

Similarly, independent defense analyst Mansoor Ahmed said the Hangor II will “transform Pakistan’s submarine capabilities.” By more than doubling Pakistan’s “modern subsurface fleet, they will narrow the force asymmetry with archrival India” and ensure greater survivability of Pakistani subs “in the face of growing Indian [anti-submarine warfare] capabilities.”

He noted the Hangor II boats are “insulated from sanctions and other restrictions believed to be associated with Western-origin, big-ticket weapon systems. Coupled with an expanding and modernizing surface fleet, these will also be useful in any Pakistani sea-denial strategy.”

The country’s previous efforts to establish a sea-based deterrent include the 2012 inauguration of the Naval Strategic Forces Command headquarters and the 2016 unveiling of a very-low frequency communications facility for submarines.

With India expanding its own fleet of conventional and nuclear-powered attack and ballistic missile submarines, the Hangor II subs are “the most important step toward augmenting the naval leg” of Pakistan’s second-strike capability, Ahmed said.

“Only a more survivable, flexible and numerically balanced Pakistani submarine fleet can act as a deterrent in a future crisis, for which these Hangor submarines are a much-needed addition that will undoubtedly help improve strategic stability in South Asia,” he added.

But Fida Muhammad Khan, a defense economics analyst with the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics think tank, said the government’s fiscal troubles threaten naval programs still in their planning stages.

Given the Navy generally takes a back seat in preference to the other services, those modernization efforts not yet physically underway could be cut, or their delivery timetables stretched out, he told Defense News.

Pakistan’s New OPV – PNS Yarmook – Is At NAVDEX 2023

https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/navdex-2023/2023/02/pakistans-...

PNS Yarmouk, the Pakistan Navy's first Yarmook-class Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV), opened its gates to visitors for NAVDEX 2023 exhibition, which is being held in Abu Dhabi between February 20 and 24, 2023.

PNS Yarmook (271) arrived at the NAVDEX marina pier in Abu Dhabi on February 19, 2023, one day before the exhibition. After her arrival, H.E. Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Ambassador of Pakistan to the United Arab Emirates, visited the ship.

Yarmook‘s visit to the exhibition is defined as increasing relations between the two countries.

“IDEX continues to benefit an increasing number of international decision-makers from within the defence- industry, government, armed forces and military personnel. PNS YARMOOK is the lead ship of the class inducted in Pakistan Navy in 2020. The ship is equipped with state of the art equipment, modern systems and fully ready-to-counter- challenges at sea.”


Pakistan’s Embassy to UAE
On the first day of the exhibition, Naval News paid a visit to PNS Yarmook and took a tour with ship personnel. The most notable change on the ship was the preparations for the deployment of Harbah anti-ship missiles, which were developed by Pakistan using domestic resources and have an operational range of approximately 280 kilometers. The missile launchers and cable channels were installed on the ship. Naval News learned that 4×2 Harbah missiles will be fitted aboard PNS Yarmook this year.

In June 2017, Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence signed an agreement with Damen Shipyards to build two offshore patrol vessels (OPV). The lead ship, PNS Yarmook, was commissioned in February 2020, and the second ship, PNS Tabuk, entered the service for the Pakistan Navy in November 2020.

After the commissioning, PNS Yarmook participated in the Mediterranean Shield operation of the Turkish Navy, which is conducted by the Turkish Navy assets only, marking the first foreign ship to contribute to this operation.

The technical specifications of the OPV:

Displacement: 2,300 tons
Length: 90 m
Beam: 14.4 m
Top Speed: 23 knots
Range: 6,000 nautical miles
Endurance: 40 days
Crew: 60+

The Yarmook-class OPVs’ propulsion system architecture is CODAD (Combined Diesel and Diesel), consist of 4 Caterpillar 3516 diesel engines delivering power to 2 shafts.

