Pakistan Navy on Monday officially took delivery of the first Type 054A/P frigate from China, the largest warship the country has ever exported.
The PNS Tughril was commissioned at Hudong Zhonghua (HZ) Shipyard, China. It is the first of four Type 054 frigates being constructed by China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC) for the Pakistan Navy. The ship has surface-to-surface, surface-to-air and underwater fire power besides extensive surveillance potentials, the Navy claims. It is equipped with Combat Management and Electronic Warfare system along with modern self-defense capabilities.
Compared to previous Chinese frigates, the new ship has better air defense capability, as it is equipped with an improved radar system and a larger amount of missiles with a longer range, Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the PLA Naval Research Academy, had told the Global Times earlier, noting that the Type 054A frigate also has world-class stealth capability.
The Type-054A Class ship, equipped with the latest surface-to-surface and anti-air weaponry, combat management systems and underwater firepower, together with extensive surveillance capabilities, will serve as a technologically advanced surface platform for the Pakistan Navy’s fleet.
“PNS Tughril is equipped with a state-of-the-art combat management and electronic warfare system along with modern self-defense capabilities,” it added.
Pakistan sealed a $5 billion deal with China in 2016 for the acquisition of eight Chinese Yuan-class type-041 diesel submarines by 2028 to “address force imbalance” with its archrival India.
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