Pakistan Navy Takes Part in Multi-National Exercise in Turkey

On 09 November 2019, the Pakistan Navy (PN) FFG-7 frigate PNS Alamgir arrived in Turkey to take part in a 12-day multi-national exercise in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of Muğla in south-west Turkey.

Designated ‘Dogu Akdeniz-19’ (Eastern Mediterrenean-19 in Turkish), the exercise also includes the navies of Turkey, the United States, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, Greece, Spain and Canada.

According to Turkish Navy Command, the main goal of Dogu Akdeniz-19 is “to improve interoperability between friendly and allied nations and to ensure the training of the Turkish High Readiness Naval Force Headquarters, which as been asseverated to NATO.”

The Hurriyet Daily News also reported that PNS Alamgir will participate in an additional drill, “Operation Mediterranean Shield,” which is an ongoing effort in the East Mediterranean Sea.

Prior to Dogu Akdeniz-19, the PN also participated in International Maritime Exercise 2019 (IMX 19), a US-led naval exercise involving over 50 countries, in October.

The Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR) of the PN stated via social media that the F-22P frigate PNS Shamsheer, the minesweeper PNS Muhafiz, and P-3C Orion long-range maritime patrol aircraft (LRMPA) had participated in IMX 19, which was held in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

Finally, the PN also deployed PNS Aslat (F-22P) and the newly commissioned fleet tanker PNS Moawin to a series of port visits in Africa, with the flotilla currently docked at Casablanca, Morocco.