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Brief Introduction About PAKISTAN NAVY Submarine Fleet:
PAKISTAN NAVY Submarine fleet is undergoing major-level upgradation and modernization for the past decade. PAKISTAN NAVY has collaborated with its all-weather ALLY and Brothers CHINA and TURKEY to modernize its existing submarine fleet.
Earlier in 2015, PAKISTAN has cut the deal with CHINA for the procurement of 8 Hangor-Class Submarines. According to the contract, 4 of the Hangor/Type 042 Yuan-class Submarines would-be built-in CHINA, while the other 4 Submarines would be built at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW) with Transfer of Technology (ToT) agreement.
PAKISTAN NAVY is slated to receive the first four Air Independent Propulsion Submarines (AIP) Hangor-Class Submarines from CHINA in the year of 2023.
Earlier on June 2016, PAKISTAN NAVY has awarded the $350 Million contract to TURKEY’s Defense Giant Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş or STM to upgrade and modernize the fleet of Agosta 90B AIP submarines.
STM win the contract by beating French DCNS after very tight competition. Since then, TURKEY’s STM has been working day and night on the submarines and the sea trials of the first Agosta 90B Upgraded Submarine has been started in Arabian sea as well.
The heavily involvement of TURKEY and CHINA in PAKISTAN Submarine Force program is considered as the game changer for the country’s Navy, who is acquiring state of the art Submarines, Frigates, Warships, Offshore Patrol Vessels, Fast-attack Missile craft and speed boats from different counties. PAKISTAN NAVY has earned the reputation of being the one of the finest, lethal and dangerous Naval Forces of the World.
PAKISTAN NAVAL SPECIAL FORCES (SSGN) AND COSMOS X-Craft MG110 Midget Submarine:
PAKISTAN NAVY has acquired the state of the art X-Craft Cosmos MG-110 Midget Submarine in early 1990’s for its special forces to conduct overt, covert and clandestine operations. PAKISTAN NAVY is using the Cosmos MG110 Midget Submarines for decades and now they are about the end of their service lives.
In order to replace the aging Cosmos MG110 Midget Submarines, PAKISTAN NAVY has decided to indigenously built a new midget-class submarine for Special Services Group Navy or PAKISTAN NAVY Seals.
According to the Ministry of Defense Production (MoDP) Year Book of 2015-2016, PAKISTAN NAVY has proposed the construction of new Midget Submarine for its special forces with a completion target of 2017-2018. According to the details released by the PAKISTAN’s MoDP, the midget submarines would be indigenously built in PAKISTAN.
PAKISTAN NAVY is reportedly operating a total three numbers of X-Craft MG-110 Midget Submarines, which it has acquired from the Italian Defense Manufacturer Cosmos in early and mid-nineties.
However, the Italian Defense Manufacturer Cosmos, who has delivered the Midget Submarine to PAKISTAN has been closed down 20 years ago. It means that PAKISTAN could not get the technical support for the submarines. The same Italian Defense Manufacturer Cosmos has now been replaced by another credible Italian Defense Manufacturer Drass.
PAKISTAN NAVY X-Craft MG-110 Midget Submarine:
The X-Craft MG-110 Midget Submarines were built in PAKISTAN under the Supervision of Italian Defense Company Cosmos. These midget submarines have been built to replace the SX 404 Submarines, which have now been retired.
The X-Craft MG110 Midget Submarines can easily transport up to 8 Special Forces personnel on Covert, Overt and Frogman Operations. The X-Craft MG 110 Midget Submarine consists of 2 Torpedo tubes that can be armed with the SUT type torpedo.
The X-Craft MG-110 Midget Submarine can also carry up to eight limpet underwater mines, or a pair of 2-man underwater swimmer chariots.
The X-Craft MG110 Midget Submarine includes a pair of CK 39 periscopes and these submarines are equipped to have an endurance of twenty days in total.
Characteristics of PAKISTAN NAVY MG110 Midget Submarines:
- Role: Covert and Over Underwater warfare
- Displacement: 118 Tons in total (When Submerged)
- Beam: 6’ 7” (2 meters)
- Length: 91’ 2” (20 meters)
- Speed: 7 KTs (when submerged)
- Range: 1,200 Nautical Miles
- Propulsion: 1 Shaft, Diesel-Electric Propulsion
- Manning Capacity: 6 Crewmen + 8 Swimmers
- Armament System: 2 x 533 mm AEG SUT Wire Guided Torpedoes
- Mine: 8 MK 414 Limpet Mine
PAKISTAN NAVY New Indigenously Developed X-Craft Midget Submarine:
PAKISTAN NAVY has used the term X-Craft for the Midget Submarine, which it is inherited from the Italian Manufacturer Cosmos, who sold three numbers of MG110 Midget Submarines to PAKISTAN back in early 1990s. Interesting to know that the same Italian Defense Manufacturer has borrowed the X-Craft term from the WWII era Midget Submarines of Royal Navy.
