Daily Times

Two warships PNS Babar and PNS Hunain will be formally inducted into the fleet of Pakistan Navy on the occasion of Defence Day which is observed on September 6 in Pakistan, said a statement issued by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Tuesday.

According to the military’s media wing, President Asif Ali Zardari will be the chief guest on the occasion of induction of the warships.

As per the statement, PNS Babar has been built in Turkiye while PNS Hunain in Romania. These will further increase Pakistan Navy’s defence capabilities.

The media wing said construction of PNS Babar began on June 4, 2020, While, it was launched on August 15, 2021, and its commissioning took place on September 23, 2023.

Four Babar class ships equipped with vertical launching system were being inducted into Pakistan Navy, said the statement.

Under Pak-Turkey agreement, two ships are being manufactured in Istanbul and as many in Karachi.

It said three other Babar class ships PNS Badar, Tariq and Khyber were under construction. The Babar class ship is capable of surface, underwater and air combat, simultaneously, said the ISPR.

“The 2,888-tonne Babar-class ship has a vertical launch system to deal with aerial threats. The vertical launch system of the 2888 ton Babar-class ship can hit air targets,” ISPR said.

Meanwhile, recently commissioned third offshore patrol vessel (OPV) PNS Hunain arrived in Karachi from Romania, the Pakistan Navy (PN) director general public relations (DGPR) said on August 30.

The DGPR said a ceremony was held at the PN Dockyard and Commodore Pakistan Fleet Vice Admiral Faisal Abbasi was the chief guest on this occasion.

PNS Hunain is a multipurpose medium sized OPV, with state of the art electronic warfare, anti-ship, anti-air warfare weapons and sensors, self-protection and terminal defence system. The ship was built and commissioned in July this year at Romania’s Damen Shipyard.

The Commodore Pakistan Fleet, on this occasion, highlighted that addition of PNS Hunain will significantly enhance PN capability of safeguarding maritime frontiers.

He emphasised that induction of such multipurpose state of the art platforms would provide support to PN Maritime Security patrol in the Indian Ocean.

Reception ceremony of PNS Hunain was attended by large number of PN officers, CPOs/sailors and families of crew members.