The Yarmook-class OPV is fitted with a 30 mm Aselsan SMASH remote weapon station, two Aselsan STAMP remote weapon systems, and a Phalanx Block 1B close-in weapon system. These ships will have land-attack capability after Harbah missiles are deployed.

The ships can house a helicopter and an unmanned aerial vehicle in separate hangars. Yarmook class OPVs can carry two RHIB (rigid-hulled inflatable boats), specifically one 11.5 m and one 6.5 m RHIB. The OPVs are designed to accommodate two twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) for special mission-based operations

Chinese shipyard delivers final two Type 054 A/P frigates to Pakistan Navy - Naval News

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/05/chinese-shipyard-deliv...

On May 10, 2022, China's Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard delivered the final two Type 054A/P frigates to the Pakistan Navy with a ceremony held in Shangai, China.


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The contract for four multi-role frigates (Type 054-A/P) for Pakistan Navy was signed between Pakistan and China in 2018. The first and second ships PNS TUGHRIL and PNS TAIMUR joined the PN fleet in 2022. The development of these state-of-the-art naval units for the Pakistan Navy is hinged upon modern stealth design with the capability to simultaneously engage in multiple naval operations to counter maritime threats. The 4000 tons frigates are technologically advanced and highly capable platforms having enormous surface-to-surface, land attack, surface-to-air and underwater firepower coupled with extensive surveillance potential. These ships will provide deterrence and mean for averting threats in our region while contributing towards the protection of Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCS).



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The Type 054A is a multi-role frigate and is recognized as the backbone of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) fleet of surface combatants with 30 vessels in commission. They have a length of 134 meters, a beam of 16 meters for a displacement of 4,000 tons. They have a crew complement of 165 sailors and are fitted with:

a H/PJ-26 76mm main gun
2×4 CM302 anti-ship missiles
32x VLS cells for HQ-16 surface-to-air missiles
2x Type 730 30mm CIWS
2x Triple Torpedo launchers
In PLAN service, those frigates feature a Type 382 radar which shares a close resemblance with the Russian MR-710 Fregat radar. Unlike the Pakistan Navy variant – whose first ship-in-class is fitted with an SR2410C radar – the Type 054A in Chinese Navy service does not feature a long-range/metric wave radar.

Indian view of Pakistan Navy Modernization

https://thediplomat.com/2023/07/china-is-helping-modernize-the-paki...

by Guarav Sen

Pakistan has been proactively procuring technologically advanced naval vessels from China, headlined by a $5 billion deal signed in 2016 for Pakistan to acquire Yuan class Type 039/041 diesel submarines by 2028. Pakistan is all set to acquire eight such submarines from China, with four of them scheduled for delivery by the end of 2023. The first four subs are being built by China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation; the other four will be built in Pakistan by Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works, further bolstering Pakistan’s indigenous capabilities.

These submarines are equipped with advanced sensors and modern armaments, which tilts the tactical power balance slightly in favor of Pakistan. These diesel attack submarines align with the Pakistan Navy’s offensive sea denial strategy, which prioritizes the use of submarines and missile-carrying maritime patrol aircraft in naval warfare.

Apart from this, Pakistan is also expanding its surface fleet. It has commissioned Zulfiqar-class frigates, based on China’s Type 053H3 vessels, which serve multiple roles, including anti-submarine warfare. It carries YJ-82 missiles for anti-surface warfare and FM-90N short-range surface-to-air missiles for self-defense.

In January 2022, the Pakistan Navy commissioned its most advanced vessel, the guided missile frigate Tughril. The Tughril is the first of four powerful Type 054A/P frigates being built in Shanghai for the Pakistan Navy. The vessel is armed with surface-to-air missiles and supersonic surface-to-surface missiles (SSMs), is a versatile warship capable of undertaking multiple missions. The second such vessel, the Taimur, was commissioned in June 2022.

