Pakistan to receive two more Type 054A/P frigates from China in 2023
The PNS Taimur, the second of four Type 054A/P frigates China built for Pakistan, is commissioned at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai on June 23, 2022.
With two hulls already inducted into Paki Navy and two more scheduled to be delivered in 2023, the Type 054A/P frigates built by China will become the mainstay in the Pakistan Navy said the boss Admiral M Amjad Khan Niazi. Everyone is just hoping that like the famous J17 Fighters, these ships too don’t start behaving in similar manner.
Speaking highly of China-Pakistan cooperation, Admiral Niazi said that the acquisition of the Type 054A/Ps is a symbol of enduring friendship and historical affinity between the two countries.
The Type 054A/P is one of the latest multi-role frigates of Chinese origin, equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors that includes CM-302 SSM and LY-80 SAMs as well as Advanced Anti-Submarine Warfare suite and Combat Management System, enabling ships of this class to operate under multi-threat scenarios, Admiral Niazi said. Though most other Navies, which have imported Patrol Boats etc from China are highly disappointed in the functioning of such vessels.
The first two ships of this class, the PNS Tughril and the PNS Taimur, were inducted into the Pakistan Navy in December 2021 and June 2022 respectively, while the remaining two ships are also on track to join the Pakistan Navy Fleet in 2023, said the naval chief.
Admiral Niazi said that these ships are being integrated into Pakistan Navy operations, and will be a mainstay in the Pakistan Navy Fleet in the coming years, ensuring the seaward defense and protection of Pakistan’s vital sea lines of communication.
