On 03 November, the Pakistan Navy (PN) signed a contract with Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW) to construct the first Jinnah-class frigate, an original surface combatant jointly designed by the PN’s Platform Design Wing (PDW), which was previously known as the Naval Research and Design Institute (NRDI), and Askeri Fabrika ve Tersane İşletme AŞ (ASFAT), the main contractor for the PN’s Babur-class (MILGEM) corvette program.
Officially signed during the 2025 Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference (PIMEC 2025), the PN stated that the lead ship will join the fleet from 2027 to 2028.
The Jinnah-class frigate – also designated AS3400 – has a displacement of 3,300 tons, length of 119.45 m, and beam of 15.40 m. Originally planned for a combined-diesel-and-diesel (CODAD) propulsion system, the PN revealed that its ships will instead use a combined-diesel-and-gas (CODAG) system (which may improve the ship’s speed, but with the potential trade-off of less range or endurance).
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In terms of armaments, the Jinnah-class frigates will be fitted with 16 vertical-launch system (VLS) cells for the MBDA Albatros-NG/CAMM-ER, a pair of triple-cell lightweight torpedo (LWT) launchers, and dual-quad launchers for the P282 anti-ship missile (AShM). However, considering how the PN opted to change the propulsion stack, it may revise the subsystem and/or armament configurations ahead of the lead ship’s induction.
The Jinnah-class frigate program was a key piece of a $1.5 billion USD deal signed with ASFAT A.S. for the MILGEM. Under the contract, ASFAT A.S and NRDI/PDW would jointly develop an original frigate tailored to the PN’s unique requirements which, in time, Pakistan would construct locally.
Besides having a direct hand in the design and configuration of the ship, the Jinnah-class frigate would also open the pathway for the PN to select its choice of suppliers for key inputs, such as propulsion, steel, subsystems, and weapons, among others. It would allow the PN to have a greater hand in controlling the pricing of the ship (by decoupling contractor/subcontractor decisions from the main OEM) and to create avenues for the domestic industry to participate in the program. In fact, the PDW intends to eventually design its own frigates independently.
Industry sources told Quwa that the PN will procure five Jinnah-class frigates, with production being split between Pakistan and Turkey. Additionally, the frigates will be built jointly by Pakistan and Turkey on a 50:50 basis; however, the details of this arrangement are currently unclear. Some of the key inputs may be sourced from Turkey, but, ultimately, constructed at KSEW.
The ships are a key part of the PN’s long-term plan to build a fleet of 20 ‘major’ surface vessels – i.e., four Tughril-class (Type 054A/P) frigates, four Babur-class corvettes, four upgraded Zulfiquar-class (F-22P) frigates, and five Jinnah-class frigates. The PN did not comment on whether it will order additional Jinnah-class frigates – or, potentially, work on another design. Interestingly, as the current roadmap stands, the PN could still seek three additional ships.
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