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While the Tughril-class frigates represent a significant addition to Pakistan’s surface fleet, they do not pose a credible deterrent against the Indian Navy’s superior capabilities and numerical advantage. But still, India needs to monitor Pakistan’s shift toward power projection in the IOR. The addition of these advanced frigates enhances the Pakistan Navy’s capability to operate in distant waters, which is demonstrated by its ability to conduct joint drills with China’s navy in the East China Sea this year.

Besides China, Turkey is also playing a key role in stretching and modernizing Pakistan’s naval fleet. In 2018, Pakistan and Turkey signed a contract for the construction of four Milgem-class corvettes based on the design of Turkish Ada-class ships. Under the deal, Turkey will deliver four ships to Pakistan by February 2025.

Pakistan’s continued induction of higher-tonnage surface vessels reflects its ambition to enhance power projection in the region. The concerns for India lie not only in the naval imbalance but also in Pakistan’s first-ever maritime doctrine, “Preserving Freedom of Seas.”

Pakistan’s maritime strategy has evolved from an offensive sea denial approach to one focused on a sustained presence in the IOR. The Chinese-made J-10 fighter, which is part of China’s naval arm, can be used by the Pakistan Navy to carry out maritime operations in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. The warplane can carry anti-ship missiles, which could enable the Pakistan Navy to play a more responsive role in the Indian Ocean.

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Presently, Pakistan cannot come close to matching the maritime power of its archrival India, but the continued push for modernization and renewed strategic cooperation with China and Turkey could change the status quo by transforming Pakistan into a genuine regional naval power. A strong Pakistan Navy equipped with advanced frigates and other weapons is part of Beijing’s grand plan to ensure the security of Chinese oil imports coming from the Persian Gulf and attain control of the sea lanes traversing the Indian Ocean.

Ukraine’s drones (USVs) provide a lesson - Taipei Times


https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2023/08/04/200...

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been going on for nearly a year and a half. At the end of last year Ukraine started building the world’s first “naval fleet of drones” to counter Russia’s Black Sea fleet, news reports said. One of Ukraine’s maritime drones — an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) that resembles a speedboat — is 5.5m long and weighs one tonne. It has an operational radius of up to 400km and can operate autonomously for up to 60 hours. It can carry a combat load of up to 200kg and has a maximum speed of 80kph. The USV’s main functions include long-range maritime reconnaissance and coastal surveillance, escorting and supporting Ukraine’s conventional fleet and countering amphibious operations, among others. This Ukrainian-developed USV is believed to be the weapon that badly damaged the Kerch Bridge in Crimea on July 17, effectively blocking Russia’s logistical supply line, and had attacked the Crimean Black Sea port of Sevastopol the previous day.

Taiwan would do well to learn from this experience. To be ready for a war across the Taiwan Strait, the nation should develop a sea-drone fleet that is maneuverable, fast, cheap and effective. In recent years there have been several incidents of Chinese illegally crossing over to Taiwan on simple rubber dinghies. As well as favorable sea conditions and good luck, another reason they managed to reach Taiwanese territory is that a dinghy’s low profile on the sea surface makes it hard to detect using electronic devices. For the same reason, USVs have a “stealth” function. Despite their small size, they can be used to hit ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy as they try to cross the Taiwan Strait, thus giving Taiwan a chance to win decisively outside its own territory.

Taiwan also needs to develop a system that can launch sea-to-air or sea-to-ground missiles from USVs. If China were to invade Taiwan, the first attack waves would destroy more than half of Taiwan’s military airfields, warships, naval harbors and missile bases, as well as a large number of the military personnel stationed at those sites. In such a scenario, easily concealed sea drones and their operators stationed in bunkers might well play a role in turning the tide of the war.

It looks like Pakistan bought a Chinese spy ship. What does it do?

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2024/03/22/it-looks-like-pakistan...


ISLAMABAD — It appears Pakistan’s Navy has acquired a Chinese-built spy ship, according to open-source intelligence analyst Damien Symon, who reviewed commercially available satellite imagery.

https://x.com/detresfa_/status/1768859481323229565?s=20

The intelligence gathering platform, dubbed Rizwan, is described as an “offshore supply ship” by online shipping monitor MarineTraffic. Pakistan reportedly acquired the vessel from China last year with no fanfare, and the ship was spotted during a stopover in Jakarta, Indonesia, in June 2023, while sailing home.



