Pakistan inducts Turkish-made navy ship on Defense and Martyrs Day

​​​​​​​By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - The Pakistani Navy inducted two more ships Friday into its fleet on Defense and Martyrs Day.

The PNS Babur and PNS Hunain, which have the most advanced technology, were developed with the cooperation of Türkiye and Romania, respectively.

Addressing a ceremony at the Pakistan Naval Dockyard in Karachi, President Asif Ali Zardari welcomed the induction of the MILGEM Class Corvette Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) Babur and Offshore Patrol Vessel PNS Hunain into the Pakistani Navy (PN) fleet and said the ships would enable the navy to meet ever-growing operational responsibilities.

He acknowledged the collaborative efforts involved in the construction of the newly-inducted ships, and expressed gratitude to teams from Pakistan and Türkiye for their dedication and hard work.

"These ships symbolize our strong friendship with Türkiye and our trust in the Dutch DAMEN Shipyard in Romania," he said, according to a statement from his office.

He added that the development would further boost the navy's ability to defend the country’s maritime boundaries.

PNS Babur is a multipurpose ship built and commissioned at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard on Sept. 23, 2023. PNS Hunain, an Offshore Patrol Vessel, was built and commissioned at the DAMEN Shipyard in Romania on July 25, 2024.

The ceremony was also attended by Deputy Minister of National Defence Türkiye, Bilal Burdali; Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen. Sahir Shamshad Mirza; Chief of the Naval Staff, Adm. Naveed Ashraf; senior representatives of construction yards, high-ranking officials of the armed forces and political leadership.

Defense and Martyrs Day, held annually on Sept. 6, commemorates the efforts of the armed forces during the 1965 war with India.

The war, which took place between August and September, ended Sept. 22 with a UN-sponsored cease-fire. Both nations claimed success following intense fighting.

In his address, the Chief of the Naval Staff termed the induction of the two ships in the PN Fleet as a major milestone in the capacity building of the PN Fleet.

In July 2018, the Pakistani Navy signed a contract for the acquisition of four MILGEM-class ships with ASFAT. According to the plan, two corvettes will be built in Türkiye and the next two will be built in Pakistan, which also involves technology transfer.

MILGEM vessels are 99 meters (325 feet) long with a displacement capacity of 24,00 tons and can move at a speed of 29 nautical miles. The anti-submarine combat frigates can be hidden from radar.

In October 2019, Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, along with then-Chief of Pakistan Navy Adm. Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, cut the metal plate of the first MILGEM Ada class corvette during a ceremony in Istanbul.

Türkiye is one of 10 countries that can build, design and maintain warships using national capabilities.