Pakistan Getting Hi-Tech Ships to Defend Gwadar & Karachi Ports

According to latest reports, Pakistan and Turkey have signed a letter-of-intent for the sale of 4 MILGEM Ada Corvettes to the Pakistan Navy. The letter was signed by Rana Tanveer Hussain (Pakistan’s Minister of Defence Production) , Turkey’s Minister of Defence Fikri Işık and Turkish defence contractor Savunma Teknolojileri Muhendislik Ve Ticaret A.S (STM). The contract between the two partners will be finalized by June.

The MoDP visited Tuzla Shipyard in Istanbul and got a presentation on the MILGEM Ada Corvette platform. Rana Tanveer stated that the present plans project that few Corvettes will be built in Turkey while others will be assembled in Pakistan.

This the third major contract between Pakistan and STM. Earlier, STM was tasked to offer the Pakistan Navy Fleet Tanker (PNFT) and Agosta 90B submarine upgrade platform.

Depending on the configuration needs of Pakistan navy’s new corvettes, the total value of these programs is likely to cost almost US$ 1 billion, according to STM CEO Davut Yilma’s statement. Under standard configuration, each MILGEM Ada would have cost $300 million he added. However, Pakistan is planning to employ its own industry for some of the equipment, the price will land on $250 million per ship.

The MILGEM Ada Corvette of the Turkish navy is optimized for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operation. It has:

• 2 quad anti-ship missile (AShM) launchers
• A point-defence missile system (PDMS) in the Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM)
• a 76mm main gun
• It can house a medium-weight utility and ASW-capable helicopter

STM is waiting to start working on the contract once the new fiscal year’s budget is finalized in July.