It is a compact vessel some 87.2 meters long, with two large radar domes on the stern, which along with other sensors point to an intelligence gathering role.

Neither the Pakistan Navy nor the Ministry of Defence Production, which handles military acquisitions, would discuss the ship’s role and capabilities when asked by Defense News.

However, a source with knowledge of Rizwan’s operations, speaking on the condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the topic, confirmed to Defense News it is an “information gathering ship.” The source declined to provide further details.

Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the Singapore-based Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies think tank, said Rizwan appears to be an affordable and flexible design.

He told Defense News that the ship is based on the hull of an offshore support vessel, which makes “economical sense,” and that “aside from the huge radome that should serve as the electronic intelligence array, the platform might be able to accept varying mission modules if necessary.”

The ship looks to be dimensionally comparable to Norway’s intelligence gathering vessels Eger and Marjata, Sweden’s Artemis, or Germany’s Oste class, he added.

But Koh doubts Rizwan “has the onboard power capacity for telemetry missile tracking, like those found on the Chinese Yuan Wang series.” Instead, he explained, Rizwan is likely focused on gathering electronic and signals intelligence thanks to “onboard signals processing and analysis capabilities.”



He also said Rizwan’s modular configuration could support mission-specific equipment for hydrographic and oceanographic activities such as undersea gliders that can be launched from the stern deck.

Pakistan probably bought Rizwan in response to recent Indian acquisitions, as the two nations are archrivals, Koh added. And due to the relatively small size of Pakistan’s Navy, a dedicated electronic and signals intelligence platform will reduce the intelligence gathering burden on the service’s aircraft, ships and submarines, he explained.

These platforms would have mainly used electronic sensory measures to capture electromagnetic emissions, but “would have little or no capacity at all to process and analyze the signals,” he said. As a dedicated platform, Rizwan could therefore better monitor Indian naval activity “while freeing up the fleet combat assets for their primary duties.”

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Alongside indigenous development as well as acquisition and production programs with the Dutch and Turkish governments, Chinese help is instrumental in advancing elements of Pakistan’s naval modernization plan. Such support is seen in Pakistan’s Hangor II submarines, long-range unmanned combat drones and anti-ship missiles.

“These and other projects will help plug gaps in fleet air defense, battle management, [electronic warfare], and [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] for a potent [anti-access/area denial] capability through three surface task groups operating in the Arabian Sea,” Ahmed said.

With Stealth Jets, AIP-Subs, SAMs, UAVs On Radar, Pakistan Makes Audacious Hike In Defense Budget

By Shubhangi Palve, Indian Defense Analyst

https://www.eurasiantimes.com/pakistan-targets-stealth-fighters-aip...

Pakistan’s Def Spending As A Percentage Of GDP
Notably, the Pakistan Economic Survey 2023-24 reveals a downward trend in defense spending as a percentage of GDP since 2020. Despite an increase in the budget, defense spending as a proportion of GDP has consistently decreased, settling at 1.7% for 2024.

It shows that defense spending was 2.6 percent of the GDP in 2020, but it decreased to 2.4 percent in 2021 and further to 2.1 percent in 2022, followed by 1.9 percent in 2023 and 1.7 percent in 2024.

For the year 2025, defense spending has been retained at 1.7 percent of the GDP, showing that there was no change in the portion of the national economy allocated to defense in the overall pie despite it getting more money in the budget.

‘Pakistan Economic Survey’ is a key document showing the budget and performance of the economy each year and is released ahead of the budget each year.

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According to SIPRI data, Pakistan is ranked as the world’s fifth-largest arms importer. Between 2019 and 2023, it sourced 82% of its arms imports from China.