PAKISTAN NAVY has Indigenously developed State of the Art X-Craft Midget Submarine for Special Services Group NAVY (SSGN) or PAKISTAN NAVY Seals .. . MASHALLAH . . . pic.twitter.com/lNp27t49HY
— PAKDEFENSE.OFFICIAL (@PAKDEFENSE_COM) May 1, 2020
Satellite imagery released on the internet suggested that PAKISTAN NAVY has successfully achieved the milestone of developing X-Craft Midget Submarine for its Special Forces as it was listed earlier back in the Ministry of Defense Production 2015-16 Year Book.
Since 2016, PAKISTAN NAVY has partially covered its under-developed Midget Submarine in the tent, however, the Satellite imagery has revealed that PAKISTAN’s new X-Craft Midget Submarine is standing in an open area at PNS Iqbal, Karachi Port, which implies that the submarine has been developed and ready for operations.
It is worth mentioning that PNS Iqbal is a special Naval Base designed for special undisclosed activities and development of PAKISTAN Strategic Naval Forces and PAKISTAN Naval Fleet. The newly built X-Craft Submarine will help PAKISTAN NAVY to execute Area Denial and Access Denial (A2/AD).
According to the satellite imagery, PAKISTAN’s new midget class submarine is quite compact that leads to the speculation of its possible due covert role in the Arabian Sea.
Details of PAKISTAN NAVY X-Craft Submarine:
According to the satellite images, PAKISTAN NAVY’s indigenously developed X-Craft Midget Submarine for SSGN is about 55 long and it has a beam measurement of around 8 feet. However, the exact displace of PAKISTAN NAVY X-Craft Midget Submarine is currently not know.
The propeller, round-shapes nose and vertical rudder of PAKISTAN NAVY X-Craft Midget Submarine is clearly visible in the second satellite imagery. However, the snorkel of the Submarine is not visible in the picture.
One thing is confirmed in the Satellite Imagery that PAKISTAN NAVY’s new X-Craft Midget Submarine is somewhat slightly smaller than the Cosmos MG110 Midget Submarines and it appears to be somewhat larger than the SDV or Swimmer Delivery Vehicle.
PAKISTAN NAVY X-Craft Midget Submarine also features the simple hull construction design, which indicates that the submarine is easy to operate. The compact size of the Submarine allows the Submarine to transport from one place to another by using land routes.
According to the leading Defense Experts and Defense Analysts, the overall design of the PAKISTAN NAVY X-Craft Submarine is quite new and different and doesn’t appear that PAKISTAN NAVY has inherited or incorporated the design of some existing Midget Submarines currently operated by different countries across the globe.
Some Defense Analysts suggest that TURKEY might be the one country that has helped PAKISTAN to achieve this milestone. However, the design shown in the Satellite Images is also quite different from the Midget Submarines used by the TURKISH NAVY. Furthermore, there are no official sources from PAKISTAN NAVY to confirm that PAKISTAN NAVY has collaborated with TURKEY or TURKEY has provided critical assistance to PAKISTAN to developed the midget Submarine for its fleet.
Given the fact, it is quite obvious now the new design of the X-Craft is PAKISTAN’s indigenous design and the country has developed the X-Craft Midget Submarine indigenously by using all the resources from local Defense industry.
It is quite clear now that PAKISTAN NAVY is moving in the right direction to modernize its fleet and to boost its underwater warfare capability against india.
Since, the news and images of the indigenously developed Midget Submarine have surfaced on the internet, it has caused real panic in eastern neighbor, india, which is still struggling to modernize its naval fleet to counter the serious threat posed by the PAKISTAN NAVY. Furthermore, it would also prevent india to continue its adventurous policy in the highly contested indian ocean.
PAKISTAN NAVY’s new built X-Craft Midget Submarine can fundamentally change the domain of underwater warfare in the indian ocean by preventing the indian navy to refrain for any adventure in the indian ocean, as PAKISTAN NAVY has successfully foiled all the attempts of indian navy to spread terrorism and anarchy in PAKISTAN. Furthermore, the X-Craft Midget Submarine will boost PAKISTAN NAVY capability for Area Denial and Access Denial (A2/AD).
PAKISTAN newly built X-Craft Midget Submarine can easily challenge the maritime operations of india in the Arabian sea by enforcing Area Denial and Access Denial (A2/AD).
Now, indian navy, which really want to destabilize the regional peace with its policy of adventurism have to think twice before initiating any adventure in the Arabian sea.
It seems that india is going to witness another era of sleepless nights as it would take several years or decades to procure new technology in order to counter the ever-emerging threat of PAKISTAN NAVY in the Arabian Sea and indian ocean.
