ISLAMABAD: Considering the naval defense capabilities, 2 large warships will be inducted into the Pakistan Navy on the occasion of Defense Day.
PNS Babar and PNS Hunain will join the fleet of Pak Navy simultaneously.
The first Miljum/Babar class ship to be built in Turkey will officially become part of the Pakistan Navy while the third offshore patrol vessel built in Romania, PNS Hanin, will also join the Pakistan Navy.
President Asif Ali Zardari will be the chief guest at the induction ceremony of PNS Babar and PNS Hunain.
The construction of PNS Babar started on 4 June 2020 while the launch took place on 15 August 2021 and commissioning took place on 23 September 2023. 4 Babur class ships equipped with vertical launching system are being inducted into Pakistan Navy.
Under the Pak-Turkey agreement, 2 ships are being manufactured in Istanbul and 2 in Karachi. 3 other Babur class ships PNS Badr, Tariq and Khyber are currently in various stages of preparation.
The Babur class ship is capable of simultaneous surface, underwater and air warfare while the 2,888 ton Babur class ship can engage targets through a vertical launch system to deal with air threats.
A third Yarmouk-class OPV-2600 for the Pakistan Navy has also been built at Galati Shipyard in Romania. The last two OPVs have a displacement of 2600 tons compared to the first 2 ships of the Yarmouk class, while the Yarmouk class ships have the status of guided missile corvettes in the Pakistan Navy due to their unmatched capabilities.
All Yarmouk-class ships, including PNS Hunain, are suitable for surface and air warfare as well as search and rescue operations, the 98-meter long PNS Hunain has a speed of around 24 knots.
With the help of a vertical launching system, PNS Hunan can launch surface-to-air missiles, along with a 76 mm main gun, two 20 mm secondary guns are also mounted on PNS Hunan.
All four ships of the Yarmouk class have been attributed to important battles in Islamic history. After PNS Yarmouk and Tabuk, PNS Hunain will also be the best addition to the strength and capabilities of Pakistan Navy.
PNS Yamama, the fourth and final vessel of the Yarmouk class, is undergoing completion stages after its launch in February this year. The Babur class ships are the epitome of Pakistan-Turkey defense cooperation and a testament to the defense partnership between the two countries.