SIPRI reports that 61% of all Chinese arms exports from 2019 to 2023 were directed to Pakistan. Key sales include Type 54A frigates, SH 15 155 mm artillery guns, Wing Loong 1 unmanned combat aerial vehicles, WZ 10 attack helicopters, and JF 17 fighter jets.

As EurAsian Times has been reporting, Pakistan aims to further boost its military to counter India and plans to acquire Hangor-class submarines, stealth fighters (JC-31), naval warships, drones, surface-to-air missiles, and other key weapons from China.

In summary, as Pakistan grapples with the intertwined challenges of fiscal stability and military readiness, global attention remains focused on its trajectory.

The question arises: can this delicate equilibrium be maintained, or will the nation’s economic struggles compromise its ambitions for military strength, relegating it to a cycle of debt and diminished international influence?

Pakistan Navy test-fires ballistic missile having range of 350 km from warship

The system is equipped with an advanced navigation system with features to change its direction and speed.

Islamabad: The Pakistan Navy successfully test-fired an indigenously developed ballistic missile having a range of 350 km from a warship, it said on Monday.

"The missile system with a range of 350 km is capable of hitting land and sea targets with high precision,” according to the Pakistan Navy. The system is equipped with an advanced navigation system with features to change its direction and speed.

Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/world/pakistan-navy-test-fires-ballist...

Pakistan Navy Tests Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile 'SMASH'

https://quwa.org/quwa-premium/pakistan-navy-tests-anti-ship-ballist...

On 04 November, the Pakistan Navy (PN) announced that it test-fired an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) with a range of 350 km. Based on the video footage released by the PN, the ASBM is called the ‘SMASH’ (possibly an acronym for ‘Supersonic Missile Anti-SHip’).

The same video footage also indicates that the PN launched the SMASH ASBM from a Zulfiquar-class (F-22P) multi-mission frigate, of which the PN operates four ships.

It is not known if the SMASH is related to the P282, which the PN leadership first revealed in 2020 as a ‘hypersonic’ solution. Previously, SMASH seemed to be a supersonic-cruising anti-ship missile (AShM), similar to the CM-302 or BrahMos, for example. It is worth noting, however, that the PN recently inducted CM-302; these are being deployed from its Tughril-class (Type 054A/P) frigates.


The Pakistan Navy Builds its Missile Mix
After embarking on its large-scale modernization and fleet expansion program, the PN set out to build its AShM inventory. It used to mainly rely on subsonic-cruising AShMs, such as the RGM-84 Harpoon, MBDA Exocet, and Chinese C-802. Not only was the PN’s missile mix restricted to subsonic designs, but all of its munitions were imported from the United States, France, or China.

This changed in 2016, when the PN test-fired the ‘Zarb’, a shore-based subsonic AShM. This was the first time the PN had deployed a locally built AShM. In 2017, the PN announced that it test-fired the Babur 3, a submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM) based on the Babur-series land-attack cruise missile (LACM).

The final piece of the PN’s indigenous subsonic attack capability was the Harbah, a dual-role AShM/LACM that was test-fired in 2018. The export variant of the Harbah has a stated range of 280 km, but the AShM’s reach was likely capped for compliance with the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). Considering how the Babur 3 (which has size restrictions for deployment from submarine torpedo tubes) offers a stated range of 450 km, the Harbah AShM/LACM should match, if not exceed, 450 km.

The next step of the PN’s missile development program was to induct supersonic and hypersonic systems…

Airshow at Nishan-e-Pakistan key feature of IDEAS 2024

https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/851987-airshow-at-nishanepakistan-...

KARACHI (Dunya News) – An exhilarating airshow was held at Nishan-e-Pakistan, Sea View, in connection with the defence exhibition IDEAS 2024.

Pakistan Air Force pilots showcased their skills with fighter aircraft, while the Navy’s Sea King, Z-9, and Alouett helicopters demonstrated professional prowess.

