Pakistan Navy inducts 10 Sea King Helicopters and advanced Type 054-A/P Frigate

News January 26, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

In a ceremony held at the PN Dockyard in Karachi, Pakistan Navy expanded its naval fleet with the inclusion of a PNS Tughril frigate from China, along with 10 secondhand WS-61 Sea King helicopters acquired from Qatar.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Mohammed Amjad Khan Niazi said that “the induction of PNS Tughril and Sea King helicopters would augment the force’s combat capabilities in safeguarding the territorial integrity and the maritime interests of Pakistan.”

PNS Tughril is the first of four multi-role frigates. The vessel was delivered to Pakistan in November 2021 during a formal ceremony that took place at China’s Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard. President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi attended the ceremony as the chief guest. The new frigate will address the need “well-equipped fleet with surface, air and sub-surface platforms to safeguard sea frontiers under the challenging security environment,” he said. The ship has now been formally commissioned into Pakistan Navy’s fleet.

PNS Tughril is a Type 054-A multi-role frigate. It has long served as the backbone for China’s People’s Liberalization Army Navy (PLAN). China has commissioned 30 Type 054-A vessels to its naval fleet so far. The 134 meters long vessels have a displacement capacity of 4000 tonnes.

^{Pakistan’s President Dr Arif Alvi with Pakistan Navy officials onboard PNS Tughril during the induction ceremony in Karachi on January 24, 2022. (Image Credit: Pakistan Navy)}

PNS Tughril capabilities

Anti-air warfare
Anti-surface
Anti-submarine warfare
Destroy land targets
Vertical launch surface to air missile system
Supersonic surface to surface missiles

“PNS Tughril is equipped with state-of-the-art combat management and electronic warfare system along with modern self-defence capabilities,” Pakistan Navy said. The ship can accommodate a crew of 165 sailors and officers. Type 054-A frigates are equipped with modern sensors, radars, and state-of-the-art armament.

Some of the details about its weapons systems are listed below:

H/PJ-26 76mm main gun
4 CM302 anti-ship missiles
32 VLS cells for HQ-16 surface-to-air missiles
2 Type 730 30mm CIWS
2 Triple Torpedo launchers

Type 054-A frigates are usually paired with a Type-382 radar system which is similar to the Russian-made MR-710 Fregat radar. However, the Pakistani variants Type 054-A/P would be the first of the frigates to have an SR-2410-C radar system.

ALSO READ: Pakistan Navy inducts most advanced Type 054A/P Frigate

*^{Pakistan Navy Westland WS-61 Sea King Helicopter (Image Credit: Asuspine/Airliners)}*

The newly inducted frigate and the WS-61 Sea King Helicopters are a part of the Pakistan Navy’s modernization project. Pakistan plans to produce and procure modern naval equipment in order to balance India’s increasing naval power in the region. A major share of the Pakistan Navy’s modernization project would be catered by China and Turkey. The three countries share several projects and ongoing naval cooperation programs.

Apart from the Type 054-A/P frigates, Pakistan would also receive eight Yuan-class Type-041 diesel-powered submarines from China by 2028. Pakistan is also working with Turkey on the MILGEM project to produce Ada-class corvettes and Istanbul-class multi-purpose frigates for the Turkish Navy as well as Babur-class corvettes for Pakistan Navy.