The Pakistan Navy Receives First Chinese-Manufactured Type 054 A/P Frigate
The Pakistani Navy reported that on November 9, the first Type 054A/P frigate PNS Tughril, manufactured by the Chinese state shipbuilding corporation [CSSC], was delivered to the Pakistani Navy at a ceremony held at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard.
The delivery ceremony was attended by Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Moin Ul Haq, senior officials from BOMETEC, OIMC, SASTIND, PLA (N), and CSSC, as well as Chairman of CSTC & HZ Shipyard and Commander of the PLA (N) Shanghai Naval Base. The commissioning of PNS TUGHRIL, the ambassador said at the ceremony, marked the beginning of a new chapter in Pakistan-China friendship. The TUGHRIL Class Frigates, according to Moin Ul Haq, will strengthen the Pakistan Navy’s capacity to provide naval defense, maintain peace, stability, and balance of power in the Indian Ocean Region, in the context of the region’s overall security paradigm.
Mr. Du Gang, Vice Party Secretary and Director of the Board of CSSC, praised the timely completion of PNS TUGHRIL, emphasizing that the commissioning of a ship is a significant milestone and a testament to the long standing friendship between the nations.
Commodore Rashid Mehmood Sheikh, the head of the Pakistan Navy Mission overseeing the construction of the 054A/P Frigate, stated that PNS TUGHRIL, as a multi-mission capable Frigate, will form the mainstay of the Pakistan Navy Fleet while enhancing Pakistan Navy’s maritime defense capabilities.
PNS TUGHRIL is the first ship of the Type 054 A/P class “Multi-Purpose Frigate” project, which began construction for the Pakistan Navy under the terms of a contract signed between Pakistan and China in 2017.
In 2017, Pakistan agreed to buy two “Type-054” frigates from China Shipbuilding Trading Company (CTSC) and Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard, bringing the total number of orders to four in June 2018. The first ship was launched in August 2020, followed by the second in February 2021. All three Type 054 frigates were built in China, and the remaining three are currently being built.
Pakistan’s Type-054A/P frigates are an enhanced variant of the Chinese Navy’s Type-054A frigates. Anti-ship/surface, anti-submarine, and anti-air operations are all possible with the multipurpose frigate. The ship is 134 meters long and weighs about 4,000 tons. The vessel can reach a top speed of 28 knots thanks to the Combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) main propulsion system, which consists of four diesel engines. The vessel with an 8,000-mile cruising range can house a total of 165 crew members.
The vessel’s weapon systems reportedly include:
- PJ-26 76 mm Head Cannon
- 2×3 Anti Submarine Torpedo Launcher
- 2×6 Type 87 Anti-submarine Rocket Launcher
- 2x Type 1130 Close Air Defense System
- 2×4 Anti-ship Cruise Missile Launcher
- 32-cell Vertical Launch System (VLS)
Due to years of tense relations with India, Pakistan has continued to strengthen its navy. Aside from the Type-054A/P class frigates obtained from China, Pakistan will receive four corvettes built by Turkey as part of the PM MİLGEM project in August 2023, February 2024, August 2024, and February 2025, respectively, and will undergo a significant fleet renewal.