Turkish Navy corvette TCG Büyükada on goodwill visit to Pakistan

The Turkish Navy corvette TCG Büyükada – of the Ada-class line – is on a goodwill visit to Pakistan. As per the Associated Press of Pakistan, the TCG Büyükada and onboard personnel will be taking part in a series of activities during their stay in Pakistan. These will include “operational and training activities.”

The TCG Büyükada also visited Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar. Representatives from Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş. (STM) and officials from the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) are also accompanying the TCG Büyükada to promote the surface combatant to prospective buyers, namely Djibouti, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Notes & Comments:

In June, the Pakistan Navy expressed interest in procuring four Ada-class corvettes from STM. In August, STM confirmed that it was in discussions to develop a frigate akin to the Ada-class for the Pakistan Navy. STM is also the lead contractor responsible for upgrading Pakistan’s three Agosta 90B submarines.

The Pakistan Navy’s desired mission profile and configuration are not yet known, though it may opt for a multi-mission design, one equipped with contemporary anti-air warfare (AAW) capabilities.

A significant proportion of the cumulative cost will be impacted by the sensor and munitions package shortlisted by STM and the Pakistan Navy. As evident in the selection of Airbus Defence and Space to provide a new periscope and optronic mast for Pakistan’s Agosta 90Bs, third-party (non-Turkish and non-Pakistani) could be sought to configure the proposed corvette design.