ASFAT Inc, a subsidiary of the Ministry of National Defence, has held today the keel-laying ceremony of the PN MİLGEM frigate for the Pakistan Navy within the scope of PN MİLGEM Program at Karachi Shipyard.Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi of the Pakistan Navy and ASFAT General Manager Esad Akgün of ASFAT took part in this milestone of the Turkish defence industry’s largest export deal in a single item.
Esad Akgün, General Manager of ASFAT, emphasised that Pakistan and Turkey collaborated on the PN MİLGEM project for two years. With the project, the collaboration has grown. “The PN MİLGEM Frigate, which will be built in Karachi, Pakistan, will be a larger and better-equipped ship that illustrates the success of our collaborative culture,” Akgün stated. Speaking during the occasion, Pakistan Navy Commander Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi concurred with Akgün, saying, “I hope the friendship between the two nations would expand further in the following days.”
Despite the pandemic circumstances, another project milestone was fulfilled on schedule and entirely with laying the 4th ship PN MİLGEM.
According to the terms of a September 2018 deal, Pakistan would induct four warships. The Istanbul Shipyard Command will build two of the frigates. The other two, on the other hand, will be built in Karachi, Pakistan.
In the first stage, a frigate will be added to the Pakistan Navy’s inventory in 2023, built-in Istanbul and Karachi. PNS Babur (F-280), constructed in Turkey for the Pakistan Navy, was launched on August 15, 2021, during the Istanbul Military Shipyard ceremony. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Pakistani counterpart Arif Alvi also attended the occasion. The remaining two ships will be added to the fleet in 2024. The second ship will take 60 months to build, the third ship 66 months, and the last ship 72 months. The first ship built in Karachi is expected to be launched in May 2022.
MİLGEM project is a national warship program of Turkey. Managed by the Turkish Navy, the project aims to develop multipurpose corvettes and frigates that can be deployed in various missions, including reconnaissance, surveillance, early warning, anti-submarine warfare, surface-to-surface, surface-to-air warfare, and amphibious operations.
The contract for four MİLGEM class corvettes for the Pakistan Navy with concurrent Transfer of Technology (ToT) was signed with Turkish State-owned Defence contractor ASFAT inc, in 2018. The ToT entails constructing two corvettes at Istanbul Naval Shipyard while another two at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW).
The armament and countermeasures of PN MİLGEM
The vessel will be equipped with 2x6 cell SAM, 2X3 cell SSM, 76 mm Super Rapid Oto Melara Naval Gun, Torpedo Launching System (TLS), Close-in Weapon System (CIWS), 2 X 25 mm ASELSAN Remote Controlled Stabilized Naval Gun System (STOP). The PN MİLGEM Frigates will also incorporate Havelsan ADVENT Combat Management System (CMS), Aselsan HIZIR Torpedo Countermeasure System, SMART-S Mk2 3D Search Radar, YALTES product EPKİS Integrated Platform Management System, and the Meteksan Defence product the YAKAMOS Hull-Mounted Sonar System.
Main specifications:
| Displacement | 2,926 tonnes |
| Length | 108.2 m |
| Beam | 14.8 m |
| Draft | 4.05 m |
| Propulsion | CODAG |
| Speed | 26 Kn |
| Range | 3500 nautical miles |
| Endurance | 15 days at sea |
| Crew | 93+40 |
