ISLAMABAD: Turkey this week began construction of a Turkey-made small warship called the corvette in the southern port city of Karachi to be supplied to the Pakistan Navy.
On May 10, 2017, Turkey and Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding for the sale of four Turkish made corvette warships and 52 Pakistan-made training planes for Ankara’s armed forces. Ankara described it as Turkey’s biggest single military export deal and “a very important day” for the defense industry.
Under the deal, the Karachi Shipyard (KS&EW) would buy four corvettes made under Turkey’s MILGEM warship program, aimed at designing and building locally a fleet of multipurpose corvettes and frigates that will replace older ships.
“Pakistan Navy has concluded a contract with M/s ASFAT for construction of 04 x corvettes out of which two are being constructed at Istanbul Naval Shipyard whereas the remaining two at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works,” Pakistan Navy said in a statement on June 15.
The contract for four MILGEM class corvettes for the Pakistan Navy with transfer of technology was signed with ASFAT Inc, a Turkish state owned defense contractor in 2018.
“These corvettes will be fitted with state-of-art Surface, Sub-Surface and Anti-Air Weapons & Sensors, integrated through an advanced Network Centric Combat Management System,” the navy statement said. “It is a historic occasion as Ministry of Defense Production, Pakistan Navy, Karachi Shipyard and M/s ASFAT of Turkey have joined hands for construction of this Corvette.”
Pakistan Navy said the induction of the corvettes would significantly enhance the force’s maritime defense and deterrence capabilities: “These corvettes will become a core element of PN’s kinetic response to traditional and non-traditional challenges and to maintain balance of power in the Indian Ocean Region.”