Karachi Shipbuilding Boom Expected With Pakistan Navy Modernization

Pakistan is launching domestic construction of warships, submarines and missile boats as part of its ambitious naval modernization program in collaboration with China, according to media reports.

Karachi Shipyard 

Chinese media reports have described a building program involving six of eight S-20 AIP-equipped variants of the Type-039A/Type-041 submarine under negotiation; four "Improved F-22P" frigates equipped with enhanced sensors and weaponry (possibly including the HQ-17 surface-to-air missile developed from the Russian Tor 1/SA-N-9); and six Type-022 Houbei stealth catamaran missile boats, to be built by Pakistan's state-owned shipbuilder Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW), according to DefenseNews.

Pakistan is expanding and modernizing its underwater fleet with 8 additional AIP-equipped submarines jointly built with China.  Mansoor Ahmed of Quaid-e-Azam University told Defense News that AIP-equipped conventional submarines "provide reliable second strike platforms, [and] an assured capability resides with [nuclear-powered attack and nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines], which are technically very complex and challenging to construct and operate compared to SSKs, and also very capital intensive."

Expansion of KSEW in Karachi includes a new foundry, fabrication facilities to cover all aspects of ship construction, berthing facilities, and two graving docks of 26,000 and 18,000 dead weight tons, spread over 71 acres. A 7,881-ton ship lift transfer system will be completed next year. KSEW will expand to occupy facilities vacated by the Navy as it transfers from Karachi to Ormara. The Pakistan Navy Dockyard, which is adjacent to KSEW, already has facilities upgraded by the French during construction of Agosta-90B submarines.

The Pakistan Navy modernization efforts further expands existing China-Pakistan military manufacturing collaboration at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) which has resulted in design and manufacturing of JF-17 fighter jets for Pakistan Air Force.

JF-17 Fighter Jet

In addition to designing and building military hardware together, Pakistan and China are also increasingly collaborating on manufacturing consumer appliances and products. The Pakistan-China economic corridor project includes setting up of several special economic zones for this purpose. A good example of this cooperation is Haier-Ruba special economic zone in Lahore.  Haier-Ruba joint venture in Pakistan has announced plans to start manufacturing laptops and smartphones in Lahore this year, according to the JV chairman Shah Faisal Afridi. The Haier-Ruba group is one of the largest manufacturers of polyester yarn and home appliances in the country.

The growth of both military and civilian manufacturing industries is helping to develop Pakistan's human capital and creating job opportunities for engineers, technicians and other workers. 

Pakistan has taken a page from China's industrialization playbook which shows that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) led the nation's industrial growth, first with military hardware and then expanding into consumer and industrial product manufacturing.

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Comment by Riaz Haq on January 30, 2021 at 12:00pm

#Russian navy to join #NATO members in Naval exercise #Aman hosted by #Pakistan Navy near #Karachi. A total of 30 countries will take part in the drills, with 10 engaging their fleets and the rest sending observers. https://aje.io/j63yn via @AJEnglish

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Pakistan Hosting Seventh Multinational Navy Exercise - Aman-2021

https://www.urdupoint.com/en/blog/pakistan-hosting-seventh-multinat...


By Dr Hasan Yaser Malik:

Predominantly, the prominent civilizations like Circa, Indus Valley and Egypt have emerged and developed along the seas and rivers. Presently 2.4 billion people are living within 60 miles of the coast as ports and sea have always provided prudent prospects for explorers and admirals like lbn Battuta, Zheng He and Khair-Udin Barbarossa who dominated the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean in 15th and 16th century respectively, Consequently, the domination led to enhancement of sea trade as seas were considered as a common human heritage however, during and after Second World War countries like U.S, UK, France, Spain and Italy started to build stronger navies with a view to not only consolidate on colonization but also to dominate the sea trade routes across the globe and established overseas naval bases since 1970s to control the vital choke points along sea lines of communication (SLOCs).

Such extra regional emergence led to expansion of navies such as China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, India, Iran and Pakistan to strengthen the domain of Maritime Security not only by securing their lands and SLOCs but also to explore marine sources.

In case of Pakistan due to its neighbouring environments Maritime Security is more pivotal for protection of its SLOCs and economy. Following the trends of enhancing global interdependence world navies have adopted the approach to conduct joint naval drills with a view to share new professional techniques of Maritime domain and to enhance diplomatic understanding.
Pakistan being a conscientious nation is committed to its resolve of peace coexistence and is determined for superior regional harmony and cooperation thus Pakistan is contributing as part of UN Peace Enforcing and Peace Keeping Missions.

Proudly: Pakistan Navy has been entrusted with command of Maritime Task Force 150 and 151 and has participated in various bilateral and multilateral exercises. Pakistan took initiative by conducting Multilateral Biennial Exercise AMAN 2007 with a view to reveal its obligations to peace, contribute towards regional Maritime Security and enhance interoperability between regional and extra regional navies, particularly against asymmetric threats.

Ever increasing numbers of participants have made AMAN International Naval Event with its seventh episode planned in February 2021. Considering the geo-political manoeuvre place Of Pakistan, significance of Gwadar Port.

CPEC and the professional credentials of Pakistan Navy even Blue Water navies are keen for regular participation. During first AMAN Exercise in 2007: 28 countries and 29 observers participated and in 2019: 46 countries and 115 observers along with 2 Japanese P3C aircrafts, 15 Special Operation Forces, Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Maritime Teams participated.

