Pakistan started its first ever indigenously designed and built frigate programme, Jinnah Class Frigate (JCF) AS3400, along with the Turkish Defence Ministry company ASFAT. The construction of this ship is expected to start at the end of this year or start of next year.
JCF is a frigate design project developed jointly by the ASFAT Design Office and the Pakistan Navy’s Platform Design Wing (PDW) to meet the Pakistan Navy’s (PN) operational requirements. The project also includes a technology—transfer Programme initiated by Turkiye for transferring the design know-how of a main combatant warship.
The first vessel of JCF will be constructed in Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS&EW) Ltd.
JCF will be equipped and designed to defend against air, surface, underwater and asymmetrical threats. The vessel will accommodate 200 personnel and 4000 nautical mile range by CODAD type of main propulsion configuration.
Turkiye and ASFAT’s role in the ship was decided when the two countries signed the MİLGEM contract. Pakistan Navy received its first MİLGEM Vessel in the Babur Class corvette, PNS Babur (280), just last week.
Pakistan will construct six frigates in total.
