ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy’s warship PNS Babur returned to Karachi on Wednesday after holding separate joint exercises with Turkiye and Saudi Arabia this month, the navy said in a statement.
Last Wednesday, the Pakistani ship visited the Jeddah port where it conducted a joint exercise with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Riyadh frigate to strengthen mutual cooperation between the two countries.
On June 15, PNS Babur participated in bilateral exercise TURGUTREIS-IX at the Aksaz naval base in Turkiye. Their activities encompassed harbor and sea exercises, where the two navies rehearsed various maritime operations and enhanced interoperability.
The navy organized a ceremony at the dockyard in Karachi to welcome PNS Babur upon its arrival on Wednesday, the Pakistan Navy said in a statement. Commander Pakistan Fleet Vice Admiral Muhammad Faisal Abbasi was the chief guest.
“While addressing the ceremony, Commander Pakistan Fleet highlighted that PN MILGEM class corvettes will significantly enhance Pakistan Navy’s capability of safeguarding maritime frontiers,” the navy said.
In this handout combination of photos, taken and released by Pakistan Navy, Commander Pakistan Fleet Vice Admiral Muhammad Faisal Abbasi (left) addresses the crew of Pakistan Naval Ship Babur at the Karachi Naval Dockyard in Karachi on June 26, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan Navy)
“And reinforce the initiative of Pakistan Navy for independently conducting regional maritime security patrols of the Indian Ocean region.”
Abbasi emphasized that the MILGEM class project is a manifestation of Pakistan and Turkiye’s defense cooperation.
The two countries jointly launched PNS Babur last year, which is part of a four-vessel deal between Islamabad and Ankara.
Turkiye announced in 2017 the two countries had 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 Turkiye’s biggest single military export deal and “a very important day” for the defense industry. The contract was formally signed in 2018.
Under the deal, the Karachi Shipyard (KS&EW) would buy four corvettes made under Turkiye’s MILGEM warship program, aimed at designing and building locally a fleet of multipurpose corvettes and frigates that could replace older ships.
As per the 2018 contract, two of the ships were to be manufactured in Istanbul and two in Karachi.