It is accepted that this time more than 40 countries as well as international observers and warships will participate.

Exercise is designed to provide firstly to provision of common forum for information sharing, mutual understanding and identifying areas of common interests.

Secondly, developing and practicing in response tactics, techniques and procedures against asymmetric and traditional threats during sea phase of the exercise and finally interaction with other nationals to share multicultural opportunities including Cultural Display and Food Gala.

Exercise focuses on objectives to enhance interoperability with regional and extra regional navies thereby acting as a bridge between the regions and display unrted resolve against terrorism and crimes in the Maritime Domain.

Comment by Riaz Haq on March 29, 2021 at 6:41pm

#Pakistan to have hypersonic missiles and directed-energy weapons on all new ships by mid-2020s, as revealed by outgoing Navy chief Adm. Zafar Mahmood Abbasi. In #Asia, #China, #India, #Japan, #SouthKorea & #Australia Navies have similar plans. https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2021/03/15/hyperson...

In October, outgoing naval chief Adm. Zafar Mahmood Abbasi revealed plans to equip future warships with directed-energy weapon systems and the P282 hypersonic missile.

“In the hypersonic domain, the ship-based, long-range, anti-ship and land-attack P282 ballistic missile is under development” he said at the time, and the newly established Naval Research and Development Institute was developing “laser-based directed-energy weapons.”

Neither the Ministry of Defence Production nor the Navy responded to Defense News’ requests for information on these programs. Their stage of development or how and when they will be employed is unknown. Nevertheless, Mansoor Ahmed, a senior research fellow at Islamabad’s Center for International Strategic Studies, believes these developments must be reasonably advanced for them to have been revealed at all.

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.

Comment by Riaz Haq on June 15, 2021 at 10:57am

First Steel Cutting For #Pakistan’s 4th & Final Jinnah-class. In addition to these corvettes from #Turkey, Pakistan will also commission new #frigates from #China and OPV from the #Netherlands. It is also modernizing its submarine force https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/06/first-steel-cutting-fo... via @navalnewscom

A Steel Cutting ceremony for the fourth Jinnah-class (MILGEM type) corvette for Pakistan Navy was held at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW), Pakistan. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi attended the occasion as Chief Guest.

The event marked an important milestone in the construction schedule for fourth MILGEM Corvette for PN. Pakistan Navy has concluded contract with M/s ASFAT for the construction of four corvettes out of which two are being constructed at Istanbul Naval Shipyard whereas the remaining two at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works. These corvettes will be fitted with state-of-art Surface, Sub-Surface and Anti-Air Weapons & Sensors, integrated through an advanced Network Centric Combat Management System.

Speaking at the occasion, Chief of the Naval Staff expressed that it is a matter of pride to witness the Steel Cutting of fourth PN MILGEM Corvettes at KS&EW. He added that it is a historic occasion as Ministry of Defence Production, Pakistan Navy, Karachi Shipyard and M/s ASFAT of Turkey have joined hands for construction of this Corvette. The Admiral in his address said that today’s event is a defining moment to further cement the bond of friendship between the two strategically aligned nations with common shared values, culture and principles. Naval Chief acknowledged the commitment and dedication of KS&EW and M/s ASFAT for meeting the challenging construction schedule despite ongoing global pandemic. The induction of MILGEM Corvettes will significantly enhance maritime defence and deterrence capabilities of Pakistan Navy. These corvettes will become a core element of PN’s kinetic response to traditional and non-traditional challenges and to maintain balance of power in the Indian Ocean Region.

Naval News comments:

In July 2018, a contract was signed between 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. Turkish defence minister, Nurettin Canikli, described the deal as “the largest defense export of Turkey in one agreement.”

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

Comment by Riaz Haq on July 8, 2021 at 1:15pm

#Pakistan hires Leonardo, Paramount Group to convert 3 Embraer Lineage 1000 jets into long-range #maritime "Sea Sultan" patrol aircraft for its #Navy. Future contracts will bring total number to 10, replacing the country’s long-serving P-3C Orion fleet. https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2021/07/08/pakistan-hires-leon...

Pakistan has hired an Italian defense company to convert three Embraer Lineage 1000 regional jetliners into long-range maritime patrol aircraft for its Navy.

The contract with Leonardo involves the acquisition of two aircraft to join the single Lineage 1000 already in Pakistan, followed by the design, modification, installation and integration of an anti-submarine warfare and maritime patrol package. The three planes will then be introduced into service as Sea Sultan patrol aircraft.

Follow-on contracts are expected to bring the total number of Sea Sultans to 10, replacing the country’s long-serving P-3C Orion fleet. Defense News learned in October that the Navy selected the Lineage 1000 to replace the fleet.

Under an additional contract, South Africa’s Paramount Group will handle the pre-conversion maintenance, repair and overhaul of the aircraft.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence Production, which handles acquisitions, did not reply to Defense News for comment.

Comment by Riaz Haq on July 22, 2021 at 11:40am

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.)

Comment by Riaz Haq on July 27, 2021 at 8:05pm

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.

Comment by Riaz Haq on September 6, 2021 at 4:10pm

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.

Comment by Riaz Haq on September 9, 2021 at 7:56am

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.”

Comment by Riaz Haq on October 10, 2021 at 7:42am

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.

Comment by Riaz Haq on October 10, 2021 at 9:13pm

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.”

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