A freefall parachute jump was performed from C-130 aircraft, and Navy’s Special Service Group presented an impressive gun drill.

The event also featured joint counter-terrorism demos by the armed forces, including beach assault and static displays.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah graced the event as the chief guest, joined by Governor Kamran Tessori.

Damen delivers second OPV 2600 to Pakistan Navy - Naval News

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/12/damen-delivers-second-...

Damen Shipyards Group has delivered the second in a series of two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) 2600 to the Pakistan Navy.

The OPV project has brought both the Pakistan Navy and Damen to new levels of enhanced cooperation in diverse fields. The delivery of the fourth OPV comes at a time of increasing collaboration as the two parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) during the International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) in Karachi in November.



The MoU demonstrates Damen’s commitment to supporting the Pakistan Maritime Science and Technology Park (PMSTP), an initiative recently unveiled by the Pakistan Navy. With the creation of a central hub close to the University of Bahria, Karachi, the PMSTP looks to foster collaboration between the authorities, industry and researchers, towards innovation and advancement in maritime technology.

As part of its scope as a PMSTP partner, Damen will be supporting the establishment of a local service centre to provide maintenance and services to Damen vessels operating in the region, such as the Pakistan Navy’s OPVs. Damen will collaborate with local businesses on shipbuilding projects, leveraging the advanced design and engineering capabilities it will develop as a partner in the PMSTP, enabling the joint design and development of new vessels for the Pakistan Navy.


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Two new warships to be inducted into Pakistan fleet on Defense Day 2024

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2569870/pakistan

The construction of PNS Babur started on June 4, 2020, and it was launched on August 15, 2021, while commissioning took place on September 23, 2023.

The Babur-class corvette, also known as the PN MILGEM class, is a class of four heavy corvettes under construction for the Pakistan Navy. This class is a subclass of the Turkish MILGEM project. The corvette class is heavier and larger than the Turkish Ada-class corvette and also equipped with vertical launch systems.

“Four Babur class ships equipped with a vertical launching system are being inducted into the Pakistan Navy,” ISPR said.

“Under the Pak-Turkiye agreement, 2 ships are being built in Istanbul and 2 in Karachi. Three other Babur class ships PNS Badr, Tariq and Khyber are currently in various stages of preparation.”

Babur class ships are capable of fighting above the surface, underwater, and in the air.

“The third Yarmouk-class OPV 2600 for the Pakistan Navy has also been built at Galati Shipyard in Romania,” ISPR said about PNS Hunain built in Romania. “The last two OPVs have a displacement of 2600 tons compared to the first two ships of the Yarmouk class.”

The Yarmook-class corvette is primarily based on the Dutch Damen Group’s Offshore Patrol Vessel 1900.

Yarmouk class ships have the status of Guided Missile Corvettes in the Pakistan Navy. All ships of this class, including PNS Hunain, are suitable for surface and air warfare as well as search and rescue operations.

The 98 meter long PNS Hunain has a speed of around 24 knots and with the help of a vertical launching system can propel surface-to-air missiles.

“Along with the 76 mm main gun, PNS Haneen is also equipped with two 20 mm secondary guns,” ISPR said.

PNS Yamama, the fourth and final vessel of the Yarmouk class, is undergoing completion after its launch in February this year.

Damen Shipyards Launches Fourth Pakistan Navy OPV - Quwa


https://quwa.org/daily-news/damen-shipyards-launches-fourth-pakista...

On 21 February, Damen Shipyards launched the fourth Yarmouk-class offshore patron vessel (OPV) for the Pakistan Navy (PN) from its facilities in Galati, Romania.

Though the fourth Damen OPV ordered by the PN, this ship – i.e., PNS Yamama (274) – is the second of the ‘Batch-II’ variant, which is larger and more capable than the first pair of Yarmouk-class OPVs. The first Batch-II OPV, PNS Hunain, was launched for sea trials in September 2023.

