Reading Time: 6 minutes approx.
CHINESE Shipyard Rolls Out First Type 054A/P Class Warship for PAKISTAN NAVY:
Chinese Shipyard Hudong Zhongzua Shipbuilding (HDZH) has rolled out the first of the four Type 054A/P Class warship for PAKISTAN NAVY.
The Launching Ceremony of PAKISTAN NAVY’s First of Four Type 054A/P Class Warship was held as Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard CHINA.
PAKISTAN NAVY Commodore Azfar Humayun (Chief Naval Overseer) participated in the launching ceremony in the presence of Chairman of CHINA Shipbuilding Trading Co, Lt, Mr. Li Hongtao.
PAKISTAN NAVY has ordered its Iron Brother CHINA for the construction of four state of the art warship for PAKISTAN to boost its Anti-Submarine, Air Defense and Offensive capabilities.
The first two Type 054A/P Warships were ordered in 2017, while the second two warships were ordered in 2018, respectively.
It is pertinent to mention that the Type 054A/P is specially built according to the special demands and complex defense requirement of PAKISTAN NAVY. The Word “P” in Type 054A/P stands for ‘PAKISTAN’.
The Type 054A/P is basically the export version of the Type 054A/P class Frigates that CHINESE People Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) already inducted in its fleet. These warship make the backbone of CHINA with 30 vessels in service.
CHINESE Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard began the construction of first Type 054A/P Class Warship back in January 2019. CHINESE Shipyard also begins the construction of third and fourth ships simultaneously in November 2019.
The keel laying ceremony of PAKISTAN NAVY’s Second Type 054A/P Class Frigates was held in CHINA back in 2020.
The order for the all the Type 054A/P is expected to be completed around the year of 2020.
The Type 054A/P Class Frigates are equipped and armed with the latest weaponry, radars, electronic suite, sensors and powerful Sonar System. The Frigates are equipped with the MR-36A, Type 345, RM-1290 radars and sonar system.
After the construction, the Type 054 Class Frigates would be the technologically most advanced and potent platform in the fleet of PAKISTAN NAVY.
Armament Options of Type 054A/P Class Frigate.
As far as the armament of the Ship is concerned; the Type 054A/P Class Frigates would be armed with cutting-edge weaponry, armament and munitions, including the 32-VLS of HQ-16 Medium Range Surface To Air Missile System (SAM). The Vertical Launch System of HQ-16 can also deploy Yu-8 Anti-Submarine rockets as well.
The warship will also be armed with the 8 Tubes of C-803 Anti-Ship Missile. For Anti-Submarine warfare, type Type 054A/P Warship is armed with 6 Tubes of Torpedo.
The Ship is also armed with 2 numbers of Type 730 30mm Close In Weapon System (CIWS) and a PJ26 76mm Main Gun are also mounted on it.
- 32 x Cell Vertical Launch System (VLS) for HQ-16 Surface to Air Missile system (SAM)
- 8 x C-803 Anti-Ship Missile
- 2 x Triple Torpedo Launchers (For Anti-Submarine Warfare)
- 2 x Type 730 30 mm Close In Weapon System (CIWS)
- PJ26 76mm Main Gun
The Type 054A/P class warship has a total length of 134 meters. The frigate has displacement of 4,000 tons and a beam of 16 meters. The Type 054 Warships have a capacity to complement a total of 165 numbers of 165 sailors in total.
“Technologically advance platform fitted with latest Surface, Subsurface, Anti-air weapons, Combat Management System & Sensors will strengthen PN’ combat capability & maintain peace & stability. The CG acknowledged the support of CHINESE Shipyard & CSTC despite Covid-19,” DGPR PAKISTAN NAVY said.
The Senior researcher at the CHINESE People’s Liberation Army’s Naval Military Studies Research Institute, Cao Weidong said, “Ot seems that all weapons and radars on the new ship will be CHINESE products, which reflects our progress in the industry and the PAKISTANI Navy’s confidence in our technology and capability… I believe the reason they chose our (frigate) type is that ours is one of the few that can carry out all of the air-defense, anti-ship and anti-submarine tasks.”
Technologically advance platform fitted with latest Surface, Subsurface, Anti-air weapons, Combat Management System & Sensors will strengthen PN’ combat capability & maintain peace & stability. The CG acknowledged support of Chinese Shipyard & CSTC despite Covid-19.(2/2)
— Rear Admiral M Arshid Javed DGPR Navy (@dgprPaknavy) August 23, 2020
The induction of these state of the art Type 054A/P Class Frigates in PAKISTAN NAVY fleet will provide the much needed punch to PAKISTAN NAVY to strengthen its capability to meet future challenges and to maintain the equilibrium of peace, power and stability in the highly contested indian ocean.
Right now, PAKISTAN NAVY is busy to modernize it fleet. It has procured and added several modern platforms in its arsenal, in addition to these new frigates. PAKISTAN NAVY has also commissioned the 2300 Corvettes from Damen Shipyard and it will also commission the MILGEM Class Frigates from its Iron Brother TURKEY.
