On 20 May, Karachi Shipyards and Engineering Works (KSEW) launched the Pakistan Navy’s (PN) third Babur-class (MILGEM) multi-mission corvette. The PN designated the ship as the PNS Badr.
This is the first of two corvettes that KSEW is building under the original contract for four ships. Turkey’s Istanbul Naval Shipyard (INSY) is building the remaining two ships. INSY launched the lead corvette – i.e., PNS Babur – for sea trials in August 2021. The PN is slated to receive the PNS Babur by 2023.
Under a contract signed in 2018, the PN has four MILGEM corvettes on order. Though based on Turkey’s Ada-class design, the Babur-class carries several key modifications. The most noticeable of these changes was the addition of a 12-cell vertical launch system (VLS) and 2×3 anti-ship cruising missile (ASCM) suite.
The PN reportedly opted to equip the Babur-class’s anti-air warfare (AAW) suite with the MBDA Albatros-NG or Common Anti-Air Modular Extended-Range (CAMM-ER) surface-to-air missile (SAM) system.
As for the ASCM armament, it seems that the PN will equip the corvette with either the locally built Harbah or, potentially, an upcoming supersonic-cruising missile. Currently, the PN is using the Harbah ASCM from its Azmat-class fast-attack craft (missile) platforms.
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