The PN initiated its OPV program in 2017 through an order for two Damen OPV 1900s plus an option for two additional ships from the Netherlands. The PN inducted the first two ships – i.e., PNS Yarmouk and PNS Tabuk – in February 2020 and May 2020, respectively.

Based on Damen’s OPV 1900 design, the first two ships have a displacement of 2,300 tons each. The Yarmouk-class has a length of 90 m, top speed of 23 knots, endurance of 40 days, and crew of over 60 personnel. The PN acquired ships to support a wide range of missions, including maritime security and policing, surveillance and intelligence, and search-and-rescue, among others.

The Yarmouk-class OPVs will likely be the PN’s main asset for policing Pakistan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Basically, it will support the PN’s anti-smuggling/piracy, counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism, fishery control, and humanitarian and disaster-relief operations. This would free the PN’s frigate and corvette assets to focus on their core missions and, potentially, reduce the risk of damage in peacetime resulting from asymmetrical maritime missions.

That said, the PN does intend to leverage the Yarmouk-class OPVs in wartime. The first two Yarmouk-class OPVs can be configured with anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM) and close-in-weapons-systems (CIWS), giving it long-range strike and point-defence anti-air capabilities. The Damen OPV 1900 can also carry two special mission containers, which the PN could use for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) or mine countermeasures (MCM), thus making these OPVs versatile when required.

With a displacement of 2,600 tons, the Batch-II OPV is larger than the preceding two ships and more capable in its anti-ship warfare (AShW) and anti-air warfare (AAW) potential. Based on the illustration of the ship released by Damen, the Batch-II can carry a supersonic-cruising ASCM (possibly the CM-302) in a two-by-two configuration as well as vertical launch system (VLS) cells for a medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, possibly the MBDA CAMM-ER…

Chinese builder launches Pakistan Navy's second Hangor-class submarine

https://www.bairdmaritime.com/security/naval/naval-submersibles/chi...

The Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group of China has launched the second boat of a new class of diesel-electric attack submarines ordered by the Pakistan Navy.

The future PNS Shushuk ("River dolphin") and another three Hangor-class submarines, including class lead boat PNS Hangor, will be built in China while the remaining four boats will be constructed in Pakistan by Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works.

All eight Hangor-class boats will be variants of the Type 039A or Yuan-class submarines being operated by the People's Liberation Army Navy of China.

Upon completion, the future Shushuk will have a length of 76 metres, a hull diameter of 8.4 metres, a displacement of 2,800 tonnes, air-independent propulsion, and armament consisting of torpedoes, cruise missiles, and anti-ship missiles.

The Hangor-class submarines will be operated on anti-access/area denial operations.

The second Hangor-class submarine is also the second Pakistan Navy submarine to be named Shushuk. The first was a French-built Daphné-class boat that operated under the Pakistani flag from 1970 to 2006.

Pakistan Navy inducts 4th Damen-built OPV 'PNS Yamama' - Naval News

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/04/pakistan-navy-commissi...


The OPV 2600 is the largest member of four new second-generation offshore patrol vessels (other variants are OPV 1400, OPV 1800, and OPV 2400) designed by Damen Shipyards to support a variety of naval and Coast Guard missions, such as Border and EEZ surveillance, Counter piracy and smuggling, and Counter drugs- and weapons trafficking among others.

The 2600-ton vessel has a length of 98 meters, which is longer than the Yarmook-class OPVs Pakistan Navy currently operates. It has 4x 2350 kW diesel engines coupled to two CPPs that can deliver a top speed of 24 knots to the vessel. OPV 2600 will also be fitted with a bow thruster for close maneuvers.

The vessel can operate at sea state 6 and is capable of surviving at sea state 9 thanks to its active fin stabilizing system. It will be capable of accommodating 60 people.

The OPV 2600 will be armed with the main gun of up to 76 mm on the ship’s bow deck and two 20 mm guns as secondary weapons. The sensor suite includes a medium-range surveillance radar and an E/O fire control sensor. The ship will also be capable of helicopter missions with its helicopter deck and can house the helicopters in its hangar.

