Induction of two Chinese origin Frigates in PN
MAY 10, 2023 is a red letter day for Pakistan Navy (PN) because on this auspicious day, two Type-054 A/P Frigates, PNS Shahjahan and PNS Tippu Sultan were commissioned together at Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard, Shanghai, China in a solemn but graceful ceremony. The Chief of the Naval Staff of Islamic Republic of Pakistan Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi graced the momentous occasion as chief guest.
The military ties between China and Pakistan stand on firm foundations and the completion of the Type-054A/P project marks a major landmark between the two navies. The commissioning ceremony of ships marked the successful culmination of the Type-054A/P project with four ships of the class constructed for PN. The first and second Type-054A/P Frigates PNS Tughril and PNS Taimur joined PN fleet in January 2022 and August 2022 respectively.
Pakistan had signed a contract for the delivery of two Type-054 A/P Frigates in 2017 and later in June 2018, an additional contract for two more ships was announced. All four ships were to be built in China.
The construction of all four frigates is hinged upon modern stealth design with capability to simultaneously execute a number of naval warfare missions in a highly intense multi-threat environment. The 4000 tons frigates are technologically advanced and highly capable platforms with enormous surface to surface, land attack, surface to air and underwater firepower coupled with extensive surveillance potential. These ships will provide requisite deterrence and means for averting threats in our region while contributing towards protection of Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCS).
The Type-054A is a multi-role frigate and is recognized as the backbone of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) fleet of surface combatants with 30 vessels in commission. They have a length of 134 meters, a beam of 16 meters for a displacement of 4,000 tons. They have a crew complement of 165 sailors and are fitted with: (i) a H/PJ-26 76mm main gun, (ii) 2×4 CM302 anti-ship missiles, (iii) 32x VLS cells for HQ-16 surface-to-air missiles, (iv) 2x Type 730 30mm CIWS, (v) 2x Triple Torpedo launchers. In Plan service, those frigates feature a Type 382 radar which shares a close resemblance with the Russian MR-710 Fregat radar. Unlike the PN variant – whose first ship-in-class is fitted with an SR2410C radar – the Type 054A in Chinese Navy service does not feature a long-range/metric wave radar.
It is noteworthy that The Type-054A is roughly the same size as the Indian Navy’s existing Talwar class of frigates, purchased from Russia. However, the Type-054A has an advantage over the existing Talwar class ships as the former use a vertical launch system (VLS), which is buried in the ship’s deck, to store and fire its HQ-16. The Indian Navy’s Talwar class frigates use an older ‘single-arm’ launcher that can fire only one missile at a time, while the VLS allows the launch of multiple missiles simultaneously. PN is currently undertaking an important renewal of its fleet, with the procurement of several modern platforms: In addition to these frigates from China, Pakistan will also commission new corvettes from Turkey and OPV from the Netherlands. It is also modernizing its submarine force. In 2016, Pakistan agreed to pay China $5 billion for the acquisition of eight Chinese Yuan-class type-041 diesel submarines by 2028 in order to shift the force balance with its archrival India.
PNS Shahjahan takes her name from the famous Muslim Emperor of subcontinent “Shahab Uddin Muhammad Khurram” also known as “Shahjahan” who was the fifth king of Mughal dynasty and ruled from 1628 to 1658. PN has given the name Shahjahan to its three former war ships i.e., C-Class Destroyer Ex HMS Charity acquired in 1958 from US Navy, Gearing Class Destroyer Ex USS Harold j Ellison acquired from US Navy in 1983 and Type 21 Frigate Ex HMS Active acquired in 1994 from Royal Navy. PNS Tippu Sultan is named after the Muslim ruler of the kingdom of Mysore “Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tippu” who reigned from 1782 to 1799. PN has given the name Tippu Sultan to its three former warships i.e., O-Class Destroyer Ex HMS Onslow acquired by PN in 1949 from Royal Navy, Gearing Class Destroyer Ex USS Damato acquired from US Navy in 1980 and Type 21 Frigate Ex HMS Avenger acquired from Royal Navy in 1994.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Guest underlined that construction of three Type-054A/P Frigates under the project and delivery of one Type 054A/P Frigate as a gift by People’s Republic of China under military assistance package bears testimony to the formidable defense cooperation between Pakistan and China. He further added that completion of the project is a major leap forward towards Pakistan’s capabilities to respond to maritime threats while contributing to peace and stability in the Indian Ocean Region. Chief of the Naval Staff also paid tribute to PLA (N) for its commendable role in pursuance of international peace and stated that bilateral engagements between PN and PLA (N) are reflective of our collaborative response against transnational threats.
Applauded the timely construction of PNS Shahjahan and PNS Tippu Sultan despite the constraints of COVID-19. He emphasized that delivery of PNS Tippu Sultan under military assistance package is testimony of longstanding Pakistan-China friendship and will remain a symbol of our all- weather strategic partnership. While presenting an account of activities, the head of PN mission overseeing construction of Type 054A/P Frigates, Commodore Anwar Saeed TI(M) congratulated all stakeholders whose valuable support ensured timely completion of this project. The commissioning ceremony was attended by Chairman BOMETEC, Chairman SASTIND, PLA (Navy) Eastern Fleet Commander, President CSSC and CSTC and along with prominent officials of Pakistan in China.
On the eve of the launching ceremony, the Pakistani Naval Chief called on China’s Defence Minister General Li Shangfu, who told the visiting PN Chief that the two all-weather friends should seek new areas of military cooperation and jointly safeguard their security interests and region. Li said the relations between the militaries of the two countries are an important part of China-Pakistan relations, and cooperation between the two sides in various fields, including the two navies, has achieved good results.
—The writer is a Retired Group Captain of PAF, who has written several books on China.
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