Pakistan Navy News Analysis & Archives

In October 2020, the Pakistan Navy (PN) revealed that it will expand its surface fleet to over 50 ships, and it would aim for 20 ‘major surface vessels’ such as frigates as part of its enlarged...

Pakistan’s previous Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) seemingly indicated that the Navy will acquire six offshore patrol vessels (OPV) of “larger tonnage.” Quwa examines if additional OPVs are on the roadmap, and if so, how they...

The Pakistan Navy announced that it acquired one twin-engine commercial jet aircraft for use as a new long-range maritime patrol aircraft (LRMPA). Pakistan is currently seeking a total of 10 LRMPAs....Read More

Pakistan’s outgoing Chief of Naval Staff revealed that the service is working to build a fleet of 50 ships, of which 20 would be ‘major surface vessels.’...Read More

By Arslan Khan Arslan Khan is an aerospace engineering student and an analyst/observer of Pakistani defence issues. In July 2018, Pakistan inked a contract with Turkey’s Military Factory and Shipyard Corporation (i.e., ASFAT A.Ş.) for four...

Pakistan’s frigate and corvette acquisition/upgrade programs will deliver a considerably more capable force by the middle of the coming decade, but there may still be room for improvement....Read More

The RAS-72 Sea Eagle is among the Pakistan Navy’s (PN) newer inductions. The RAS-72 is a maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) based on the ATR-72, a commercially available commuter aircraft. ...Read More

The importance of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the modern battlespace is widely recognized in our times. With the success that UAVs have had in military operations in Libya and Syria, the importance of UAVs has...

Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW) held the steel-cutting ceremony for the Pakistan Navy’s (PN) second MILGEM corvette. Pakistan ordered four MILGEMs in 2018, it is to receive all four by 2025....Read More

Istanbul Naval Shipyard (INSY) announced that it laid the keel for the Pakistan Navy’s (PN) first MILGEM warship. Pakistan signed a contract for four MILGEM shops in July 2018....Read More

In May 2006, Pakistan signed a contract with China for four F-22P frigates for the Pakistan Navy (PN). The contract – which included the ships with transfer-of-technology (ToT), six Harbin Z-9EC helicopters, and a munitions package...

The Yarmook-class corvette is a 2,300-ton design the Pakistan Navy acquired for anti-surface and anti-air operations as well as maritime security operations, day/night helicopter operations, combat search and rescue, and surveillance and intelligence missions....Read More

The Pakistan Navy (PN) Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, said that the PN will acquire new long-range maritime patrol aircraft (LRMPA), drones and helicopters....Read More

The Pakistan Navy (PN) currently has four Type 054A/P frigates from China Shipbuilding Trading Co. Ltd (CSTC). It ordered the ships in two equal batches in 2017 and 2018. The PN is scheduled to receive all...

On 05 July 2018, the Pakistan Ministry of Defence Production (MoDP) signed a deal with Turkey’s Military Factory and Shipyard Corporation (ASFAT A.Ş.) for the purchase of four customized MILGEM Ada corvettes for the Pakistan Navy...

In its contract for four MILGEM warships, the Pakistan Navy (PN) also bought assistance to design its own frigate. Considering that the PN is paying for both the design assistance and intellectual property (IP) rights, this...

On 23 March 2020, the Pakistan Navy announced that the China Shipbuilding Trading Co. Limited (CSTC) laid the keel for Pakistan’s second Type 054A/P frigate. Pakistan has four Type 054A/P frigates on order, all of which...

In January 2020, the Pakistan Navy (PN) released a tender for one twin-engine jet-powered aircraft intended for conversion into a long-range maritime patrol aircraft (LRMPA)....Read More

The Pakistan Navy (PN) will equip its two 2,300-ton corvettes/offshore patrol vessels (OPV) from Damen Shipyards with anti-surface, anti-air, and surveillance/intelligence gathering systems....Read More

The Pakistan Navy’s (PN) Director General of Public Relations announced that the PN inducted ATR-72 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) and Luna NG unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)....Read More

Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik A.Ş. (STM) is planning to start the sea trials of the Pakistan Navy’s (PN) first upgraded Agosta 90B submarine – PNS/M Hamza – in early 2020....Read More

In its 2015-2016 disclosure, Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence Production (MoDP) listed the construction of a submarine rescue and salvage vessel for the Pakistan Navy (PN) at KSEW. The MoDP did not provide a specific timeline, but...

On 14 November 2019, Aselsan announced that it signed a €176.9 m contract with ASFAT A.Ş to supply subsystems for the Pakistan Navy’s MILGEM corvettes....Read More

On 16 November 2019, the Pakistan Navy (PN) announced that the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, paid an official visit to Romania. The CNS also visited Damen Shipyards Galati, which constructed the...

The PNS Alamgir has been in Turkey since 09 November 2019 for a 12-day multinational maritime exercise – designated Operation Mediterranean Shield – in the Aegean Sea....Read More

The Pakistan Navy has eight Hangor submarines on order from China. The first four will be inducted in 2022-2023, and the last four by 2028. ...Read More

China Shipbuilding Trading Co. Ltd. (CSTC) conducted the steel cutting ceremony of two Type 054A/P frigates for the Pakistan Navy (PN). The PN is slated to receive all four Type 054A/P frigates by 2021....Read More

With a relatively deep – and active – procurement roadmap of new submarines, frigates and other assets, the Pakistan Navy is aims to implement an ambitious modernization project in the next decade....Read More

While one can expect the PN to configure its larger ships – such as the forthcoming Type 054A/P frigate and Jinnah-class corvette/light frigate – with the supersonic missile, the optimal scenario would be to also arm...

According to the Pakistan Ministry of Defence Production’s disclosure for 2017-2018, the Directorate General of Munitions Production (DGMP) signed-off on the local development of a supersonic missile for the Pakistan Navy....Read More

On Sunday, 29 September 2019, Istanbul Shipyard conducted the steel-cutting ceremony of the first MILGEM corvette slated for the Pakistan Navy. Pakistan has four MILGEM corvettes on order as part of a $1 to $1.5 billion...

On 20 December, the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) held the steel-cutting ceremony of the Pakistan Navy’s (PN) second (of four) Type 054A/P multi-mission frigates....Read More

On 12 December 2018, the Pakistan Navy (PN) formally inducted two refurbished, former Royal Navy Westland Sea King (one HAR3A and one HC4) naval helicopters and its first ATR-72-based maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). The PN also...

The Pakistan Navy announced that its MILGEM purchase from Turkey’s ASFAT A.S. comprises of two parts: three anti-submarine warfare (ASW) corvettes and a lone, domestically designed, frigate. The final ship will start the ‘Jinnah-class’ line of...

Introduction Jointly developed, marketed and produced by Russia and India, the BrahMos is a supersonic anti-ship cruising missile (ASCM). Weighing 2,500 kg and with an engagement range of 450 km, the Brahmos is one of India’s...

03 October 2015 By Bilal Khan Compared to its sibling service arms, i.e. the Pakistan Army (PA) and Pakistan Air Force (PAF), the Pakistan Navy (PN) is, to put it politely, under-appraised. It is not that...