Under the aft deck there will be space for up to 5 containerized mission modules that can be loaded and unloaded using a crane.

Moreover, the OPV 2600 boasts the capacity for five additional mission modules, covering areas such as Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) with side-scan sonar, Mine Countermeasures (MCM), Unmanned Aerial Vehicle/Unmanned Surface Vehicle (UAV/USV), pollution control, hospital facilities, diving support, as well as energy and water-making facilities, among others.

Designed for sustained maritime patrols, search and rescue operations, law enforcement, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response missions, the scaled model crafted for the Pakistan Navy is also capable of Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW) and Anti-Air Warfare (AAW).

11-0 For Pakistan? Pak Navy's AIP Submarine Fleet Nears 11 While India Struggles To Induct It's 1st AIP-Sub

https://www.eurasiantimes.com/n-india-struggles-to-induct-its-aip-sub/

The state of the Indian Navy’s submarines is as dismal as that of the Indian Air Force’s fighter squadrons. It has failed to induct a single Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) equipped submarine so far, while the Pakistan Navy is swiftly advancing towards its goal of augmenting its AIP-equipped submarine fleet to 11.

With the indigenously developed AIP system still not operational, the Indian Navy is likely to scrap the project to build three more French-origin Scorpene submarines and throw its weight behind the construction of AIP-equipped diesel-electric stealth submarines, built in collaboration with German firm Thyssenkrupp (TKMS).

Indian media has quoted government sources indicating that the Navy may decide to stop pursuing additional Scorpene submarines and will go full throttle for the construction of the six German-origin diesel-electric stealth submarines at Mazagon Docks Ltd.

The new Scorpene submarines were to be bigger, with nearly double the endurance of the present batch. The cost negotiations for the three more Scorpenes were completed in the last financial year. But it is still awaiting the nod from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

The CCS is considering the prudence of ordering three more Scorpenes, when the German submarines are “a generation ahead” of them. The CCS will also be assessing if the MDL can manage two complex submarine-building projects at the same time, according to the media report.

AIP-powered conventional diesel-electric submarines (SSKs) are midway between nuclear-powered boats and non-AIP SSKs. It allows an SSK to remain submerged for 10 to 14 days without needing to surface to charge its batteries, which might get it detected.

Other SSKs can stay underwater for roughly 48 hours. The fuel-cell-based AIP is unique, as it generates its hydrogen requirement on board.

An AIP enhances a submarine’s underwater endurance between battery charges by three to four times, thus reducing its vulnerability to detection.

The Indian Navy presently has 17 conventional submarines. Apart from the six Scorpene submarines inducted recently, the rest are over 30 years old and are fast approaching their decommissioning date.

The plans were to retrofit these six Scorpene submarines with indigenously developed AIP technology. As per the “jumboisation” plans, the operational submarine would be cut in half and a new AIP section would be inserted, increasing its length and weight. French shipbuilder Naval Group was to assist in the complex procedure.

After this, the technology will undergo further testing before being fitted into the remaining Scorpene-class submarines. Experts have pointed out that upgrading a weapons platform with new technology will reduce operational readiness, as the repairs will take at least a year.

INS Kalvari, which started its major refit this year, will not be getting its AIP upgrade as the system is still under development by the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The fuel cell-based AIP system, developed by DRDO’s Naval Materials Research Lab with L&T as the prime industry partner, is still not operationally available. The Navy is hopeful that the technology will be ready by the time the second Scorpene (INS Khanderi) comes for her scheduled normal maintenance refit in mid-2026.

The AIP program was sanctioned by the government in 2014 with a budget of INR 270 crore and was scheduled to be completed by June 2017. The project is already eight years behind schedule.

The Indian Navy doesn’t operate a single AIP-equipped submarine yet. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Navy’s all three French Agosta-90B (PNS Khalid, Saad, and Hamza) are powered by AIPs.